Hi there! Is there any way i can reach out to you? Any social medias? I have an idea you might use one day. Not a very popular one, but a pretty good one
@@marinellovragovic1207 I think there's a few bits between relative pitch and sight reading the sounds. I can play by ear much better; when I read notation I first interpret how I would finger the piece on a keyboard
I wouldn't call him a genius. He was given a task and he tried and tried for hours a day through months. Artists make experiments with music. It's just that that random melody ended up in Zelda. That could have been easily lost in history if Miyamoto simply rejected it back then.
the warp whistle from ZeldaNES is also the warp whistle from SuperMarioBros3, before it became the beginning to the OoT "Press Start" screen...and its also popped up in SkywardSword: some Bokoblin horns will blow the 'warp whistle' tune while others may blow the LttP 'Flute' tune...
@@rtyuik7 yeah, I saw the Zeltik video about that. The tune also appears in the minish cap when you use the ocarina in that game to teleport. I'm guessing you already knew that, but I wanted to mention it.
except that the infamous Nokia ringtone wasn't composed by anyone at Nokia. It was composed by Francisco Tarrega and is from the song "Gran Vals" here ruclips.net/video/uSQzUx3QW2Y/видео.html
Don't forget about the secret solved theme from the Metroid Prime series... it has that same satisfying effect of mystery and triumph. I have that as my text message tone, and the Zelda secret theme as my notifications tone lol.
Another interesting trait I noticed about the “secret” sound that wasn't mentioned in this video: Not a single note is repeated. It's as though the downward melody leaves a bunch of unsatisfying random holes, and then the upward melody fills them in with a structured solution. I'm not sure whether 8-bit Music Theory felt this was worth mentioning, since it isn't difficult to find two different chords that don't share any of the same notes. Still, I find it to be satisfying. ❤️
About how vague and keyless it sounds: most iconic musical cues or motifs feel like words, but when compared to them, this one is more like an emotion - sort of an undefined "...?".
Can I just say here that these videos are always dang near perfection? Like if I tried to explain this stuff I’d be making awful noises but not when you say it... the editing, explaining, it’s just sooo good!
This was so fucking professionally put together. I'd expect this from a production company with dozens of employees, the fact that you put this together yourself is incredible.
I know, right? *Finally*, we get to see what he looks like. 8-Bit Music Theory: Rock on, brother :) And Thomas Game Docs: excellent video. Thanks to the both of you, and keep up the good work!
Phantom hourglass and Spirit Tracks were my first two Zeldas. Though Wind Waker is now my favorite, I still have a soft spot for them. I whole heartedly agree - the community could give them a bit more respect.
@@xshobux Speedrunner Linkus7 did two awesome videos on the DS games, and like him, I actually like the temple of the ocean king more than the tower of spirits. Every time I got there I felt stronger, and I found new routes to make it through faster. But the tower of spirits felt the same every time. There were also some puzzles I got really stuck on.
@@xshobux But hey, it just may not be your cup of tea. Link to the Past is by all accounts an outstanding game, one of the best ever, but I don't have a lot of fun playing it. My only problem is when people slander others for their gaming opinions. I often see PH and ST listed as "the worst Zeldas," but I don't think any Zelda deserves to be branded with so mean a designation. Even Zelda 2, as it needs to be viewed by what was considered quality at the time. It also has some pretty dang good music. My personal least favorite Zelda, Triforce heroes, at least had some interesting multiplayer stuff. There are other series that need a worst game designation, like Roller coaster Tycoon, that went downhill after 3.
Here's a good way to think of the sfx: "what exactly have I found?" Every time you hear that just imagine Link saying that out loud, in a sing song voice.
Another interesting upload. I don't actually know much about the Zelda series since I've never played a single game in my life but channels like this can educate folks like me who don't know.
I haven’t played that many but my personal faves are Majora’s Mask, Ocarina of Time, and Twilight Princess. I wanna play Breath of the Wild but I don’t have the console for it
before i clicked on this i was so sure he'd say the "dodododooooo" item sound. when i found out i was wrong though, i was like "huh that's so weird why didnt i think of it?" until i realised ive never got past the first dungeon in any Zelda game, so of course i wouldn't be familiar with the sound.
@@freetube200 i always get lost or chicken out its pathetic XD im helpless without a walk through, but here's hoping breath of the wild is different for me
Crystal Collision I heard Breath of the Wild was designed so that the player could have more creative freedom to progress through the puzzles and explore the world instead of just having one solution
I'm not even a musician but I can hear that thumbnail. I definitely know more about level design than music theory, so it's really cool to hear the thought process behind the music that's so essential to the game's full experience!
