I loved Thomas the Tank Engine when I was very young, and am still fond of it due to the music, I always find it so interesting! The themes for each different engine do so well to set the scene, and the use of dissonance when there's trouble really used to scare me! I agree so much with Inside the Score for this video, as your music may well have been a heavy influence into me becoming a musician and who I am today, thank you.
@The Surdic Driver Yes, Junior and I submitted three demos for consideration for the main title theme. One became the Thomas Theme another ended up as Toby's theme and the third was used as Edward's theme.
Mike O'Donnell and Junior Campbell did a stellar job on the music for the first seven seasons. The classical influence of pieces like "Gordon's Theme" and "Edward's Theme" sparked my interest in classical music. I think it's safe to say I wouldn't be composing if it weren't for the influence of Thomas music. haha
SkittleWinklerUK I misread Mike O’Donnell as Martin O’Donnell. I guess there must be some sort of thing with people having the last name O’Donnell and being musical legends.
Me before clicking on the thumbnail: "Oh, this video must be about the stories about composers conceiving their masterpieces/musicians honing their musical prowess on long train trips." This video: *deadass talking about the OG Thomas the Tank Engine theme tune* 🚂🚂🚂 😂😂😂 😏😏😏
When watching this video I thought: "when I was a child I love Thomas the Tank Engine, and I love the theme song, so why I'm not musical genius?", and then you played the new theme. Then I realised this was the one I heard as a child and I'm so mad about it.
What madness is this?! I mean... sure, Thomas the Tank Engine was my favorite series as a child and... sure, I may be a classical music enthusiast with a deep interest in musical theory. But those two things are clearly unrelated to one anothe- Wait... Did you just justify MY CHILDHOOD?!?!?!
Dude l swear the music in Thomas is insane. Gordon’s and Edwards theme are very classical based, Henry’s theme, at least to me, sounds Gaelic in origin, James’s theme is just straight up jazz, ducks theme is a waltz, Diesel’s theme is, like, a tango???? It’s mad!!!
This needs to be shown in every music class because one, it would be a good lesson, and two, because it would teach people that Thomas isn't JUST some baby show.
Finally, somebody who explains the circle of fifths chart in a way I can understand! Also I'm no musical prodigy, but I've always loved the Thomas soundtrack. Even though I moved on from the show ages ago I still find myself listening to the music frequently. I guess it must have had more of an impact on the musical part of my brain than I realized!
Each engine had starkly different themes reflecting their personalities, too. Thomas introduced me to classical music, jazz, and synth-pop all at the same time. Even the songs with words to them bring tears to my eyes. "The Island Song," anyone?
i think whats cool about it is that the melody continues the idea of trains from bully strayhorn’s jazz standard “take the a train”. that melody starts on the dominant (G), spells out a C major triad, then jumps to an Ab (the #11 of the underlying D7). Thomas the tank engine’d melody also does that, except the pitches of the triad are now in a tresillo rhythm (dotted quarter note x2, quarter note) and the Ab is over a Ab7, the tritone sub of D7. These choices make sense as the tresillo has become really prominent in pop songs, and the Ab chord foreshadows our eventual key. The #11 sound is also explored, this time separately in the intro with that D-Eb semitone over the Ab. This really shows how composers pick up on old ideas and recontextualize them to create new experiences.
God damnit... I'm 30, and I've wasted my adulthood getting into debt studying music and failing to make a living on composing... where was this help like 12 years ago?
I absolutely loved the show when I was little and I still love it today. The music was one of the things I loved so much about it. It was catchy and it always made me enjoy the stories even more ☺.
I have perfect pitch and was obsessed with Thomas as a kid. Then again, I started singing in a local children's choir from Kindergarten age as well, but its definitely fun to think that the score of Thomas had some sort of subconscious influence on my gift too.
I’ve always had a deep appreciation for the original Thomas soundtrack!! all the songs were just iconic 😭 it makes me so happy to know that others love it too and that it’s genuinely a smart soundtrack!
I remember watching TTTE as a baby, but i did introduce something around 9 years old, i was looking over the model series and it's intro was cool, and a music theory guy made a video like this 3 years ago
The music from the first 7 seasons of Thomas were my main inspiration to make music. Many of Mike and Junior’s pieces were true genius. There are other themes aside from the main theme that have these unusual harmonic relationships but they’re all catchy. Thank you for covering this
I distinctly remember hating the newer iterations of the Thomas the Tank Engine theme song when I was a kid, so when you played it I felt both physically and spiritually damaged. Great video by the way. I absolutely love this song!
