I've always loved the Hyrule Castle theme. It gives the impression of a grand orchestra with just a few channels.

@dalehadley3283

2 жыл бұрын

Despite the limited sound channels,it truly does sound like a full orchestra, I agree

@anonymousfellow8879

2 жыл бұрын

It’s also nice to hear the OG Level Theme forever memorialized (and in-turn leads to meta that said-labyrinths really were defenses for Zelda’s triforce of wisdom (which she fractured and hid herself in the game’s scrolling text before getting abducted by Ganon to keep it out of Ganon’s Possession.) SO…2D Levels and the bosses and monsters inside? Actually those are defenses and appointed guards unless specified otherwise (like the Dark World/Lorule Dungeons-which actually ARE lairs and dungeons in-function since they’re where the banished miko are being held captive in LttP/LBW.)

@cooldebt

2 жыл бұрын

You might like The Consouls jazz cover from Windwaker kzread.info/dash/bejne/iIWiq7SwdbSrgps.html - not an orchestra but a quintet

@nthgth

Жыл бұрын

It helps that at least two of the channels _are_ an "orchestra" type sound. Plus that lovely SNES audio chip.

@fractalgem

6 ай бұрын

Honestly pretty much all the link to the past music did a great job of sounding like an orchestra despite the limited sound capabilities on the gameboy advanced (i can't speak for the nes version)

I love that most zelda music has leitmotifs that have stayed for 30 years now

@Ainigma

2 жыл бұрын

Thought the same! Wagner style.

@kyogrecrown5869

2 жыл бұрын

The only true competition is Kirby music

This song has always cemented itself as the definition of "royalty" for me. When I noticed that Ikana Castle had a similar double chromatic enclosure idea, I just thought about this song. It's so expertly put together that it has became a staple for an entire style of music for me, and I love hearing it and any remixes of it. Great video! Love any Zelda content on this channel lol

@maxpowr90

2 жыл бұрын

The Farewell Hyrule King version from Wind Waker, is the best version of it.

@robertpaulson5095

2 жыл бұрын

I love your random smash facts videos

@anonymousfellow8879

2 жыл бұрын

@@maxpowr90 Oh definitely. And an incredibly moving arrangement for a character’s death scene who…was actually a major asshole. (Seriously-he has Link set up a Beacon for HYRULE ENTRANCE HERE, has Link break the Seal on a great deal of Ganondorf’s Power, then sidelines Tetra for Being Girl after completing her Triforce Piece and locking her away in HYRULE HERE-if you sail over Hyrule’s Entrance before completing the Triforce of Courage, it’s revealed that it’s locked away until you finish the Piece. Who has an entire Piece? GANONDORF. And the Tower of the Gods (which Link revealed by placing the Pearls) is SO MASSIVE that it’s easily scene in the distance as far away as Windfall, Forest Haven, and Dragon Roost.) Like…yes King’s traditionalist misogyny literally Makes Plot but. Y E A H… he didn’t even have Link CHECK ON THE OG Sages which would’ve avoided A Lot of trouble. (Or, y’know, keep Tetra close and on the move with Link. Tetra’s Ancestors keeping mobile with 3/4 of the Triforce of Wisdom is what kept Ganondorf or his followers from obtaining it. Ganondorf’s seen Tetra now, sure. But On The Move with the Master Sword wielder would still have been a Better Idea than “hiding” underneath a massive neon arrow sign. And unlike the New Sages, Tetra’s not combatively helpless!) But, yeahhh… the Kings have pretty much always been massive pieces of work in every game they appear in (LttP, OoT, WW, BotW.)

@pluspiping

2 жыл бұрын

That was the first thing I noticed during this breakdown, too, how similar the Ikana Castle theme is. Surely on purpose. But Ikana Castle feels like it's missing the out-in-front brass melodies, opting for more ethereal voices and murmurings, leaving the brass just playing backup fanfare to... almost nothing. Appropriate for a dead kingdom.

@bruceknee1916

2 жыл бұрын

So you won't mind playing this when the Queen enters the room then? Okay!

Twilight Princess's rendition of this song is my favorite, the way it gets darker and more complex and you get further to the top of the castle, until at the very end it starts transitioning into Ganon's theme to get you hyped for the final boss.