The beginning of the guardian theme is incredibly memorable, so it definitely sits in second place. I have it as my alarm, because it immediately wakes me up
The jingle that plays when you solve a puzzle is overrated, clearly, the most iconic Zelda sound is the "Dodo do doooo" that plays when you get an item
Another sign of how good it is: I‘ve had it as my notification sound for emails for years now. I get a ton of emails, but I‘ve never gotten sick of it. I use the breath of the wild version, so when you played it in the video, i instinctively paused to check my emails 😁
otakurocks ok?? Its the RUclips comment section. Notice how its called a “comment” section and not an “answering questions that people asked” section. They original comment even relates to the video which is more than you can say about many. Stop being a dick and like open a window or go outside or literally anything more productive than shitting on people in the yt comments
I just want to mention that saying this sequence doesn't relate to any particular key is not entirely accurate. Although it's not easy to see, this sound does point to one key more strongly than others, and here's why: Like you said, there are two halves to this sound. The second half is very clearly an augmented triad, but just looking at the first half note by note doesn't immediately tell you anything about it. Instead, you have to consider the half-step voice leading of the G-F# and A-G#. Both instances can be considered a chromatic approach note towards their intended goal note, the first of which solidifies F# as a chord tone, and the second leading smoothly into the augmented triad. To me, it looks like the first half is at the very least a diminished triad serving a predominant function, and if you choose to look at other notes as possible implications, potentially a secondary dominant pointing towards the true dominant (the augmented triad). First, let's look at where the augmented triad could lead us. Being a symmetrical chord, each note could potentially act as the root and lead to multiple tonic chords. These three relationships would be E -> A, G# -> C#, C -> F. Purely taking the second half as is, the bottom note is a G#, which would give some direction towards C#. However when looking at the motion of the first half leading into the second half, that pull becomes slightly overshadowed by a more prominent direction. This particular diminished chord consists concretely of D#/F#/A, with an implied C. Assuming that these are meant to lead upward by a half-step, as is most often the case with diminished chords, we can see the resulting goal notes are E/G/A#/C#. Looking at the four possible goal notes, only one of them is found within the augmented triad that is being led to - E. With this information, we can deduce that the augmented triad is likely an E augmented leading to A, but there is one more piece of evidence to look closer at. The one note which seemingly has nothing to do with the chord in the first half, the first G, actually plays a rather important role in disambiguating this motion. Taking the idea of the first half being a rootless secondary dominant chord (not uncommon to see in many different circumstances, but most notably jazz, considering Kondo's musical influences), it becomes even clearer that a B7 -> E+ motion is visible. In a dominant chord, it would be perfectly acceptable to use the b13 (the G in this case) to create voice leading into the 5th, which is exactly what's being done here. All this is to say that I'm pretty sure this sequence isn't as tonally ambiguous as you may think, and I think it likely is meant to point to A minor, ending on a half-cadence for dramatic effect. Hopefully someone found this interesting and if you have any other ideas, feel free to reply.
Great analysis by far, and that definitely contributes to the feeling of the state of the environment being changed somehow, as in the dungeons. I’m not as well versed with chord progressions so forgive me if my terminology is a bit off or my perspective a bit simplistic, but I think the fact that it sounds so satisfying as well is because of a “floating” C major inversion over the course of the theme. It starts on a G and ends on a C which already might suggest a cadence that resolves towards the tonic. I believe that the E takes a more pivotal role than the G# to the listener since it’s right after a leap, where you hear a discontinuation between the descent and the ascent rather than a simple wave-like motion. Together I think this “suggested” C major chord adds an overall more positive effect to the melody than just the augmented arpeggio it ends on.
Disagree with the introduction of the diminished chord. The progression is purposefully much more expansive than that. It sounds more apparent that the first half is suggestive of "G B D# F#", and if you've listened to Scriabin, the mystical and wondrous sound matches with greater confidence. With this structure (interrupted then by the A), it becomes clear that this is a shifting of augmented chords by a half step: from B Aug to C Aug. Kondo's choice to implant the second Aug chord on E makes this more ambiguous, but essentially, the harmony here is simpler than that - it's a chromatic step up. To illustrate, consider replacing the progression with: G D# B B C E G# C Obviously a lot of character is lost - notably, the predominant "major-ness" of the first chord (F#), which brings the lustrous sound, and the befuddling note (A) - and without the root motion B - > C, the harmony becomes less familiar, but this basic structure is still closer to what is going on in the original. You might have over-interpreted it, but good writeup though.
Personally I feel I'm a little more likely to interpret the first chord as a diminished chord built on D#. My first instinct when hearing it is that it sounds like a chromatic mediant, (which makes sense when considering enharmonic spellings) but I feel it's a bit more complicated that that. The soprano voice here has a distinct resolution from g to c, which is really only considered 'proper' voice leading if C is the root of the augmented triad. If we view these chords as blocked, and thus as 2 satb chords, we notice that each voice actually voice leads in an extremely traditional way, with the g to c being the only leap, which makes sense if the second chord is a C augmented triad. Though in western classical styles, augmented chords are usually viewed as being built on the dominant, I dont think that is necessarily the case here, primarily because of voice leading. If we consider the key as C for a moment, we see the upper voice resolve g to c (traditionally the bass line in a PAC) Fi resolves upwards, like it normally would be expected to, but the G is sharped to make it augmented. The D# resolves up to E, also as you would typically expect, and the A resolves down to to G sharp. From this perspective, this comes off a lot like a traditional chromatic mediant that has just been harmonically messed with until it's as ambiguous as possible while still maintaining some internal consistency, and then voiced to emphasize the motion between the dominant and tonic. However, most importantly, I think I it is significant how 'proper' the voice leading is considering the chromatic modifications. Building off of my voice leading point however, perhaps, still thinking in the key of C, but only for now, this could be viewed as a modified german 6th chord. The voice leading is similar, on the whole. The C augmenter chord is voiced and doubled like a second conversion chord, which is the standard resolution of a german sixth as moving directly to V is frowned upon to avoid paralells. The Fi is present, and resolves up, like a german 6th. The Me is present, if enharmonically respelled as D#. The c is absent, (which actually shows how similar our two analysis' are in a way'. However, a G is included, and ends up taking the missing C's spot in the resolution. Finally, in a true german 6th, the A would of course be flat, in order to stronger resolve down to G, but since G is sharp, A is natural to keep the same movement even though its going to an augmented triad instead of a Major or minor one. The typical resolution of the F# moving up to G and the A flat moving down to G is still present, just modified slightly to account for the second chord being changed to augmented. Of course, under this perspective, you would expect the C augmented to act as a credential 6-4, meaning it would move to G#, and thus resolve to a tonic of C#, accomplishing a modulation in a really really cool way, moving only one tone of a credential 6-4 upwards. (I actually kinda wanna try this out in a full composition for fun some time) Of course, any of these interpretations are up for debate. I think in the end, trying to put a name or function to the first chord will always be a means of adding cohesion to 4 notes that are, in the end, just neighbor tones to the notes of the augmented chord (with the exception of the upper g, which resolves up the 4th to C). Of course, that is essentially what a german 6th chord is anyway. Of course, you could view practically any predominant chord as 'just an embellishment of this dominant'. Additionally though, Japan uses a mostly western music system now, but the influences of traditional japanese music tends to lead Japanese composers to view harmony in ways just slightly different from us in the west. Either way, this is an incredibly fun 8 notes to analyze.