A-flat major applied the brakes -but it was too late- and fell into a sick drop that expanded the minds of kids everywhere! The Fat -Controller- Conductor laughed and said "Wonderful job Thomas, you have been a very useful musician!"
Yes, the chromatic mediant relationship is certainly nothing new. However, the western concept of harmony is so obnoxiously fixated on the circle of fifths that the chromatic mediant, even after hundreds of years, still sounds fresh and novel.
The flying kipper from season 1 of the show always gives me a tear whenever I listen to even tho it's just a basic fish delivery yet, Mike and jr. always succeed in giving me memories...
I agree, and I think in part it's due to how the blend of the music (one of the best in the entire series) and the image of a steam locomotive at night in the snow give the whole sequence an almost magical atmosphere.
Thomas has always been a massive part of my childhood even bringing me into the world of music and chorus. There has always been something so special about all the themes in the show and how the music just flows together. I also love how you included the clips of John Williams and Steven Spielberg discussing the main theme for E.T. The extra terrestrial! 😀 great video!!!
Here’s something that people don’t know. Most leads are based on the rhythm in modern day music, but with Thomas the Tank Engine, the rather is based on the rhythm
The circle of fifths is not the only source of keys that work well together. There is also something known as a mediant relationship. For C, its mediant relationships are with A and E. Its chromatic mediant relationships are Ab and Eb. These saw more widespread usage during the romantic period. It's nice to finally see an analysis of the Thomas music, I was a huge fan of Ttte when I was small, and the music was always super iconic.
When I was a child I thought this show was really bizarre and it scared me, honestly look at thomas it could be from a horror movie, and now that I watch this I think the music added to the feeling of something demonic and weird. But oh the intro was actually so cool.
@@thomas.02 That theory is wrong and here's why: 1) The article implies that Sir Topham Hatt is the master of all engines on Earth. He's actually only the controller of the North Western Railway (the railway Thomas works on). And even there he doesn't have full control over it, that's not how railways work. 2) There were many cases where engines disobeyed Sir Topham and they weren't scrapped. 3) About the scrapped engines from Stepney the Bluebell Engine: they weren't scrapped by Sir Topham, they were scrapped by British Railways, which aren't owned by him. And they weren't scrapped because they didn't want to work, it was because BR was scrapping its steam engines at the time because of dieselisation. 4) The engines know Sir Topham would never scrap them (he is against it). 5) Thomas the Tank Engine takes place in the real world with just one difference: Sodor and its residents exist and engines have faces. This means that when something happens in the real world, it happens in this universe too. 6) Henry didn't stop in the tunnel because he "refused to slave away", he stopped because he was vain. He thought that the rain would spoil his paint, even though it stopped raining. How would you solve this problem? Please stop spreading misinformation
@Juan Fernando Estrada: I understand. I was born in 1967 and much of the children’s programming of my early childhood in the US during the early-70’s was (mis)informed by the mainstreaming of late-60’s psychedelic culture. Strange, long forgotten cartoons created by young hippies fresh out of tuning in/dropping out. It’s no wonder many people in my age group (late-40’s - early-50’s) feel culturally disconnected from all that came before and after us.
I’m here from a Japanese video that showcases how this theme modulates constantly between C major and A♭ major key. The best way I can come up with is A♭ major and C _minor_ are kinda compatible, but they decided to make the C key _major_ instead. It’s like a side-step exercise that’s a major-third wide.
That Runaway score I found the most crucial for adding stakes to this show’s alter episodes...A Close Shave takes this to the upteemph adding in that not only a gang of chaotic idiots are causing the disaster (charging Duck)...but that they’re barreling towards a building with defenseless people and they don’t care who gets killed.
My favorite thing about the Thomas theme is the reference to the jazz standard "Take the A Train." Both melodies start on a G note, work upward, then fall down to an Ab on the second bar. No way was this a coincidence.
I recently discovered the ingenuity of this music as well. I never watched Tomas the Tank engine as a child but I heard it in many funny YT Videos. I played it by ear and analysed it - I came to the same conclusion as you. I was so surprised when saw this video :D btw, so cool that Mike O'Donnel himself commented here!
Data Point: Thomas the Tank Engine was my favorite show growing up (in the 90s, the era of "Shining Time Station" feat. Ringo.) I am a professional musician. Big fan of your videos Sir!!!!
I remember loving the show back in the late 1990s as a little kid. It’s what made me appreciate my grandfather’s model train hobby/collection. It’s a fun show that I’m glad still has a cool fanbase.