The melody in the C section is variation of the dungeon theme from Zelda 1, same key as well. Kondo's brilliance is undeniable, the way he recapitulates ideas so seamlessly is stunning.

@Josh_Fredman

2 жыл бұрын

@LonerlRelnol They used to do Zelda symphony concerts all over the country and the world; maybe they still do them. I had the opportunity to go to one, and they indeed played an orchestral version of this piece. Very exciting!

@SireOblivion

2 жыл бұрын

@LonerlRelnol Honestly Kondo and Uematsu should be revered on the same levels as Mozart, Bach, Handel, etc. Their ability with sounds is undeniably beyond all others within the genre, and some of the best music bar none.

@stevewood694

2 жыл бұрын

I was JUST about to post this, good ear.

@Galaxia_EX

2 жыл бұрын

@Juan Ramon Silva Parra HIGHLY disagree with this. If you compare Kondo's best stuff to Beethoven, Bach, Or Mozart's best stuff he's absolutely at their level at a minimum. In fact, I'd consider him higher because he wrote for a much bigger variety of genres and in many styles than those three did.

@Galaxia_EX

2 жыл бұрын

@Juan Ramon Silva Parra Well, considering how subjective this whole debate is, what makes you consider Kondo’s music lesser than that of the greatest composers of the classical/Baroque eras? If it’s purely holding up over time, then there’s no way to know. None of us will be alive in 200 years. I think comparing him to the Beatles doesn’t make sense at all. The whole thing about popular music is that it’s in one day, gone the next. It’s all about the latest trend. But soundtracks for games aren’t written like that, they’re all about legacy and there’s a reason that after over three decades soundtracks from games like Super Mario Bros of are still incredibly iconic. It basically revolutionized video game music and that’s when people started paying attention.

I gotta say, I feel like the production value of this video specifically seems ridiculously high from what I feel like we normally get. There's a lot of juice in this video. Animation of on-screen elements, smooth transitions, little audio-clues from the music we're seeing to line up with what you're saying all contribute to what really feels like an evolution to your video format. It makes me wonder if this trend has been happening with other recent videos and I've only just now picked up on it, but I want to say that I really appreciate the amount of effort it takes to really polish these videos to a high sheen like that, when your much older videos demonstrated that people will totally watch even without the extra editing spice.

@MetalRenard

2 жыл бұрын

I noticed it too. Very useful and much appreciated.

@blackcitadel37

2 жыл бұрын

Indeed. Also your profile pic. That bring some good memories of a certain marine...

@OrisStories

Жыл бұрын

Yes! I wholeheartedly agree! What did we do to get so lucky?!

@You-ul8qw

Жыл бұрын

@@blackcitadel37 Yes lets goo carbot!

10:24 … a _cohesive,_ _climactic_ _culmination_ … even if you don't _consciously_ hear the musical _connections._ An alliteration with Cs in the C section. Bravo!

10:16 "Why can't I hold all these melodies? (Except I can because I'm a genius)" 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Speaking of cohesion, I'm picking out tie-ins to other music in the game as well, particularly the triplet rhythm and 4th down + stepwise up from the main theme. Subtle nods and cross-references really tie a whole soundtrack together and make it so much more than the sum of its parts.

@crimsonking6246

2 жыл бұрын

leitmotif

@usaskjock

2 жыл бұрын

well spotted. Leitmotif in melody is easy to spot but I have a lot more difficult time using nomenclature to identify the rhythmic echoes. you're totally right that the actual beat and rhythm of this piece establishes patterns used through the whole soundtrack

This theme has always been such a jam. Especially the syncopated rhythm! I can't NOT bop my head when it starts. 😄

@jasonblalock4429

2 жыл бұрын

I usually have to stop myself from air-conducting when the trumpets come in at the climax. 😀

@jakemauger8377

2 жыл бұрын

The whole soundtrack is bangin. Can't help but bop to Lost Woods, Dark World, or Death Mountain themes either.

@musicdev

2 жыл бұрын

@@jakemauger8377 seriously! There’s definitely a reason that LttP’s soundtrack can be found in every Zelda remix album ever ;)

I love how the Hyrule Castle themes melodic ideas were played around with in Lorule, in A Link Between Worlds. Reversing some of them

The first few notes of the low strings melody in the C section also feel like a nod to the palace theme from Zelda II.