I think you actually proved the point that the series of notes is meant to be more ambiguous than not by your having to write three paragraphs about it. If it was clearly in one key or another, there obviously wouldn't be any discussion like this needed. But the point they're making is that it isn't blatant or clear. Even you used the words "implications" or "possible" or "likely" or "assuming" about the run but it's obviously not something made concrete by Kondo. More than anything, that's the point they're making, which allows for theorizing as you did so well.
Yep I feel it as an B7 #13 that resolves to a E7+ that wants to resolve to an A- but that's because jazz and everything is some sort of a II - V - I haha Probs Koji Kondo was beboping around and improvised that line lol
the thing 8 bit music is trying to call into focus is dissonant and relief. the dissonant notes cause "stress" and the triad gives a sense of conclusion and relief to the melody, evoking the "puzzle finished" relief.
Thomas: “Now, there's a single moment that the entire Legend of Zelda series is ba- ” Me: “Except Zelda 2. They didn't include it anywhere in Zelda 2. Seriously.”
Well Zelda 2 was the odd man out in a lot of ways so that shouldn't surprise anyone. I have beat Z2 several times and I never noticed it was missing. But it doesn't really have puzzles in the same way either.
@@soullessSiIence I don't blame you, they made a mistake doing it the way they did. As someone who plays a lot of retro games, I just play it for what it is but its bottom of the barrel compared to any of the other Zelda's. Zelda 2, and all the CD-i games!
For me, _"A Link to the Past"_ is the best soundtrack of the franchise, considering how it also coined the themes and pieces that are enjoyed to this day.
I have a hard time picking just one game! I can find at least one track from every Zelda game that I love. Wind Waker and its soundtrack is my personal favorite, but then I like the chip tune sound of LttP and Minish Cap, the dark tilt to Majora's Mask... I love em' all.
@@armchairrocketscientist4934 Yeah, they all have their unique charm, while still being so... Zelda. It's part of what really makes each game so different, and yet still the same.
Every time I watch something game-related like this and hear “To answer that,” I’m ready for “we need to talk about p- Overflow jumps!? ... Oh, and Parallel Universes.”
Loved it! I usually play Breath of the Wild with the sound off (because I've played it so many times) and sometimes I turn the volume up real quick if I know the sound is coming because it's just so damn satisfying. I loved learning about the music theory behind this sound effect. Thanks for making this!
bringing 8-bit was worth for such a video btw, when I saw 8-bit's video for the first time, given I've NEVER AND EVER studied music or music theory in my life, my reaction was "WHAT THE HECK IS HE TALKING ABOUT THAT AND WHY I NEVER STUDIED MUSIC BEFORE"
Thomas, as i’m sure you know since you write these video, many of us have never played zelda or never even played a video games yet are still able to watch this video and understand everything thanks to you not assuming we just will know things. Very helpful and makes the video much more enjoyable because i don’t get the urge to leave your video and go google stuff which ultimately makes me just leave the video altogether.
I've been feeling pretty crappy lately, but this totally made my day! Hearing the history of my favorite game franchise EVER always puts a nostalgic smile on my face. Thank you, Thomas Game Docs! :3
The sounds feels like you fallen into or stumbled up the answer to a mysterious question...which is exactly what happens in the game. It's a perfect audio effect to the action happening.
I love how the first 5 notes are like a sigh of relief for finishing the puzzle, but it finishes in a 3 note question making you wonder "okay so what did that do?" or "so what's that door gonna lead to?"
It's satisfying because it's the sound you hear after solving a puzzle or discovering a secret. After awhile you begin to associate it with a sense of accomplishment.
It's funny how it ended up as my watching a totally different RUclipsr's channel that led to me finally seeing @8-bit Music Theory's face lol. I never had til now. Great collab, gents!
I really loved this video, Thomas! I liked how you showed the cords on the keyboard, and showed how it changed throughout the different games! I'll definitely be showing this one to my dad, he'll love this :D
Great video! Especially the technical limitation they worked with in the 80's but managed to come up with such iconic music is really fascinating to me! Some people addressed this already in the comments: About the motif not fitting a key or a chord; at its core it is actually a very basic V - I progression (B7 --> E). Yes, the minor second intervals create tension, but that tension is resolved with the half-step-down-movement of the a (b7 in B) to g# (3 in E). The g (b13 in B) and the c (#5 in E) do indeed create a mysterious colour, as you pointed out, but the V - I resolution is the main reason that it sounds so satisfying.
I think the satisfaction of this melody comes from the contour. In the first descending half, the intervals get steadily wider from a minor 2nd, to a minor 3rd, then the tritone before hitting the low G sharp. This creates an exponential tumbling effect that feels like it could keep rolling down, but then it bounces off the jarring low G sharp, and the next ascending interval that follows is the largest interval of the whole tune - a minor sixth. This, followed by the two still quite wide major thirds gives a very organic shape to it. Imagine dropping something bouncy off a high surface - it speeds up as it falls (widening intervals), hits the ground with some force (the unexpected low G#), then springs up with great speed (the large minor 6th leap). The shape of it really is ingenius the more I think about it. If this tune were continued you could imagine the intervals getting smaller as the "bounce" loses momentum. That's my analysis of this. But I definitely agree with the mystery of the non-diatonic nature to it.
After playing it a few times on my guitar, I'm hearing it as a V7(b13) - I+ in E Major. But I suppose the augmented triad stops it from sounding resolved like we're in a key.
Infinite Fretboard Oh thank goodness I’m not the only one. I kept scrolling through the comments waiting to see if anyone else saw it as basically a spicy V - I, haha.