It is actually quite sad that they dumbed it down this much for the new version. Reminds me of a video Tantacrul did a while back, basically asking why we simplify music so much for children, when it clearly isn't needed. Even going as far as removing all of the black keys from music toys, for example. This is just another great example that children can easily "handle" more complex music without problem.
Loved this theory! My son who was a Thomas addict is now referred to as a heavy hitter as a jazz pianist, composer and arranger. No doubt the formal music education played a large part but the love of Thomas the tank engine survived childhood!
Thomas the tank engine led me to music (and life decisions) in such a roundabout way. As a kid, I actually played with the toy sets first before even seeing the shows, so I was infatuated with trains and tracks. I then watched the shows on VHS, because at the time, my family couldn't afford TV, so that's what got me introduced to the theme song. Around the same time, my grandma actually played classical music all the time, yet I was unsure about music in general, being like 6 or 7 at the time. Eventually, we got a computer, along with the game Rollercoaster Tycoon, where you could build your own tracks for coasters and, yes, trains. What really got me into Classical music as a whole was hearing the low trill coming from a merry-go-round playing the overture to the Poet and Peasant by Suppé. So in a way, Thomas introduced me to the game that introduced me to both engineering and classical music, the two things that I am passionate about.
Also could you redo this but with a visualisation of the notes and majors for non-musically conscious people? Of course I am fully conscious that this is a class banger
The impact that Thomas and friends had on me was the fuel for my singing voice that convinced my mother to put me in the SF boys chorus for a bit. Since picking up guitar music and rock ‘n’ roll, which thank goodness Thomas and friends nodded in season four, has left me with a keen sense of melody and a fondness for music that made me want to sing or had a certain fluid melodic rhythm. As much as I like the original theme and it’s beautiful orchestration, I embraced the next theme as the next chapter in the series. I eventually grew board with the latest episodes while the movies held my interest, yet no matter what, the island of sodor and our favorite tank engine has always left me fond for railroads and frankly good music. The original sing-along videos left a lasting impression on my singing and expression with it.
Hey! Big former Thomas the Tank Engine fan here to say that the theme at 5:35 used to actually play after the episodes! I forget whether it was the credits or just a regular outro, but it definitely has been there as long as the main theme.
I'm not at all a music prodigy but I watched TTTE religiously as a kid and I always knew there was something special about the theme music, especially after I started violin in school and went into composing later on. Absolutely masterpiece
Always loved the original series as a kid. Been recently playing it for my baby daughter and only then realised how good the music is! The very first episode features a Baroque-ish trumpet tune (complete with trill at the cadence) that at one point goes into canon!
Loved this theory! My son (Scott Flanigan) who was a Thomas addict is now referred to as a heavy hitter jazz pianist, composer and arranger. No doubt the formal music education from age 4 helped but the childhood fascination with Thomas never waned!
Alright, so you found (anecdotal) correlation between musical talent and listening to this music in one's childhood. If this correlation is true, it still doesn't mean causation (that is, they became talented because they listened to Thomas). A way more believable explanation is that they liked the Thomas music because they had a musical talent in the first place. Great video though :).
ye but if you expose kids to fancy stuff they might grow to like it. A 4 year old won't have much musical talent outside of that which it has experienced and heard.
Definitely agree with @Pandorama below on this, even though their explanation is a bit past my pay grade. I'm currently working on a fairly complex rendition of James' theme from the show. It's in C major, but I find myself modulating in and out of Ab major - and in one spot, I take it up a semitone to C# major into an unrelated theme, and using Mike and Junior's "Let's Have a Race" theme, *still* manage to resolve it right back into Ab major. Circle of 5th rules be damned, we're followers of the Mike and Junior school of transpositions.
This makes the fact that Mozart was a child prodigy ,despite never hearing the Thomas theme all the more amazing. One must wonder how he and all the other great compsers could have developed without hearing such a prime example of modulation ,in their infancy. This theme is the reason why the last half of the 20th century has more and better composers than previous...............uh oh.
I wonder if this show was why I developed such a love for dance music over traditional rock and pop. This thing is structured a LOT more like EDM, House, all that stuff; than anything you'd expect from a show like this.
As a kid I always preferred the original to the roll call. The original is an instrumental, so you can apply it to any age and say “this is a banger.” The new one has campy kindergarten-level lyrics, which turned me away because hearing it made me feel like an infant.
