[SNES] F-Zero - "Big Blue" (Replacement) by Th3Gavst3r

Started by Zeta, September 27, 2017, 05:41:24 PM

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Zeta

Submission Information:

Series: Other
Game: F-Zero
Console: Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Title: Big Blue
Instrumentation Solo Piano
Arranger: Th3Gavst3r


Replacement Information:

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

[attachment deleted by admin]


Static

This sheet looks pretty cool! Just a few things to consider:

- This is a fast-paced hard rock tune, so it would probably make more sense to put the song in 4/4 instead of 2/2 and give the tempo as quarter=230. You also might want to consider removing that marcato marking and instead put something like "Rock groove" there. Also, feel free to place more accents and staccatos in places that might warrant them.
- m24 & 32, beats 3-4: I would rewrite this rhythm as a dotted 8th, 16th-tied-with-8th, 8th.
- Generally, watch out for playability; several parts of the sheet have parallel 4ths in 8th notes, which at this speed is very difficult to play. These would probably work better just as single notes.

Awesome work!

Th3Gavst3r

I like your Rock Groove idea a lot, definitely using that!
Also changed the rhythms and did take out those 4ths from the RH in measures 8 & 12. Should be a lot easier to make that jump now and they sounded a little muddy anyway hehe

Static

While the arrangement looks and sounds great, there are still some playability concerns that need to be addressed that I came across as I play-tested this sheet:

- Parallel 5ths are insanely difficult to play, especially at this tempo. In places like m8, 12, 20, 24, etc., you'll want to make the LH part just octaves instead (which are actually easier to play). If you want you can change the current RH line in those measures to the harmony line (starting on C in m7 for example). If you do this, you'll want to keep it an octave up from where you currently have this line in the LH for playability.
- The offbeat notes, particularly in the B section and onward, are really, really important. It might be a good idea to add some extra chord tones on these parts (such as (RH) m25 beat 4.5, m27 beat 4.5, m29 beat 2.5, m30 beat 2.5, etc.)
- Even though the song is in a rock style, it wouldn't hurt to include some more variety in dynamics (perhaps a crescendo in m24 to a ff in m25; just some things to consider.)
- You might want to add some more articulations and accents past the A section.


Sebastian




Th3Gavst3r

Quote from: Static on November 05, 2017, 07:08:36 PM- Parallel 5ths are insanely difficult to play, especially at this tempo. In places like m8, 12, 20, 24, etc., you'll want to make the LH part just octaves instead (which are actually easier to play). If you want you can change the current RH line in those measures to the harmony line (starting on C in m7 for example). If you do this, you'll want to keep it an octave up from where you currently have this line in the LH for playability.

Moving the fifths to the top of the arrangement messes with the voicing of the arrangement imo. Since fifths fit nicely into the harmonic series, the purpose of fifths (power chords) in rock music is to widen a guitar's voicing without causing too much distortion. In measures 8 and 12 both hands play the melody in parallel, so the fifths are there to fill in the center of the arrangement without distracting too much from the emphasized double melody. If you move the fifths to the RH and put octaves in the LH, the fifths draw too much attention by being the highest voice in addition to the melody suddenly dropping down an octave. If you leave the fifths out entirely, the arrangement instead sounds very hollow. Because of all this, I think the arrangement is best with the fifths how they are, despite the playing difficulty.

Quote from: Static on November 05, 2017, 07:08:36 PM- The offbeat notes, particularly in the B section and onward, are really, really important. It might be a good idea to add some extra chord tones on these parts (such as (RH) m25 beat 4.5, m27 beat 4.5, m29 beat 2.5, m30 beat 2.5, etc.)

I've done my best with this one. Some of the syncopated harmonies from the original are squeezed in where I could fit them

Quote from: Static on November 05, 2017, 07:08:36 PM- Even though the song is in a rock style, it wouldn't hurt to include some more variety in dynamics (perhaps a crescendo in m24 to a ff in m25; just some things to consider.)
- You might want to add some more articulations and accents past the A section.

I've sprinkled some of these around, lmk if you think there's anywhere else they'd work

The Deku Trombonist

Why not do something like this?



If it's too hard people either won't play it or they'll just cut out parts anyway. So in the end you don't really gain anything by cramming too much in.

Th3Gavst3r

I like that a lot Deku, definitely the best I've seen or come up with so far. Gonna use that one :D

Olimar12345

-I'm getting some different notes in the LH at 12. Should be (after the tied note): Bb Dd Eb-Eb Bb Gb F
-I think a D.C. at the end would be more appropriate since it repeats back to the beginning.
-The last chord in the LH measure 24 should be Ab and Eb (a whole step higher).
-The last chord in the LH measure 40 should be Ab and Eb (a whole step higher).

...and that's it. I think this is a swell arrangement and I think you've done an outstanding job with it. I cannot wait to have this on the site.

If needed, here is a version of the arrangement with the corrections I mentioned above. Feel free to use it if you would like to.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/xdmslu094ymyqoq/Big%20Blue12345.mus?dl=1
Visit my site: VGM Sheet Music by Olimar12345 ~ Quality VGM sheet music available for free!

Th3Gavst3r

#10
-Good catch with m.12, I forgot about that voice when we got rid of the bass fifths
-Changed the D.C.

-In m.24, the Ab on the last beat comes from the Ab-Eb-Ab arpeggios in the high voice throughout m.23-24. The arpeggio voice holds an Ab starting on beat 4, while the bass plays a syncopated Gb-Db fifth on 4&. While the Ab does sound during that last chord, in my opinion the Ab-Eb fifth is less appropriate because it resolves too well with the melody's Eb. By using the Gb fifth, the song retains its tension transitioning into the B section.

-In m.40, the bass still plays a Gb-Db fifth on the last chord, but there is also an Ab in the higher voice which parallels it for some reason. There isn't actually an Eb anywhere in the original, but I still prefer your suggestion for an Ab-Eb fifth in this case. There aren't any problems resolving with the melody, it sounds virtually the same with either chord, and the fingerings for ending on an Ab fifth allow the player to phrase much more naturally.

Olimar12345

Quote from: Th3Gavst3r on February 07, 2018, 10:19:30 PM-In m.24, the Ab on the last beat comes from the Ab-Eb-Ab arpeggios in the high voice throughout m.23-24. The arpeggio voice holds an Ab starting on beat 4, while the bass plays a syncopated Gb-Db fifth on 4&. While the Ab does sound during that last chord, in my opinion the Ab-Eb fifth is less appropriate because it resolves too well with the melody's Eb. By using the Gb fifth, the song retains its tension transitioning into the B section.

That's a...unique way of analyzing/thinking about it. But the fact is that the open fifths do play that chord down there, in addition to the ornamentation-ostinato part. Another way to look at it is to hear it as not an ending, but a pick up into the next idea (that's sort of what it's doing anyway). Those fifths certainly aren't re-articulating the same chord as heard on beat 1 of the next section, they're leading down by whole-step (te-le).

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Th3Gavst3r

I've actually been using the exploded channels from the game to arrange, so here's some evidence that the bass isn't leading down a whole step
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/3cyal191muhp54z/2018-02-11_00-27-52.mp4

That said, this chord in particular doesn't make a huge difference in terms of the overall sound. I usually go with what's in the song if possible, but if you'd really prefer it changed that's alright with me :)

Olimar12345

Visit my site: VGM Sheet Music by Olimar12345 ~ Quality VGM sheet music available for free!

Th3Gavst3r

Awesome! Thanks for putting such a close ear to this btw, really good to know how detailed your reviews are :D