@BlueMeeple

2 жыл бұрын

It's also similar to LeChuck's theme from Monkey Island.

I love to play this on piano, both in fast (like Alttp) or slow (like WW) versions. Really one of the best themes of the series. Section B is my favourite part btw.

@felixmarques

2 жыл бұрын

I always loved the piano version in TWW, but the 5/4 organ arrangement in BotW just blew my mind.

@usaskjock

2 жыл бұрын

my single favourite part of wind waker was the part where this music played

@Doodle1678

2 жыл бұрын

I love farewell Hyrule king from WW Link between worlds version is great too

It’s interesting to see how this format has been used in many “final area” tracks throughout later Nintendo games as well.

A Link to the Past, in my opinion, is where the series began. The game had such a cool story, a whole new world to explore (the dark world) and the abundance of beautiful music. If you want a great Zelda game, this is one you should give a try.

@DogsRNice

2 жыл бұрын

I'd say it's where the series started taking its story more seriously More than just "rescue the princess!!!!11" I mean you still do that but there's other stuff too

@iangreathouse967

2 жыл бұрын

@@DogsRNice I agree

@anonymousfellow8879

2 жыл бұрын

Zelda1 isn’t bad. But it’s more focused on exploration than it is telling a story-literally. Zelda hides the Triforce of Wisdom to keep it from Ganon and is abducted shortly after, leading to Game. Still gives Zelda FAR more agency than most titles that followed, and it wasn’t ever trying to be more than Exploration + Mcguffin Hunt

@ShinziiArt

2 жыл бұрын

Definitely

@nickwallette6201

2 жыл бұрын

I missed most of the SNES era (got one around the same time I got a PSX), and never have played this game. Nor anything on the N64 for more than 5 min. Nor Windwaker, or the Game Boy Zelda games. I've got a WHOLE lot of stellar titles to explore, and I'm super excited about it. :-D

I think we need a deep dive into all of Castlevania SOTN's tracks in particular. Such a perfect soundtrack!

@RicardoAGuitar

2 жыл бұрын

Commenting to boost this sentiment.

@mcteith

2 жыл бұрын

Yes!

@musicdev

2 жыл бұрын

Also commenting to boost this sentiment

@cooldebt

2 жыл бұрын

Ooh yes! I only know the music from The Consouls kzread.info/dash/bejne/kZp_qbt_Y7qtYNo.html but a deep theory dive would be great!

@nickwallette6201

2 жыл бұрын

Top 5 desert island game with a top 5 desert island soundtrack.

Man, Zelda does castle music expertly. From Hyrule castle in alttp, to the most modern rendition in botw and even some unrelated ones like Ikana Castle in MM, they always convey that sense of royalty, but also dread and melancholy. This series and its music are great!

We absolutely need a part 2 of this where you explore all the different Hyrule Castle themes and King Hyrule themes and compare them. Kind of a leitmotif analysis between the meaning of some of King Hyrule's motifs in the dark castle themes.

ALttP was my first Zelda game. Still one of my favorites. And the castle’s theme is easily one of my favorite songs on the series. It gave me goosebumps when I heard the theme underlying the encounter with king Rhoam the first time he appears as a spirit in BotW. Nintendo does know how to play with our nostalgia

@Hastrica

2 жыл бұрын

Same here, even more so when he appears in the flashback you find near Zelda's study and is introduced with the first notes from the ALTTP castle theme. That one really made me shiver.

I loved when the castle theme kicked in while playing Twilight Princess, it's such an iconic and powerful theme, it really made it feel way harder than it was. And like, I'm not nostalgic for A Link To The Past or anything, this just goes to show how great this theme actually is!

You uploading the soundtrack is absolutely amazing! Thank you so much for all your hard work. I’m in school for music right now and I can only hope that one day I’ll be able to talk about music with the same passion and cohesion as you.

Why do music analyses move me to tears?

@silphv

Жыл бұрын

Same.

One other thing to note is that the beginning of the A section melody is a leitmotif of (or at least a reference to) the main theme of the Zelda series, just transposed into minor.

One of my favorite Zelda themes, I've always felt it's criminally underrated. Glad to see it getting the respect it deserves!