*1)* _[inhales]_ THOMAS IS A LOCOMOTIVE, NOT A TRAIN. A TRAIN IS A SERIES OF VEHICLES IN SEQUENCE, LIKE A CONVOY, SO A LOCOMOTIVE BY ITSELF ISN'T A "TRAIN". THE TITLE TELLS YOU WHAT THOMAS IS. [calms down] *2)* Awesome video, dude. =) I really enjoyed Thomas the Tank Engine as a kid, and the music still sometimes plays in my head when i'm driving or doing other things. The entire original soundtrack is amazing, not just the main theme.
I thought (and thought wrong) that this was gonna be about why the Thomas & Friend's theme matches too well with so many rap and hip-hop songs. My all time favourite version is the My Neck, My Back
This was a marvellous video that just reinforced the idea that were I to look after kids, I would rather raise them on the classics to bring out their potential. This video also led to me noticing how memorable all the different tunes of Thomas were originally, with every character and sometimes scenes having their own clearly identifiable theme, And to put that to the test, I wound up spending a solid hour recalling every single theme tune I could for major and minor characters in the original Britt Alcroft run. I do not regret it. Man those themes were beautiful, with such variety.
Very interesting to hear the Thomas Theme had such an impact on budding musicians. - Good luck with the Virtual Music Academy
Wait, you're the composer, right? That's so awesome!
Sure am but i enjoyed your video.
I loved Thomas the Tank Engine when I was very young, and am still fond of it due to the music, I always find it so interesting! The themes for each different engine do so well to set the scene, and the use of dissonance when there's trouble really used to scare me! I agree so much with Inside the Score for this video, as your music may well have been a heavy influence into me becoming a musician and who I am today, thank you.
Every piece of character and environment music you and Junior Campbell composed for the show was fantastic.
@The Surdic Driver Yes, Junior and I submitted three demos for consideration for the main title theme. One became the Thomas Theme another ended up as Toby's theme and the third was used as Edward's theme.
Bach: exists
Thomas the Tank Engine: hold my coal
Great, now he's dead.
Mike: What if we jumped from C Major to A Flat Major and back again for a restart of the beat.
Campbell: Sure that seems okay.
Special coal
Thomas: wake up lazy bones! Why don't you work hard like me!
Bach: who tf are you
Thomas: wake up lazy bones! Why don't you work hard like me!
Bach: who tf are you
I‘ve been always telling everybody about the sublime genius of Thomas the Tank Engine and no one wanted do believe me!
Yes
Me too! Nobody really cared, but most people agreed :D
Same
I loved this show for it's music!
I’m not a music theory junky but I’ve always thought the Thomas theme was pretty good.
Idk why, but hearing that the Thomas theme technically has a “drop” gives me life...
Mike O'Donnell and Junior Campbell did a stellar job on the music for the first seven seasons. The classical influence of pieces like "Gordon's Theme" and "Edward's Theme" sparked my interest in classical music. I think it's safe to say I wouldn't be composing if it weren't for the influence of Thomas music. haha
My favourite is the start of Woolly Bear (UK version). Beautiful trumpet music. I wish there were a full version
Headmaster Hastings in case you wanted to hear; ruclips.net/video/iafxUXvQ7L0/видео.html
Oh, hi Headmaster Hastings!
SkittleWinklerUK I misread Mike O’Donnell as Martin O’Donnell. I guess there must be some sort of thing with people having the last name O’Donnell and being musical legends.
Mine was the viaduct theme and just henry's theme in general.
Breaking News: Thomas the Tank Engine Arrested for Breeding Genetically Mutated Super Musicians.
Ling ling clones
Daniel Vieira playing 72 hrs a day
Wt
Go away. This isn't a meme video.
if he does it again he'll be SCRAPPED!
Finally, an excuse to watch Thomas without being weird.
Lmao
I watch Thomas The Tank Engine (the classic stories of course) and I’m 27 years old!
@@Raidmasterprod the books or the older episodes?
Nobody who watches Thomas is weird
@@Raidmasterprod Cool even I do I'm 10.
Me before clicking on the thumbnail: "Oh, this video must be about the stories about composers conceiving their masterpieces/musicians honing their musical prowess on long train trips."
This video: *deadass talking about the OG Thomas the Tank Engine theme tune*
🚂🚂🚂
😂😂😂
😏😏😏
When watching this video I thought: "when I was a child I love Thomas the Tank Engine, and I love the theme song, so why I'm not musical genius?", and then you played the new theme. Then I realised this was the one I heard as a child and I'm so mad about it.