Wind Waker's harp version makes so much sense when you think about the fact that one of the sages uses a harp. Also, the harp is a common instrument in that game's soundtrack, and it's absolutely amazing. Probably my favorite Zelda game, and the one that ignited my passion for the magic-filled medieval series.
I hear a B7 with a diminished 13th resolving to a E augmented. (No root note in the dominant chord.). It's how each of those tones resolves that make it so satisfying, yet surprising. The Aug 5 of the E is the fun surprise, kept until the last note. A simple V7-I, but with flair- one changed note per chord. 🙂
Something I noticed about this song over 30 years ago: Sometimes when playing the original Zelda, the game would slow down from bombs. This slowed the animation and the sound. This jingle, when slowed down, sounds like the song that plays during the ending, and on the continue screen. I'd like to compare those notes to see if they're the same or close.
gonna link my patreon here if you wanna join ;)
patreon.com/ThomasGameDocs
Thomas Game Docs hello.
I have no money.
I will if you pay me.
Hi there! Is there any way i can reach out to you? Any social medias? I have an idea you might use one day. Not a very popular one, but a pretty good one
epic
Geo Leo yeah no.
Like I said. I have no money.
“You can’t hear pictures.”
Me: The thumbnail.
As a music nerd, I can confirm.
As someone who cant read notes automatically.... no, the image was totally silent
Adara Relgnel yeah the opposite for me
@@adararelgnel2695 it seems to me that you gotta have a basic skill for relative tone perception (which most humans possess) for this to work
@@marinellovragovic1207 I think there's a few bits between relative pitch and sight reading the sounds. I can play by ear much better; when I read notation I first interpret how I would finger the piece on a keyboard
I don't know sheet music, but I know what that sound is before even starting the video. Love it
same!!
me too
Same lol
I'd say same, but I read music actively. It took me a couple seconds to figure it out, admittedly...
@@threecheeseburrito tbf I've played piano for like 4 years and I've played that Melody hundreds of times so it's pretty much drilled into my mind.
Once again Thomas showing his crush on link with the thumbnail
you got me
@@ThomasGameDocs lmao
After Breath of the Wild, I think we should now all agree that Link is hot... to everybody. Bar none.
Thomas Game Docs i mean don’t be ashamed, link is HOT.
Who doesn't have a crush on Link?
So in conclusion, Koji Kondo is a genius?
Yeah, that sounds about right. I totally agree
I wouldn't call him a genius. He was given a task and he tried and tried for hours a day through months. Artists make experiments with music. It's just that that random melody ended up in Zelda. That could have been easily lost in history if Miyamoto simply rejected it back then.
@@soullessSiIence I mean, the majority of 'geniuses', whether artists or scientists or otherwise, tend to work things out by trying again and again.
@@littlefishbigmountain Agreed. the 'test of time' is as much marketing and luck as it is genius.
klop422
And of course opportunity
Imagine if it was just the sound effect then the stream ended 😂
Maypril fools
That’s evil.
It’s a video not a stream
CoolPlushCadenProductions it was a premeire when i first watched it
Would be much better
I love how Koji Kondo used the music for the flute in Zelda 1 and then turned it into the amazing theme song for Ocarina of Time
the warp whistle from ZeldaNES is also the warp whistle from SuperMarioBros3, before it became the beginning to the OoT "Press Start" screen...and its also popped up in SkywardSword: some Bokoblin horns will blow the 'warp whistle' tune while others may blow the LttP 'Flute' tune...
@@rtyuik7 yeah, I saw the Zeltik video about that. The tune also appears in the minish cap when you use the ocarina in that game to teleport. I'm guessing you already knew that, but I wanted to mention it.
So THAT'S why it sounded so familiar!
I love how they completely reused a LoZ asset for SMB3 down to the tune, idea and similar sprites.
Flute sound at 4:05
It's kinda like the classic Nokia ringtone. The amount of times they remade it AND it worked... My God...
Like mtv logo
except that the infamous Nokia ringtone wasn't composed by anyone at Nokia. It was composed by Francisco Tarrega and is from the song "Gran Vals" here ruclips.net/video/uSQzUx3QW2Y/видео.html
Yeah, how not forget...
Arabic Nokia Ringtone 👳
Don't forget about the secret solved theme from the Metroid Prime series... it has that same satisfying effect of mystery and triumph.
I have that as my text message tone, and the Zelda secret theme as my notifications tone lol.
that discord call music scared the crap out of me dude omg
I thought: who the heck's calling me at this time?
Same omg, I was so confused for a second
Me too, and I didn't even have discord open
Another interesting trait I noticed about the “secret” sound that wasn't mentioned in this video:
Not a single note is repeated. It's as though the downward melody leaves a bunch of unsatisfying random holes, and then the upward melody fills them in with a structured solution.
I'm not sure whether 8-bit Music Theory felt this was worth mentioning, since it isn't difficult to find two different chords that don't share any of the same notes. Still, I find it to be satisfying. ❤️
That’s brilliant! Wow!!
F# is repeated
@@javierbenez7438 you mean G sharp
@@GJP95 The key signature is different. I read in alto clef, so it looks like an A# to me, even though something like a violin would call that an E#.
but the bit is written in treble clef soooo why read it in alto clef to begin with?
i’ve never heard the flute sound effect before and i was so shocked when i did and noticed it was oot’s theme!!
It's also used in Super Mario 3
About how vague and keyless it sounds: most iconic musical cues or motifs feel like words, but when compared to them, this one is more like an emotion - sort of an undefined "...?".
Can I just say here that these videos are always dang near perfection? Like if I tried to explain this stuff I’d be making awful noises but not when you say it... the editing, explaining, it’s just sooo good!
This was so fucking professionally put together. I'd expect this from a production company with dozens of employees, the fact that you put this together yourself is incredible.