I always felt that there is some ingenuity in this piece and that it is somewhat underrepresented compared to other Zelda themes. I never realized that it has so many different parts, because all of this structural similarity that you mentioned, but it really carries the dramatic event of being this young man who just lost his father, fighting his way through a massive castle anxious about the great challenges that may lie ahead. Thank you for this detailled analysis!

To me, the low strings in the C Section feels like a call back to the dungeon theme from the Original Zelda. I know it's not 1:1, but the note movement is similar, just more fleshed out.

Great video, thank you! Nothing will ever compare to when I got this game for Christmas as a 7-year old from my Nan. Never heard of it or knew what it was, as soon as I turned it on and was greeted with the intro, the falling rain, and then getting into the castle and hearing the rain still outside... WOW. As a little boy with a big imagination, I was transfixed and mesmerised. I've been a huge fan ever since and LTTP remains my most favourite video game ever.

This score analysis makes me appreciate one of my all time favorite video game tunes so much more. Thanks so much for this.

I have always loved The Hyrule Castle Theme since the first time I heard it when I was a kid back in the 90's. This is one of my top favorite Zelda themes.

I love a KZread channel that both:1. Helps me slightly remember what I learned in music school. 2. Makes me feel smarter

I always love these Zelda music vids!

The Hyrule Castle theme is so iconic to the series and so ominous when approaching Ganon for that final battle. You can hear a semblance of it in the Dark Mountain Forest (what you have titled as Black Mist). Which would make sense as you are nearing Ganon's Tower in the Dark World.

Perhaps the greatest game of all time, and the soundtrack is no small part. Thanks for highlighting it!

Man, having an analysis of the Hyrule Castle theme feels awesome since I know this piece very intimately from playing it on the piano so many times. Thanks for the video, that was awesome!

Thank you for this!! Hyrule Castle was always my #1 favourite Zelda tune and I'm always overjoyed to hear it show up!

Every time I hear the music of any piece, after my first listen, my brain begins to point out these little details in the music. It feels like finding easter eggs in the piece, and shows me just how welll put together a piece is!

Another great video! "April" by Deep Purple seems to be major inspiration for a lot of general Zelda music theory, most noticeably the dungeon theme, but also the main theme

@gilb_4

2 жыл бұрын

The A section, vs Minute 6:24 of April..

I love that in this video, you play the piece/section that you're talking about after speaking about it; I feel like this really cements what you're saying and as some others have said, feels like higher production value. Keep producing wonderful content! Thank you!

This Theme always takes me back to a special place, it makes me feel a way that is hard to recreate from any other piece of music.

The first video game i've ever played was the port of alttp on gba, i was too young to know what to do after escaping the sewers, so to me this theme was very important bc it was pretty much the whole game, it really felt like i was storming a castle at the age of 4

Listening to the song as you discussed the first theme, I realized that it is itself a variation on the main Zelda theme- as if this, the final dungeon of so many Zelda games, is the mirror image of the opening theme; where one represents a hopeful adventure about to begin, the other represents the culmination of all your battles and the frighteningly narrow edge upon which that quest rests. The rhythm of that opening figure of the A theme is similar to the main theme in a grand scheme of shape, and actually identical to the opening figure of some versions of the main theme. The melody begins with that same descending P4, jumping back up to the tonic before beginning a climb upward- except in the Hyrule Castle theme we don’t get the triumphant rise to the dominant, instead the melody falls back in on itself in a slippery enclosure and back to the P4 down idea. It wasn’t immediately recognizable to me but the moment I heard it I couldn’t stop hearing it!!! I think the symbolism makes a lot of sense and it seems obvious in hindsight that that’s what Kondo had in mind. What do you think?

This is my all time favorite song in the Zelda-series! One of the first I learned on piano too. Thanks a lot for an interview analysis, a lot of things I’ve never thought of even though I’ve played a thousand times on the poano. Thank you also for the transcripts of all alttp-songs! They look phenomenal! :)

excellent, please continue this with how this theme evolved through the series!

oh my god. Only 1:40 in and soooo stoked! I have always wanted to do a tango rendition of this song. Could never believe it wasn't used more throughout Zelda games. It's one of my top 5 all time Zelda themes. You sir.... Just thank you.

This analysis is as spectacular as the music itself. I started playing piano five years ago and just last year started studying music theory, and now with the knowledge that I gained and watching your videos I can see how simple pieces like that can be this incredible both melodic and harmonically. I love it.