What madness is this?! I mean... sure, Thomas the Tank Engine was my favorite series as a child and... sure, I may be a classical music enthusiast with a deep interest in musical theory. But those two things are clearly unrelated to one anothe-
Wait...
Did you just justify MY CHILDHOOD?!?!?!
Yup. Definitely a connection.
Dude l swear the music in Thomas is insane. Gordon’s and Edwards theme are very classical based, Henry’s theme, at least to me, sounds Gaelic in origin, James’s theme is just straight up jazz, ducks theme is a waltz, Diesel’s theme is, like, a tango???? It’s mad!!!
This is exactly how I got interested in music as a child, Thomas the Tank engine, Star Wars and game soundtracks by Koji Kondo.
Same bro
Bro me too!!! Hit me up with that water level music or Clash of the Lightsabers 👌
Yes! Also Indiana Jones and especially the Lord of the Rings soundtrack
It wasn't the music that created musical geniuses. The geniuses were attracted to the music.
Nah, if this music was played to all children around the world, there'd be a million new mozarts every year.
Exactly. That's basically what was said here.
This needs to be shown in every music class because one, it would be a good lesson, and two, because it would teach people that Thomas isn't JUST some baby show.
Ahhh, so me being a Teletubbies kid is why I suck so much at music!
Roflmao :)
Thou shall not speak that name in the presence of THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE.
Telletubbies. Thomas the tank engine. What were these people on when they made these shows
Teletubbies
[Scoff]
*GOD DAMMIT*
I would love to hear your thoughts on the other themes like Edward's theme, Henry's theme, Duck's theme, and so on.
I was REALLY into the show as a kid, then as I teen I learned about the real history behind it, which is fascinating!
Finally, somebody who explains the circle of fifths chart in a way I can understand!
Also I'm no musical prodigy, but I've always loved the Thomas soundtrack. Even though I moved on from the show ages ago I still find myself listening to the music frequently. I guess it must have had more of an impact on the musical part of my brain than I realized!
Let be honest here mike and junior made the creepy episodes really creepy
O'Donnell and Campbell had no business throwing this hard for a kid's show, but I'm so thankful they did.
Each engine had starkly different themes reflecting their personalities, too. Thomas introduced me to classical music, jazz, and synth-pop all at the same time. Even the songs with words to them bring tears to my eyes. "The Island Song," anyone?
The Viaduct theme and the Skarloey Railway's theme are just beautiful
i think whats cool about it is that the melody continues the idea of trains from bully strayhorn’s jazz standard “take the a train”. that melody starts on the dominant (G), spells out a C major triad, then jumps to an Ab (the #11 of the underlying D7). Thomas the tank engine’d melody also does that, except the pitches of the triad are now in a tresillo rhythm (dotted quarter note x2, quarter note) and the Ab is over a Ab7, the tritone sub of D7. These choices make sense as the tresillo has become really prominent in pop songs, and the Ab chord foreshadows our eventual key. The #11 sound is also explored, this time separately in the intro with that D-Eb semitone over the Ab. This really shows how composers pick up on old ideas and recontextualize them to create new experiences.
That's Mike O'Donnell and Junior For you. Always smashing the scores out of the park
God damnit... I'm 30, and I've wasted my adulthood getting into debt studying music and failing to make a living on composing... where was this help like 12 years ago?
I absolutely loved the show when I was little and I still love it today. The music was one of the things I loved so much about it. It was catchy and it always made me enjoy the stories even more ☺.
I have perfect pitch and was obsessed with Thomas as a kid. Then again, I started singing in a local children's choir from Kindergarten age as well, but its definitely fun to think that the score of Thomas had some sort of subconscious influence on my gift too.
I’ve always had a deep appreciation for the original Thomas soundtrack!! all the songs were just iconic 😭 it makes me so happy to know that others love it too and that it’s genuinely a smart soundtrack!
Fun fact! The Main theme from Total War Rome 1 starts with the same chords: C to Ab
I remember watching TTTE as a baby, but i did introduce something around 9 years old, i was looking over the model series and it's intro was cool, and a music theory guy made a video like this 3 years ago
The music from the first 7 seasons of Thomas were my main inspiration to make music. Many of Mike and Junior’s pieces were true genius. There are other themes aside from the main theme that have these unusual harmonic relationships but they’re all catchy. Thank you for covering this
I distinctly remember hating the newer iterations of the Thomas the Tank Engine theme song when I was a kid, so when you played it I felt both physically and spiritually damaged.
Great video by the way. I absolutely love this song!
It probably helped that the original theme was created on a musical synthesizer.
