[GBC] The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages & Oracle of Seasons - "Sadness" (Replacement) by Tobbeh99

[Zeta]

Submission Information:
Series: The Legend of Zelda
Game: The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages & Oracle of Seasons
Console: Game Boy Color
Title: Sadness
Instrumentation Solo Piano
Arranger: Tobbeh99


Replacement Information:
Links to Existing Sheet: MUS | MIDI | PDF
Replacement Type: Challenge (new arranger)

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[Tobbeh99]

Maybe the most popular song from the game, thought it needed a proper arrangement.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uU5pqZgZyak

[Tobbeh99]

Any comments??

[Bespinben]

Great sheet! Since you decided to step into the land of self-composed endings, I don't quite feel an F minor arpeggiation fits the overall mood of the piece. It's a rather plaintive tune, so perhaps an AbM7 or some variant of that might work better. If you need an example, take a look at my arrangement of "Despair: Light Arrangement" from GtI. Despite the F minor key, I actually resolve to an Ab6 on the final chord of my self-made ending.

[Tobbeh99]

Thanks for your feedback Bespinben!:)

Yes the thing was that when I heard the original, I thought it sounded so out of place, so I just changed the chord to a minor basically. But yes, the arpeggio maybe is a bit too much for such a simple song.

Here is another version with a very simple but maybe more appropriate ending. Have a look at it and tell me what you think.

[Bespinben]

But yes, the arpeggio maybe is a bit too much for such a simple song.

Here is another version with a very simple but maybe more appropriate ending. Have a look at it and tell me what you think.

The arpeggio (the texture) isn't what I had a problem with. It was the harmony itself. You could end on a Picardy third... or modulate to the parallel major (i.e. Ab)... or leave it as an open fifth... anything besides a blatant F minor triad should work, as long as it's done with taste.

[Tobbeh99]

Ok so I understand that the F minor chord sounded wrong, and a bit boring. So here's a new try with an Ab minor chord.
MUS

[Bespinben]

Ab minor can't be your resolution (I've never heard of an F minor song ending on the parallel minor of its relative major), but it can serve as a pivot. Here's a little progression I wrote up to serve as an example for using Ab minor as a pivot into Ab major.

[Tobbeh99]

Well that Ab major chord would work. But the issue I'm having with it is that it sound to cherish. I want it to end sadly that's why I chose the minor chords.

... so much work for what I saw as a "small nice ending".

[Bespinben]

Well that Ab major chord would work. But the issue I'm having with it is that it sound to cherish. I want it to end sadly that's why I chose the minor chords.

Sad doesn't necessarily equate to minor though. Also, look at the harmonies throughout the song -- there's really never a place where there's a basic minor triad. Instead, there's a lot of major 7ths and minor 9ths that suggest a plaintive or melancholic mood. The idea is to make an ending that would be befitting of the style of the composition itself.

... so much work for what I saw as a "small nice ending".

My ideology:

Spoiler

There are times where I've quite truly spent an entire day (or two!) tweaking with only a couple measures of a song (ex: m. 37-40 of my PMD Gates to Infinity "Opening" [admittedly, my arranging gears were still pretty rusty then, but still]). I don't regret it though, because I know in the end as long as I am 100% satisfied with the end product, the time it took was worth it. Having had the new experience of reviewing people's sheets for submissions officially, I jump for joy when I see this same level of attention to detail. 

[close]

[Tobbeh99]

Ok, this time I tried to end on the chord the song starts on: Bb minor. This one is a bit more elaborated:
MUS

[Bespinben]

This one is a bit more elaborated:

I like that you re-stated part of the melody for the ending, treating it like a motif. This helps lead to a sense of closure and wholeness. HOWEVER--

Ok, this time I tried to end on the chord the song starts on: Bb minor.

Bb minor is the subdominant of F minor (or the supertonic of Ab major) -- this is NOT an acceptable ending to a tonal composition.

There are many ways to change the flavor of your ending. If you want to end the song with a tinge of sadness, you could end on Abmaj7 (a bittersweet sound), or you could arpeggiate an Fsus chord {F, (G), Bb, C, (Eb)} (a mysterious, resolved-yet-unresolved sound).

[Tobbeh99]

I really liked your idea of Fsus, it was kind of what I've been looking for. I've updated the files, take a look.

[Bespinben]

It's not a good idea to have the suspended 4th of your Fsus chord at the top, because it results in a feeling of too much lack of resolution. It also happens too suddenly in your new version -- you need to prepare it better.

I recommend using this:
[MIDI] [MUS] [PDF] [MUSX]



Step 1: Before the repeat, the chord is Eb7, so the expected resolution is back to Ab.

Step 2: However, since this is a minor key song, we will apply a deceptive cadence and resolve to F minor in m. 17 beat 1.

Step 3: Beats 2-4 are Dbmaj7, which actually shares its upper structure with F minor (Db F Ab C), so therefore this is a smooth transition. Octave higher for dramatic effect.

Step 4: Adding m. 18 was necessary because we need the Cm7 chord of this measure to resolve into Fsus (the familiar v -> i motion). The roll in the RH @ beat 3 helps establish common tones between Cm7 and Fsus, thereby increasing the transitional smoothness.

Step 5: A too-often neglected aspect of writing endings is establishing rhythmic cadence. This quarter note triplet figure helps bring a sense of closure to the motion of the piece. The custom ending of my Sky Tower arrangement does the same thing.

[Tobbeh99]

I'm fine with your version.