@cooldebt

2 жыл бұрын

I also find speactacular the VGM covers by The Consouls kzread.info/dash/bejne/iIWiq7SwdbSrgps.html

Koji Kondo's work in the Zelda series is why I think music is so integral to high fantasy worlds. And I simply adore your videos breaking down his work. I'm a longtime amateur musician (I play roughly 5 instruments, although I can only read sheet music for 2 or 3), and while i know a bit about music theory and appreciation it's enough for me to get the most out of these videos even if I couldnt make all this analysis myself. Keep up the awesome work!!

Link to the Past's Hyrule Castle has always been easily one of my favorite songs in all of the Zelda series.

I don’t know much about reading sheet music or making music or music theory but I love watching your videos and for some reason keep coming back to this one!

The LTTP Hyrule Castle theme has always been one of my favorites! Kondo says a lot with this piece of music

I half started learning music theory to suck less at guitar; I also half did it so I could actually understand what you were conveying in your videos!

So I’ve been trying to do a jazz arrangement of Zelda’s Lullaby and I LOVE YOU FOR UPLOADING THAT.

What a fantastic analysis (but are we surprised? you're a superb analyst)! I can't get enough of the koji kondo love fest content. he really is a true master of his craft.

There's such a bombastic movement between the different phrases in this song; it just flows, building tension to the release. Brilliant choice to examine.

I'd love an episode about how Super Mario World reuses the same melody for every single song but makes them so unique you don't really notice it. This channel is awesome. Thanks for the great content!

Oh my gosh I've been saying and feeling this for YEARS, TY for making a video breaking it down

This song is so good. Ironically I was actually trying to play the main melody on the piano this morning because I was bored. I first heard the song in Farewell Hyrule King, and since then I've just adored it. Love hearing it reappear in Zelda games throughout the years. Its uses in Wind Waker are probably my favorites.

@cooldebt

2 жыл бұрын

Same, heard it here from The Consouls kzread.info/dash/bejne/iIWiq7SwdbSrgps.html

A really fun follow up would be a quick examination of some of the rearrangements of this theme throughout the series!

@cooldebt

2 жыл бұрын

Or looking at what The Consouls did with it kzread.info/dash/bejne/iIWiq7SwdbSrgps.html

I love the take on the Hyrule Castle Theme as it was in Wind Waker. I had every intention of mentioning this in the comments section and then I noticed that you had it at the end of the video. Love it.

I totally forgot about this channel! So happy this popped up on the feed. Thank you!

This breakdown was freaking wild. I'm probably going to keep coming back to keep hitting pause to learn how this was all done. Great video.

THANK YOU! I've played the opening of A Link to the Past over and over because this theme is INCREDIBLE. I never understood how it's not given the attention it deserves.

Im in love with hyrule castle theme. Thanks for the video

The rhythm and harmony do more in this song than just about any other video game song I can think of.

That's the best Zelda II description ever. I also never noticed the intro pre-peats the chromatic enclosure thingy.

I was lost immediately as soon as 8bit broke out the music sheets but I'm still here for it. I'll learn something new here, I just might need to listen a few times

Just started watching the video, but I just want to say: I never played a Zelda game for more than a few minutes as a kid, mostly because everything was in English and I didn't know the language at the time, so progress was...hard, but a week ago I decided to play ALTTP and I fell in love, I love it, I am currently missing the last crystal (6/7), so I think I'm near finishing the game, but from the full OST I fell in love (more than with the others) with this track in particular, I felt it was so good that I have been listening to it non stop, lol. I'm glad to find someone who also values this theme, can't wait to see the analysis!

I love that the note hit right as the spinning triforce came together

Man, I just discovered your channel yesterday, but you actually encourage me to learn about music

Loved the split-second Zelda family metaphor explanation!

It’s cool that the leap down of a perfect fourth in the main melody hints at the loz main theme, which also begins with a downward leap of a 4th

My gosh, I love your video game musical analysis videos, like damn. I'm glad you highlighted the musical simplisticity yet sophistication of aLttP's ost, and I'm personally hoping you analyze the Dark World's theme soon. ^^

Another cool thing about the melody at 10:07 is that it very strongly resembles the climactic melodic idea in Prince Igor's aria from the opera Prince Igor by Aleksandr Borodin. They're not exactly the same, of course, but I can't help but hear the resemblance and wonder if Kondo knew that melody going in (not likely, but possible, I think)

@Josh_Fredman

2 жыл бұрын

That's a great catch (IMHO). I just made a comment of my own talking about what I perceive as influences from the great Russian composers, and one of my examples was Borodin's Symphony No. 2 Mvmt. 1-another Borodin composition. I've got no proof of it, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if Kondo was drawing inspiration from that space.