I play this sound everytime i found a penny under my bed.
hahahhahaha
When I find a penny, I hold it up and sing the "da da da daaaaaaa" sound
Oh so I'm not alone lol. It's the only tune I can play on my guitar
when you are waiting for the premiere with the sheet music of the sound effect in front of you the whole time.
Me: Is this supposed to be a secret?
It's a secret to everybody.
Personally I think the most iconic sound effect is the “item get” sound
YOU GOT A THIIINNNNGGGGGG
Hollow Hoagie where did you get that from?
@@shin_a chuggaaconroy i think?
mmtruooao hmmm. Maybe.
For me it's the opening chest moment as link peers into the chest and expectations rise
How is 8BMT’s face reveal not even on his channel?
I know, right? *Finally*, we get to see what he looks like. 8-Bit Music Theory: Rock on, brother :) And Thomas Game Docs: excellent video. Thanks to the both of you, and keep up the good work!
@@Roarshark12 He's also shown it before on an Adam Neely's podcast thing. It's called "Musica Analytica" if you want to check it out.
@@sscu26 Found it, fantastic, thank you!!
Who knew he lived in his mothers basement?
Calen .Johnson who knew you’re a fucking loser
4:03 this sound effect became the main melody of ocarina of times main theme!
It is also the warp whistle theme in SMB3
The chromatic bit is in pokemon stadium as well
Also in some older Gameboy Pokémon games. I’m thinking Gen 3, when you’re in a cave.
Nayru’s Love Song
It’s in the shrine theme in bots too
Spirit tracks is so underrated.
Phantom hourglass and Spirit Tracks were my first two Zeldas. Though Wind Waker is now my favorite, I still have a soft spot for them. I whole heartedly agree - the community could give them a bit more respect.
PH was good but a bit repetitive with the temple of the ocean king, I think ST definitely improved on it. They're both underrated for sure
@@xshobux Speedrunner Linkus7 did two awesome videos on the DS games, and like him, I actually like the temple of the ocean king more than the tower of spirits.
Every time I got there I felt stronger, and I found new routes to make it through faster. But the tower of spirits felt the same every time. There were also some puzzles I got really stuck on.
@@armchairrocketscientist4934 that's fair. It's been years since I've played either so I'll definitely have to give them a go again.
@@xshobux But hey, it just may not be your cup of tea.
Link to the Past is by all accounts an outstanding game, one of the best ever, but I don't have a lot of fun playing it.
My only problem is when people slander others for their gaming opinions. I often see PH and ST listed as "the worst Zeldas," but I don't think any Zelda deserves to be branded with so mean a designation.
Even Zelda 2, as it needs to be viewed by what was considered quality at the time. It also has some pretty dang good music.
My personal least favorite Zelda, Triforce heroes, at least had some interesting multiplayer stuff.
There are other series that need a worst game designation, like Roller coaster Tycoon, that went downhill after 3.
Here's a good way to think of the sfx: "what exactly have I found?" Every time you hear that just imagine Link saying that out loud, in a sing song voice.
Another interesting upload.
I don't actually know much about the Zelda series since I've never played a single game in my life but channels like this can educate folks like me who don't know.
And here you are again :'D
I'd be the typical commentator saying that you should play them, but I myself recognize I have never played any Sonic game either, so.
I haven’t played that many but my personal faves are Majora’s Mask, Ocarina of Time, and Twilight Princess. I wanna play Breath of the Wild but I don’t have the console for it
before i clicked on this i was so sure he'd say the "dodododooooo" item sound. when i found out i was wrong though, i was like "huh that's so weird why didnt i think of it?" until i realised ive never got past the first dungeon in any Zelda game, so of course i wouldn't be familiar with the sound.
Oh no
Insert the “oof” sound effect
Same, I feel ya
@@freetube200 i always get lost or chicken out its pathetic XD im helpless without a walk through, but here's hoping breath of the wild is different for me
Crystal Collision
I heard Breath of the Wild was designed so that the player could have more creative freedom to progress through the puzzles and explore the world instead of just having one solution
Got nothing to do with the video but Song Of Storms is a musical masterpiece and should be cherished.
it's pretty E P I C C O
it’s my town tune in animal crossing :p
I have both the Ocarina of Time and the Oracle of Seasons versions as ringtones.
@@boysrestroom me too :D
I'm not even a musician but I can hear that thumbnail.
I definitely know more about level design than music theory, so it's really cool to hear the thought process behind the music that's so essential to the game's full experience!
The beginning of the guardian theme is incredibly memorable, so it definitely sits in second place. I have it as my alarm, because it immediately wakes me up
The jingle that plays when you solve a puzzle is overrated, clearly, the most iconic Zelda sound is the "Dodo do doooo" that plays when you get an item
Well, you did get the thing.
do do do doooooo
but Zelda is a puzzle game... Surely solving the puzzles should be more important, right?
That’s what I was thinking!
I agree with the second part, but not that the puzzle melody is overrated
Watching Thomas while my teacher yells at me for not doing work
as it should be
Thomas Game Docs Chicago Toaster Balloon
Thomas Game Docs Chicago Toaster Balloon
How the heck do you have a teacher right now?
Thomas Game Docs Chicago Toaster Balloon
Another sign of how good it is: I‘ve had it as my notification sound for emails for years now. I get a ton of emails, but I‘ve never gotten sick of it. I use the breath of the wild version, so when you played it in the video, i instinctively paused to check my emails 😁
"so i reached out to an expert"
any discord user - (panics) ohsdgroihgds WHOS CALLING ME
Hey, this melody from Breath of the Wild has actually been my phone’s ringtone 😌
otakurocks ok?? Its the RUclips comment section. Notice how its called a “comment” section and not an “answering questions that people asked” section. They original comment even relates to the video which is more than you can say about many. Stop being a dick and like open a window or go outside or literally anything more productive than shitting on people in the yt comments
Mine is the sheika slate
The way he says “at all” at 3:13 is really funny to me for some reason.