I always thought that the theme song to Thomas sounded a lot like Take the A Train by Duke Ellington.
A-flat major applied the brakes -but it was too late- and fell into a sick drop that expanded the minds of kids everywhere! The Fat -Controller- Conductor laughed and said "Wonderful job Thomas, you have been a very useful musician!"
Thomas for real?
who knew that train tune could contain so much info.
The chord progression isn't exactly breaking any rules. It has been used for at least 200 years.
at least Beethoven has many examples like this. sympathetic keys..
I think it's more about the fact they used this kind of progression in a children's show, unlike many other shows with far less complex sound tracks.
Yes, the chromatic mediant relationship is certainly nothing new. However, the western concept of harmony is so obnoxiously fixated on the circle of fifths that the chromatic mediant, even after hundreds of years, still sounds fresh and novel.
I loved Thomas the tank engine's theme. I think the melody is catchy, and it's Ab, C key changes were my favourite part.
Man discovers the magic, mind is blown
The flying kipper from season 1 of the show always gives me a tear whenever I listen to even tho it's just a basic fish delivery yet, Mike and jr. always succeed in giving me memories...
I agree, and I think in part it's due to how the blend of the music (one of the best in the entire series) and the image of a steam locomotive at night in the snow give the whole sequence an almost magical atmosphere.
Thomas has always been a massive part of my childhood even bringing me into the world of music and chorus. There has always been something so special about all the themes in the show and how the music just flows together. I also love how you included the clips of John Williams and Steven Spielberg discussing the main theme for E.T. The extra terrestrial! 😀 great video!!!
Here’s something that people don’t know.
Most leads are based on the rhythm in modern day music, but with Thomas the Tank Engine, the rather is based on the rhythm
I've always loved this theme tune. My brother was hugely into the show - I was a bit old for it but I adored the music.
I didn't know it was possible to talk about the music theory behind the TTTE theme without even mentioning "Take The 'A' Train"...
A lot of the music in the show is great
The circle of fifths is not the only source of keys that work well together. There is also something known as a mediant relationship. For C, its mediant relationships are with A and E. Its chromatic mediant relationships are Ab and Eb. These saw more widespread usage during the romantic period. It's nice to finally see an analysis of the Thomas music, I was a huge fan of Ttte when I was small, and the music was always super iconic.
I didn't know there was a new modern show and theme. This is upsetting.
When I was a child I thought this show was really bizarre and it scared me, honestly look at thomas it could be from a horror movie, and now that I watch this I think the music added to the feeling of something demonic and weird. But oh the intro was actually so cool.
@@thomas.02 That theory is wrong and here's why:
1) The article implies that Sir Topham Hatt is the master of all engines on Earth. He's actually only the controller of the North Western Railway (the railway Thomas works on). And even there he doesn't have full control over it, that's not how railways work.
2) There were many cases where engines disobeyed Sir Topham and they weren't scrapped.
3) About the scrapped engines from Stepney the Bluebell Engine: they weren't scrapped by Sir Topham, they were scrapped by British Railways, which aren't owned by him. And they weren't scrapped because they didn't want to work, it was because BR was scrapping its steam engines at the time because of dieselisation.
4) The engines know Sir Topham would never scrap them (he is against it).
5) Thomas the Tank Engine takes place in the real world with just one difference: Sodor and its residents exist and engines have faces. This means that when something happens in the real world, it happens in this universe too.
6) Henry didn't stop in the tunnel because he "refused to slave away", he stopped because he was vain. He thought that the rain would spoil his paint, even though it stopped raining. How would you solve this problem?
Please stop spreading misinformation
@Juan Fernando Estrada: I understand. I was born in 1967 and much of the children’s programming of my early childhood in the US during the early-70’s was (mis)informed by the mainstreaming of late-60’s psychedelic culture. Strange, long forgotten cartoons created by young hippies fresh out of tuning in/dropping out. It’s no wonder many people in my age group (late-40’s - early-50’s) feel culturally disconnected from all that came before and after us.
Dude seriously sameee
@@thomas.02 That theory was disproven. It makes absolutely no sense.
I tried learning this song on piano and I was so confused how a song that seemed so simple but I was so confused
I’m here from a Japanese video that showcases how this theme modulates constantly between C major and A♭ major key. The best way I can come up with is A♭ major and C _minor_ are kinda compatible, but they decided to make the C key _major_ instead. It’s like a side-step exercise that’s a major-third wide.