This channel is amazing for transcribing the entire game's soundtrack into high-quality PDFs, and casually linking in the description for free. So much work - I can't believe it's free.

I really appreciate you dropping all of these transcriptions for free! I am practicing my piano and DAW skills so the composing process will go smoother for my upcoming game title. Legend of Zelda has always been my favorite franchise of all time, and a Link to the Past really drove a lot of that love for the music in games! Lets hope I can learn a thing or two by using these as my practice transcripts. Thank you 8-bit Music Theory, and Happy 30th Anniversary LoZ!

OH MY GOD!!! THANK YOU FOR THE TRANSCRIPTIONS!!!! Whag an incredible resource to give for free!!!!!!

A Link to the Past was the first time I subconciously noticed the masterful craftsmanship that went into early videogame music. I can't say in words how much I love you for providing the transcriptions!

You had me at "Hyrule Castle". (Though I don't really understand all the music terms being thrown around, I still enjoying hearing you talk about this stuff.) Or, to put things another way: "I like your funny words -magic- music man.".

Thanks for the transcriptions! That was a really nice present :D

I love your content, man. Not only is it super educational and high quality, it’s also chill enough to relax and fall asleep to. Much love and respect. 🤙

The Castle theme is super underrated. It's one of my favs, thanks for covering it, man!

A link to the past: hyrule castle And Wind Waker: Farewell Hyrule king Are my favs due to the latter being a cooler one but brought me to your channel in the first place since LOZ series music has such interesting themes on how they write their music. Ballad of the a Godess and Zeldas lulaby are another one.

@cooldebt

2 жыл бұрын

You might like the cover of Farewll Hyrule by The Consouls kzread.info/dash/bejne/iIWiq7SwdbSrgps.html

That finally melody before the track repeats is absolutely incredible.

I love the way you presented your discussion in this video. Hearing the topic structure isolated from the rest of the piece first makes it much easier to hear your analysis, and later appreciate it in the context of the whole bar

Thank you very much for the video and also providing the transcriptions!!

You are wonderful and such an asset to our community. Thanks for the transcriptions. Much love! Sincerely, Your favorite USB hub plug :)

I fell in love with the Hyrule Castle outside theme the minute I first heard it while playing

This theme definitely brings back some childhood memories... 🤗

I’m glad this piece got done attention. As a kid I thought this was the most epic adventure starting music.

A link to the past has so many bangers, it's amazing

It’s my second favorite Zelda song, my favourite being Tal Tal Heights. Such masterpieces.

@ccandrew111

2 жыл бұрын

Always loved the tal tal heights theme myself, it’s such an epic song and a great example of what the game boy could achieve with a talented composer

Can I just say as someone who used to study music but has forgot about 97% of it I love watching this sort of stuff.

thank you for the scores and the wonderful analysis of my favorite Zelda game :)

Laughed so hard at the family bit omg

As someone who knows nothing about the inner workings of music, i can happily say that this video taught me that the link to the past castle theme is good

finally a video on this song... it's one of my favorite zelda songs EVER so much so i have it on all of my song playlists LMAO i love when people do orchestral versions of it too! it just sounds really great all around. :)

Listening to this video made me realize the A theme echos the Overworld Theme. Perfect 4th down, back to the starting note, then hints at an upward scale.

Fantastic analysis of one of my fav songs. Thanks also for the score!

I've never played ALTTP, but I did play the game released ten years after that used the same melody, and I got hit with a massive wave of Wind Waker nostalgia watching this video.

I remember the first time getting to Hyrule Castle in WW and recognizing the music. What a fantastic moment.

@cooldebt

2 жыл бұрын

Also fantastic is The Consouls cover of Farewll Hyrule King which references the Castle theme kzread.info/dash/bejne/iIWiq7SwdbSrgps.html

0:59 these are too good lmao