Athuull
I just want to mention that saying this sequence doesn't relate to any particular key is not entirely accurate. Although it's not easy to see, this sound does point to one key more strongly than others, and here's why:
Like you said, there are two halves to this sound. The second half is very clearly an augmented triad, but just looking at the first half note by note doesn't immediately tell you anything about it. Instead, you have to consider the half-step voice leading of the G-F# and A-G#. Both instances can be considered a chromatic approach note towards their intended goal note, the first of which solidifies F# as a chord tone, and the second leading smoothly into the augmented triad. To me, it looks like the first half is at the very least a diminished triad serving a predominant function, and if you choose to look at other notes as possible implications, potentially a secondary dominant pointing towards the true dominant (the augmented triad).
First, let's look at where the augmented triad could lead us. Being a symmetrical chord, each note could potentially act as the root and lead to multiple tonic chords. These three relationships would be E -> A, G# -> C#, C -> F. Purely taking the second half as is, the bottom note is a G#, which would give some direction towards C#. However when looking at the motion of the first half leading into the second half, that pull becomes slightly overshadowed by a more prominent direction. This particular diminished chord consists concretely of D#/F#/A, with an implied C. Assuming that these are meant to lead upward by a half-step, as is most often the case with diminished chords, we can see the resulting goal notes are E/G/A#/C#.
Looking at the four possible goal notes, only one of them is found within the augmented triad that is being led to - E. With this information, we can deduce that the augmented triad is likely an E augmented leading to A, but there is one more piece of evidence to look closer at. The one note which seemingly has nothing to do with the chord in the first half, the first G, actually plays a rather important role in disambiguating this motion. Taking the idea of the first half being a rootless secondary dominant chord (not uncommon to see in many different circumstances, but most notably jazz, considering Kondo's musical influences), it becomes even clearer that a B7 -> E+ motion is visible. In a dominant chord, it would be perfectly acceptable to use the b13 (the G in this case) to create voice leading into the 5th, which is exactly what's being done here.
All this is to say that I'm pretty sure this sequence isn't as tonally ambiguous as you may think, and I think it likely is meant to point to A minor, ending on a half-cadence for dramatic effect. Hopefully someone found this interesting and if you have any other ideas, feel free to reply.
Great analysis by far, and that definitely contributes to the feeling of the state of the environment being changed somehow, as in the dungeons. I’m not as well versed with chord progressions so forgive me if my terminology is a bit off or my perspective a bit simplistic, but I think the fact that it sounds so satisfying as well is because of a “floating” C major inversion over the course of the theme. It starts on a G and ends on a C which already might suggest a cadence that resolves towards the tonic. I believe that the E takes a more pivotal role than the G# to the listener since it’s right after a leap, where you hear a discontinuation between the descent and the ascent rather than a simple wave-like motion. Together I think this “suggested” C major chord adds an overall more positive effect to the melody than just the augmented arpeggio it ends on.
Disagree with the introduction of the diminished chord. The progression is purposefully much more expansive than that. It sounds more apparent that the first half is suggestive of "G B D# F#", and if you've listened to Scriabin, the mystical and wondrous sound matches with greater confidence.
With this structure (interrupted then by the A), it becomes clear that this is a shifting of augmented chords by a half step: from B Aug to C Aug. Kondo's choice to implant the second Aug chord on E makes this more ambiguous, but essentially, the harmony here is simpler than that - it's a chromatic step up.
To illustrate, consider replacing the progression with: G D# B B C E G# C
Obviously a lot of character is lost - notably, the predominant "major-ness" of the first chord (F#), which brings the lustrous sound, and the befuddling note (A) - and without the root motion B - > C, the harmony becomes less familiar, but this basic structure is still closer to what is going on in the original.
You might have over-interpreted it, but good writeup though.
Personally I feel I'm a little more likely to interpret the first chord as a diminished chord built on D#. My first instinct when hearing it is that it sounds like a chromatic mediant, (which makes sense when considering enharmonic spellings) but I feel it's a bit more complicated that that. The soprano voice here has a distinct resolution from g to c, which is really only considered 'proper' voice leading if C is the root of the augmented triad. If we view these chords as blocked, and thus as 2 satb chords, we notice that each voice actually voice leads in an extremely traditional way, with the g to c being the only leap, which makes sense if the second chord is a C augmented triad. Though in western classical styles, augmented chords are usually viewed as being built on the dominant, I dont think that is necessarily the case here, primarily because of voice leading. If we consider the key as C for a moment, we see the upper voice resolve g to c (traditionally the bass line in a PAC) Fi resolves upwards, like it normally would be expected to, but the G is sharped to make it augmented. The D# resolves up to E, also as you would typically expect, and the A resolves down to to G sharp. From this perspective, this comes off a lot like a traditional chromatic mediant that has just been harmonically messed with until it's as ambiguous as possible while still maintaining some internal consistency, and then voiced to emphasize the motion between the dominant and tonic. However, most importantly, I think I it is significant how 'proper' the voice leading is considering the chromatic modifications.