That Runaway score I found the most crucial for adding stakes to this show’s alter episodes...A Close Shave takes this to the upteemph adding in that not only a gang of chaotic idiots are causing the disaster (charging Duck)...but that they’re barreling towards a building with defenseless people and they don’t care who gets killed.
Came from The Unlucky Tug’s recent video.
Enjoyed this a lot,great stuff.👌
This makes me want to listen to the Thomas theme again
My favorite thing about the Thomas theme is the reference to the jazz standard "Take the A Train." Both melodies start on a G note, work upward, then fall down to an Ab on the second bar. No way was this a coincidence.
Loving the video!! I’ve watched so much of the show as a kid and went to his museum and all that jazz, awesome you give it another layer like this
Currently a doctoral student in violin, compose on the side and yes, Thomas was my main show as a kid
I recently discovered the ingenuity of this music as well. I never watched Tomas the Tank engine as a child but I heard it in many funny YT Videos. I played it by ear and analysed it - I came to the same conclusion as you. I was so surprised when saw this video :D btw, so cool that Mike O'Donnel himself commented here!
Data Point: Thomas the Tank Engine was my favorite show growing up (in the 90s, the era of "Shining Time Station" feat. Ringo.) I am a professional musician. Big fan of your videos Sir!!!!
I remember loving the show back in the late 1990s as a little kid. It’s what made me appreciate my grandfather’s model train hobby/collection. It’s a fun show that I’m glad still has a cool fanbase.
Close, but not quite, Thomas and Mario make musical Geniuses.
The old classic seasons soundtrack was excellent in general.
It is actually quite sad that they dumbed it down this much for the new version. Reminds me of a video Tantacrul did a while back, basically asking why we simplify music so much for children, when it clearly isn't needed. Even going as far as removing all of the black keys from music toys, for example.
This is just another great example that children can easily "handle" more complex music without problem.
Loved this theory! My son who was a Thomas addict is now referred to as a heavy hitter as a jazz pianist, composer and arranger. No doubt the formal music education played a large part but the love of Thomas the tank engine survived childhood!
@@jwfBelfast great to hear. Even more evidence :)
4:05 coolest part of the video!
Gotta admit Thomas has some fire themes
Thomas the tank engine led me to music (and life decisions) in such a roundabout way. As a kid, I actually played with the toy sets first before even seeing the shows, so I was infatuated with trains and tracks. I then watched the shows on VHS, because at the time, my family couldn't afford TV, so that's what got me introduced to the theme song. Around the same time, my grandma actually played classical music all the time, yet I was unsure about music in general, being like 6 or 7 at the time. Eventually, we got a computer, along with the game Rollercoaster Tycoon, where you could build your own tracks for coasters and, yes, trains. What really got me into Classical music as a whole was hearing the low trill coming from a merry-go-round playing the overture to the Poet and Peasant by Suppé. So in a way, Thomas introduced me to the game that introduced me to both engineering and classical music, the two things that I am passionate about.
Also could you redo this but with a visualisation of the notes and majors for non-musically conscious people?
Of course I am fully conscious that this is a class banger
It's literally the best theme
The impact that Thomas and friends had on me was the fuel for my singing voice that convinced my mother to put me in the SF boys chorus for a bit. Since picking up guitar music and rock ‘n’ roll, which thank goodness Thomas and friends nodded in season four, has left me with a keen sense of melody and a fondness for music that made me want to sing or had a certain fluid melodic rhythm.
As much as I like the original theme and it’s beautiful orchestration, I embraced the next theme as the next chapter in the series. I eventually grew board with the latest episodes while the movies held my interest, yet no matter what, the island of sodor and our favorite tank engine has always left me fond for railroads and frankly good music. The original sing-along videos left a lasting impression on my singing and expression with it.
This is my favorite show of all time and it turned me to the musician I am today. I also love trains because of this.
"Did Thomas the tank engine have an IMPACT on your childhood"
Keep off the tracks kids.
The original Thomas the tank engine theme song is a masterpiece and I've always known that.
This explains a lot.
This theme was so good I was violently vibin
oh okay this explains alot about me for my love of breaking down music.
I started watching Thomas when it still used the old theme then 1 year later it changed to the new one
I wonder if there's any fun analysis to be had on any of the character themes from the original score?
Hey! Big former Thomas the Tank Engine fan here to say that the theme at 5:35 used to actually play after the episodes! I forget whether it was the credits or just a regular outro, but it definitely has been there as long as the main theme.
I loved Thomas as a little kid, and here I am now slowly becoming a piano whiz.
Coincidence? I THINK NOT!
