This channel explores music in video games, and dives deeper into explaining why particular things make us feel or react the way they do. Music is a huge part of the video game experience, and learning some behind-the-scenes knowledge can make that experience even better! I've completed a degree in music theory pedagogy and written a dissertation about how music enhances immersion in video games, and I'm combining that here with my love of video games to bring you awesome content!
Thanks so much for this amazing video, i love ffx so much. It was my very first so not only is this nostalgic, its a wonderful thoughtful and detailed music analysis of one of my faves so thanks !!
Kudos to your musical analysis, theory. Quite impressive. However, as a male gamer, I love Tifa because she is pretty, big boobs, and kicks ass. Her move sets in Remake, Rebirth is dynamic and satisfying. I may not be alone to share this sentiment. Cheers
@andrewpotts yes, the pedal keys at the bottom are played with the feet. They're typically connected to the bigger pipes, so they play lower notes. It allows the player to use both hands and feet to cover a very wide range of notes.
I was learning how to improvise on the Zanarkand theme and I couldn't quite figure it out harmonically. It is notated in E minor, but it felt like I was jumping between E minor, G Major, C Major and B minor, so I googled "Zanarkand harmonic analysis" and the internet did not disappoint, leading me into your video :D I am not too good at harmonic analysis and your video helped me quite a bit into putting it together, thanks!
I've been so intimidated by One-Winged Angel on this channel because it's so well known and beloved, but I think I'm ready to take a stab at it...stay tuned!
This is such a good video it deserves more attention!! Its so informative, if you could also talk about vamo alla flamenco and how it's influences of a baroque Hispanic follies and neoclassiscm too. Its stereotypical but accurate in some parts its baroque but a bit more neoclassical in other stuff kinda how this game is an homage to the old final fantasy games.
This is a top tier comment, thank you! I love Vamo Alla Flamenco, but I have to admit that while I know the terms you mention I am less knowledgeable about Spanish baroque forms and practice than I am others of the same period. Your point about neoclassical elements representing a throwback to older styles like FF9 itself is very astute! I would love to hear more of your thoughts about that track and its influences - please feel free to reach out to me using the email address listed on my channel! Thank you!
@@TheGamingBardChannel its basically that its style and structure is of a Hispanic baroque type of musical piece called Follies but its instrumentation is far more neoclassical. It's stereotypical in some of its instruments and the "olé" and that interestingly in one part of the piece there is a part of concierto de Aranjuez an obvious hispanic guitar classic, despite that its still accurate to its antique asthethics of the game. I belive that the piece is so fitting for ff9 because its structure and style is old but executed in a neoclassical way (idk if im explaining it right English isn't my first language) just like ff9 was meant to be like the old games, ff going back to its roots but in a still modern way. The follies are distinctive in that in a harmonical sentence it they switch from mode major to minor and vice versa multiple times throught it and plays with two tonal centers. It usually had simple melodies specially guitar follies but they are altered throught the piece. The piece uses a I don't remember if it was Doric or Jonic mode but either way it was used A LOT in baroque music. All of this is in vamo alla flamenco (which is not flamenco at all lol). That's more or less it. How it's stereotypical but has actual historical roots just like ff9's world and the classical fantasy tales its inspired of and how its antique but it's in a modern way in many ways paralels what the game was intended to be and is
@pielover7557 got it, thank you! That's a whole area of music history and theory I would love to dive into...would you mind sending me this same information and maybe any resources you know of to my email? gamingbard29@gmail.com I'd really like to use your ideas as the basis of another video!
I’m an organist and I expected this to be awful. And it was brilliant! This might be one of the best explanations on RU-vid of how organ registrations work. Nice job!
Keep up the great work. I enjoy the nostalgia of the games I play with the detailed music theory of why I felt the way I do :D Not much of a musician but can appreciate the beauty the creators put into it
Tifa was the girl next door, and this song represents that special kind of love from being with your best friend who was the girl next door growing up.
Obo and Flute being "gendered" is somehow "problematic"? And with that you've proven yourself a moron. Also, an idea being old, or in your words, "antiquated" doesn't make it bad or wrong. Get over yourself.
To me there is this questioning tone in the song, like its asking "when are you coming back, don't you miss me, coz I miss you but no matter, I know you'll come back"
Tough to say, they're all pretty unique stylistically, but a lot would fall into a Lounge or Jazz category, especially the ones with a singer. The difference is the instruments - it's hard to find one genre that has singer/guitar, singer/piano, and singer/orchestra combos. If you like "Feel," I would check out the Blues Jazz. If you like "Someday," I might listen to some of Josh Groban's albums. If you like "Why," you might check out some piano concertos by classical composers. If you like "Proposal, Flower, Wolf," you might enjoy slow jazz. Hope that gets you started! I'm sure other people will be able to weigh in better than me on some of these!
The word that best sums up how I feel about Tifa's Theme is nostalgia. I know people throw that around a lot, but when I played FFVII for the first time at age 13, as soon as I heard those chords and the first notes of the melody it stirred something inside me. Even to this day when I hear any rendition of her theme I am struck by a strong sense of going back to simpler times. There's a lot going on with this song, but I will always think of it as a longing for the past while being hopeful about the future.
I like to think of Aerith's theme as her finding her place in her relationship with the planet as a Cetra. Your breakdown of the almost call-and-response of her theme translating over into a supported duet of the chords really hit me. I love this character so much.
I hadn't considered it as a duet with the planet, but that's a really neat idea! I love how we can all hear the same music and draw different ideas based on our different experiences
I don't know why I sometimes fancies Tifa's theme over Aerith's theme, and sometimes it goes the other way round... but I think I do now. Tifa felt like home, and Aerith felt like going on an adventure.
I tweeted my thoughts on this and this is what I tweeted Whenever I listen to Aerith's theme in every rendition, I always have to listen to Tifa's theme to stop my tears. Aerith's theme gives me the feeling of longingness of a past that could've been and Tifa's theme gives me the comfort of the present that let's me rest on it's lap. I needed both songs to feel complete.
It is not Dorian then, but why does it give off this uncanny Dorian vibe? Because of the listful timbre of being both major upwards (hopefully) and minor downwards (sad) in its first motive, interlaced with off-notes in its chords as it progresses. It feels like a frail uncanny world gets opened up, and then gets closed again by sorrow. I am not a serious musician here, just trying to make sense of it. 😅
You're right that dorian often has that sense of hope/despair because of the major sixth in an otherwise minor scale, so your ear is on the right track with that! In this case, it's actually the use of the minor seventh in major - a similar type of modification as dorian.
@@TheGamingBardChannel wow, that is very interesting reading you pinpointing it like that, like they are opposite twins: Dorian seems to be sad with an hopeful overtone, whereas Aerith is joyful with a burdened undertone.