Building off of my voice leading point however, perhaps, still thinking in the key of C, but only for now, this could be viewed as a modified german 6th chord. The voice leading is similar, on the whole. The C augmenter chord is voiced and doubled like a second conversion chord, which is the standard resolution of a german sixth as moving directly to V is frowned upon to avoid paralells. The Fi is present, and resolves up, like a german 6th. The Me is present, if enharmonically respelled as D#. The c is absent, (which actually shows how similar our two analysis' are in a way'. However, a G is included, and ends up taking the missing C's spot in the resolution. Finally, in a true german 6th, the A would of course be flat, in order to stronger resolve down to G, but since G is sharp, A is natural to keep the same movement even though its going to an augmented triad instead of a Major or minor one. The typical resolution of the F# moving up to G and the A flat moving down to G is still present, just modified slightly to account for the second chord being changed to augmented. Of course, under this perspective, you would expect the C augmented to act as a credential 6-4, meaning it would move to G#, and thus resolve to a tonic of C#, accomplishing a modulation in a really really cool way, moving only one tone of a credential 6-4 upwards. (I actually kinda wanna try this out in a full composition for fun some time)
Of course, any of these interpretations are up for debate. I think in the end, trying to put a name or function to the first chord will always be a means of adding cohesion to 4 notes that are, in the end, just neighbor tones to the notes of the augmented chord (with the exception of the upper g, which resolves up the 4th to C). Of course, that is essentially what a german 6th chord is anyway. Of course, you could view practically any predominant chord as 'just an embellishment of this dominant'. Additionally though, Japan uses a mostly western music system now, but the influences of traditional japanese music tends to lead Japanese composers to view harmony in ways just slightly different from us in the west. Either way, this is an incredibly fun 8 notes to analyze.
I think you actually proved the point that the series of notes is meant to be more ambiguous than not by your having to write three paragraphs about it. If it was clearly in one key or another, there obviously wouldn't be any discussion like this needed. But the point they're making is that it isn't blatant or clear. Even you used the words "implications" or "possible" or "likely" or "assuming" about the run but it's obviously not something made concrete by Kondo. More than anything, that's the point they're making, which allows for theorizing as you did so well.
Yep I feel it as an B7 #13 that resolves to a E7+ that wants to resolve to an A- but that's because jazz and everything is some sort of a II - V - I haha Probs Koji Kondo was beboping around and improvised that line lol
Before I watch the video, I’m placing my bets on the chest opening sound.
Wow, I didn't know there were others who were as mystified at this amazing sound as I am. This was so cool. Thanks for the video!
0:54 Ok that B roll with the stalnox in the back was so nice and satisfying, Really love this video dude! It's super amazing!
the thing 8 bit music is trying to call into focus is dissonant and relief. the dissonant notes cause "stress" and the triad gives a sense of conclusion and relief to the melody, evoking the "puzzle finished" relief.
Imagine how different the Zelda games would sound without him being the composer. A legend indeed
4:05 I never made the connection to the OOT title theme until now.
I thought it was gonna be the chest opening sound effect
Same
Same
when you comment instead of chatting in the live chat :)
bruv
hah i dio that
WAIT DIO
lol
Lol
I don’t know what I’d do if Zelda wasn’t a thing
There's never been a truer statement - I'm going into Game design, so picking up Phantom Hourglass on DS literally changed my life.
Thomas: “Now, there's a single moment that the entire Legend of Zelda series is ba- ”
Me: “Except Zelda 2. They didn't include it anywhere in Zelda 2. Seriously.”
The "Find a Fairy" sound feels like they rearranged some of the notes, at least.
Well Zelda 2 was the odd man out in a lot of ways so that shouldn't surprise anyone.
I have beat Z2 several times and I never noticed it was missing. But it doesn't really have puzzles in the same way either.
That game is a blasphemy in the franchise anyways. I don't even consider it part of the Zelda universe.
@@soullessSiIence I don't blame you, they made a mistake doing it the way they did.
As someone who plays a lot of retro games, I just play it for what it is but its bottom of the barrel compared to any of the other Zelda's.
Zelda 2, and all the CD-i games!
@@soullessSiIence Despite its problems and repetitive nature, I still love it.
The crossover that nobody wanted but one that we needed.
For me, _"A Link to the Past"_ is the best soundtrack of the franchise, considering how it also coined the themes and pieces that are enjoyed to this day.
@Petraplexity Same goes for that purple heart emoji. Just so you know!
Geo Leo can't take criticism lul
@@Tmob You can't even write properly... How can I take you seriously?
I have a hard time picking just one game!
I can find at least one track from every Zelda game that I love.
Wind Waker and its soundtrack is my personal favorite, but then I like the chip tune sound of LttP and Minish Cap, the dark tilt to Majora's Mask... I love em' all.
@@armchairrocketscientist4934 Yeah, they all have their unique charm, while still being so... Zelda. It's part of what really makes each game so different, and yet still the same.
The notion that the tritone is the "devil's interval" is a modern invention, btw. There's no reference like that dating very far back.
This sound actually unnerves/scares me, I didn't realize anyone thought it sounded satisfying until I watched this video lol
How does this sound unnerve you?
@@SoujiOkitaTwoI guess it could be that its mysterious sounding but I have no clue
Concept idea: every puzzle solved jingle of every zelda game played at once
I’d argue the “Wow, look you found something important in a chest” sound is slightly more iconic
Every time I watch something game-related like this and hear “To answer that,” I’m ready for “we need to talk about p- Overflow jumps!? ... Oh, and Parallel Universes.”
5:15 I actually thought I was getting called on discord lol
I love how he opens with a different drum sequence each time
Loved it! I usually play Breath of the Wild with the sound off (because I've played it so many times) and sometimes I turn the volume up real quick if I know the sound is coming because it's just so damn satisfying. I loved learning about the music theory behind this sound effect. Thanks for making this!
bringing 8-bit was worth for such a video
btw, when I saw 8-bit's video for the first time, given I've NEVER AND EVER studied music or music theory in my life, my reaction was "WHAT THE HECK IS HE TALKING ABOUT THAT AND WHY I NEVER STUDIED MUSIC BEFORE"
They should make a windchime with these notes.
A really great concept for a video, and I really appreciate the tight editing too! I love 8-bit Music Theory too!
Imo, the chest opening sound effects is the most iconic. This is a VERY close second
But it's not in every game.