I'm not at all a music prodigy but I watched TTTE religiously as a kid and I always knew there was something special about the theme music, especially after I started violin in school and went into composing later on. Absolutely masterpiece
Always loved the original series as a kid. Been recently playing it for my baby daughter and only then realised how good the music is! The very first episode features a Baroque-ish trumpet tune (complete with trill at the cadence) that at one point goes into canon!
Loved this theory! My son (Scott Flanigan) who was a Thomas addict is now referred to as a heavy hitter jazz pianist, composer and arranger. No doubt the formal music education from age 4 helped but the childhood fascination with Thomas never waned!
I was seriously just talking to someone about this song yesterday! Great video.
Alright, so you found (anecdotal) correlation between musical talent and listening to this music in one's childhood. If this correlation is true, it still doesn't mean causation (that is, they became talented because they listened to Thomas). A way more believable explanation is that they liked the Thomas music because they had a musical talent in the first place.
Great video though :).
Yes
ye but if you expose kids to fancy stuff they might grow to like it. A 4 year old won't have much musical talent outside of that which it has experienced and heard.
Hartshorne and Renshaw have done some good music but nothing will ever top the seven seasons of great music Mike and Junior created
Correct
I loved Thomas the Tank Engine when I was a child, but I don't remember much of it at all.
Definitely agree with
@Pandorama below on this, even though their explanation is a bit past my pay grade. I'm currently working on a fairly complex rendition of James' theme from the show. It's in C major, but I find myself modulating in and out of Ab major - and in one spot, I take it up a semitone to C# major into an unrelated theme, and using Mike and Junior's "Let's Have a Race" theme, *still* manage to resolve it right back into Ab major.
Circle of 5th rules be damned, we're followers of the Mike and Junior school of transpositions.
I always loved the Thomas soundtrack, but I never was very musical.
I love Thomas the tank engine theme
If you don’t know Thomas the tank engine then you don’t deserve your life privileges
I was an 00's baby and Thomas the Tank Engine was my favorite tv show. I guess I can say thanks to those composers for making me a musician?!😂
This makes the fact that Mozart was a child prodigy ,despite never hearing the Thomas theme all the more amazing. One must wonder how he and all the other great compsers could have developed without hearing such a prime example of modulation ,in their infancy. This theme is the reason why the last half of the 20th century has more and better composers than previous...............uh oh.
I wonder if this show was why I developed such a love for dance music over traditional rock and pop. This thing is structured a LOT more like EDM, House, all that stuff; than anything you'd expect from a show like this.
Yup, loved the show and even got introduced to other genres of tv, music, and comedy from the people who were in the show and its history.
As a kid I always preferred the original to the roll call. The original is an instrumental, so you can apply it to any age and say “this is a banger.” The new one has campy kindergarten-level lyrics, which turned me away because hearing it made me feel like an infant.
I watched Thomas so much as a kid. Now I'm a video game composer. Coincidence?
well i mean the tunes are a massive *bop*
*1)* _[inhales]_ THOMAS IS A LOCOMOTIVE, NOT A TRAIN. A TRAIN IS A SERIES OF VEHICLES IN SEQUENCE, LIKE A CONVOY, SO A LOCOMOTIVE BY ITSELF ISN'T A "TRAIN". THE TITLE TELLS YOU WHAT THOMAS IS. [calms down]
*2)* Awesome video, dude. =) I really enjoyed Thomas the Tank Engine as a kid, and the music still sometimes plays in my head when i'm driving or doing other things. The entire original soundtrack is amazing, not just the main theme.
I thought (and thought wrong) that this was gonna be about why the Thomas & Friend's theme matches too well with so many rap and hip-hop songs. My all time favourite version is the My Neck, My Back
I thought it was the only one who liked this show, and furthermore it's brilliant soundtrack. Glad to know that people do too.
Thomas the Dank Engine
r/commentawards
Vigo Kovačić r/ThomasTheDankEngine
How is that relevant ?
I got 7 mac-11s, about 8 .38s nine 9s 10 mac-10s, the shits never end
thomas the stank engine
This was a marvellous video that just reinforced the idea that were I to look after kids, I would rather raise them on the classics to bring out their potential.
This video also led to me noticing how memorable all the different tunes of Thomas were originally, with every character and sometimes scenes having their own clearly identifiable theme, And to put that to the test, I wound up spending a solid hour recalling every single theme tune I could for major and minor characters in the original Britt Alcroft run. I do not regret it. Man those themes were beautiful, with such variety.