@@sa3270 or rather, the item get sound. The one that's been in every game since the NES
Thomas, as i’m sure you know since you write these video, many of us have never played zelda or never even played a video games yet are still able to watch this video and understand everything thanks to you not assuming we just will know things. Very helpful and makes the video much more enjoyable because i don’t get the urge to leave your video and go google stuff which ultimately makes me just leave the video altogether.
awesome video, really insighftul and well edited! i knew what the sound was before the vid even started haha
I've been feeling pretty crappy lately, but this totally made my day! Hearing the history of my favorite game franchise EVER always puts a nostalgic smile on my face. Thank you, Thomas Game Docs! :3
OOH i love 8-bit music theory!! It is so interesting to watch!! That's so cool that you got to ask him a question about this stuff
The sounds feels like you fallen into or stumbled up the answer to a mysterious question...which is exactly what happens in the game. It's a perfect audio effect to the action happening.
Never imagined this crossover could happen but I am very pleased
Awesome video! I had no idea you were working with the amazing 8-bit Music Theory too!
Immediately knew which sound effect it was before going into the video goddamn it feels so satisfying to hear it
For me sound in games is such a major part. Not just the effects but all sounds.
I love the soundscape of Celeste, soo beautiful.
I love how the first 5 notes are like a sigh of relief for finishing the puzzle, but it finishes in a 3 note question making you wonder "okay so what did that do?" or "so what's that door gonna lead to?"
You put these together so well. Kudos. It's so inspirational to my own music
It's satisfying because it's the sound you hear after solving a puzzle or discovering a secret. After awhile you begin to associate it with a sense of accomplishment.
It's funny how it ended up as my watching a totally different RUclipsr's channel that led to me finally seeing @8-bit Music Theory's face lol. I never had til now. Great collab, gents!
I love the sense of both question and resolution that this sequence of notes has.
This was a wonderfully informative video. Thank you
I love the 8 bit music theory channel! It’s amazing! And this is the first time I’ve seen his face.
You know what's satisfying? Watching your videos. Their quality and smoothness is above the vast majority of youtubers.
I immediately knew what this was about ever since the thumbnail, nice job!
I really loved this video, Thomas! I liked how you showed the cords on the keyboard, and showed how it changed throughout the different games! I'll definitely be showing this one to my dad, he'll love this :D
Great video! Especially the technical limitation they worked with in the 80's but managed to come up with such iconic music is really fascinating to me!
Some people addressed this already in the comments:
About the motif not fitting a key or a chord; at its core it is actually a very basic V - I progression (B7 --> E). Yes, the minor second intervals create tension, but that tension is resolved with the half-step-down-movement of the a (b7 in B) to g# (3 in E). The g (b13 in B) and the c (#5 in E) do indeed create a mysterious colour, as you pointed out, but the V - I resolution is the main reason that it sounds so satisfying.
Thanks for giving one of the DS Zelda games some love at the beginning of the video. 👍
oh just a collab between two of my favourite channels, NICE.
Two of my favorite RUclipsrs! This is awesome!
I think the satisfaction of this melody comes from the contour. In the first descending half, the intervals get steadily wider from a minor 2nd, to a minor 3rd, then the tritone before hitting the low G sharp. This creates an exponential tumbling effect that feels like it could keep rolling down, but then it bounces off the jarring low G sharp, and the next ascending interval that follows is the largest interval of the whole tune - a minor sixth. This, followed by the two still quite wide major thirds gives a very organic shape to it. Imagine dropping something bouncy off a high surface - it speeds up as it falls (widening intervals), hits the ground with some force (the unexpected low G#), then springs up with great speed (the large minor 6th leap). The shape of it really is ingenius the more I think about it. If this tune were continued you could imagine the intervals getting smaller as the "bounce" loses momentum. That's my analysis of this. But I definitely agree with the mystery of the non-diatonic nature to it.
omg the phantom hourglass and spirit tracks clips! i absolutely love ph (and spirit tracks too)
This dude should have 1 million subscribers
Thomas: da da da daaaaa!
Me: block sound.
Everyone: Are you Re-
Yes. Yes I am.
You are one of the most unique Nintendo channels on RUclips and I absolutely love it.
holy sheet dougdoug and you uploaded in the same day
The puzzle solved theme is one of my favorite sounds in Zelda. That and opening a chest.
Got to team up with 8-bit Music Theory. Way to go. Great video.
This sounds is hardwired into my brain as a direct source of serotonin
After playing it a few times on my guitar, I'm hearing it as a V7(b13) - I+ in E Major. But I suppose the augmented triad stops it from sounding resolved like we're in a key.
Infinite Fretboard Oh thank goodness I’m not the only one. I kept scrolling through the comments waiting to see if anyone else saw it as basically a spicy V - I, haha.
That was SOOO interesting to see how one of the most iconic melodies of all time was formulated. This is why music is awesome!
And THAT, my friends, is why every single cell phone I have owned has had THIS piece of music as my text message ringtone!
Thanks for the channel recommendation. I am binging now every video xD
I love the Skyward Sword version of this jingle. I even had it as my notification ring tone a few years ago
Wind Waker's harp version makes so much sense when you think about the fact that one of the sages uses a harp. Also, the harp is a common instrument in that game's soundtrack, and it's absolutely amazing. Probably my favorite Zelda game, and the one that ignited my passion for the magic-filled medieval series.
i feel like when you open up a chest and get something new is pretty satisfying i love that sound
When the puzzle was solved and the sound activated I got a shiver down my spine
I hear a B7 with a diminished 13th resolving to a E augmented. (No root note in the dominant chord.). It's how each of those tones resolves that make it so satisfying, yet surprising. The Aug 5 of the E is the fun surprise, kept until the last note. A simple V7-I, but with flair- one changed note per chord. 🙂
Something I noticed about this song over 30 years ago:
Sometimes when playing the original Zelda, the game would slow down from bombs. This slowed the animation and the sound. This jingle, when slowed down, sounds like the song that plays during the ending, and on the continue screen. I'd like to compare those notes to see if they're the same or close.
I'm not a super experienced musician so I can't hear sheet music in my head automatically, but I knew what that was!