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The music of the Zelda series is some of the most memorable and influential in video games. And in some of the games it even has a prominent role, being incorporated into the gameplay and as part of a cohesive narrative. This is the reason why i wanted to see how it is made and the cultural and game design influences that go into it. This is why I was happy to learn that the actual music from the games made during the Nintendo 64 era (and even beyond!) lives inside the games' ROM files and code. After playing around a with some tools, I managed to get the original music files used. Everything is there, from the instruments used to the instructions on how they should be played, and the note sequences. Now we can get almost perfect reproductions of the music as standard music files. Thus, i decided to do a throughout analysis of the music and get as in-depth as possible into how it is made and what went into the compositions and sound design. For the moment, i just finished the analysis of the two games of the Nintendo 64 era; with the resources, it was easy to make music visualization videos where you can see the exact notes played and all the instrument that go into each of the tracks. you can also check out additional media that helps to point out some aspects of the music. Here is a full playlist with each entry and the analysis; my wish is also to get more contributions and comments about each piece in order to get a complete understanding of the music, along with your thoughts on the tracks: Playlist I hope this will be great to gain more appreciation for the music and a valuable resource for musicians and audio enthusiasts. An extensive investigation went into the music and I’m sure you will find lots of interesting info, specially of you are interested in media composition and how, with limited resources, the composers of the era managed to create the music in older system. I also want to continue with the project and perhaps start incorporating different games and consoles in order to create video game music encyclopedia that can become a good reference for music enthusiasts. There are other classic Nintendo games already in there so if you have other soundtracks where you would like a similar treatment please let me know. The original intention was to do the project in an even more interactive way, something where you can click on the particular set of instruments you want to hear at a time, but I have not found anything out there that can do that. If any of you know some way to do it I would be glad to know. Something like this: https://streamable.com/x73wbt In any case, a lot of care was put into the making of these games and it shows in the music. so i hope you find it interesting. Please tell me what you think and you can ask me any questions about the soundtracks or how video game music was made, I am going to try to dig a little more info. There are interesting tidbits like some of the equipment the composers used and even where they specifically got some of the sounds and inspirations” For example, for Goron City: https://youtu.be/9U2vpsgvdx0?t=103

Another tune I made with the Sonar 8.5 piano roll and some older samples. I’m kinda behind the times. I don’t know how the levels come across on anything other than my TV speakers and my flat response studio headphones so if anyone can comment on the EQ and or anything else it would be much appreciated. Enjoy! -Rick

Just a little instrumental I composed. Made it with Sonar 8.5 in the piano roll using various older sample libraries. Every note was entered using my mouse. I didn’t use a piano keyboard controller, only my mouse. And I also didn’t use any pre-made loops. If you would like to comment on it I am most interested in how the overall mix comes across on your end. I use headphones to mix (I know that is not advisable) but it’s the system I have. So if you notice any cringy things in the mix I would appreciate your feedback. Thanks and enjoy! -Rick

There is one of my work, a special combination of classic and more elements in one song

A year ago, I arranged the Divine Beast Vah Ruta battle theme from Zelda: Breath of the Wild for piano, by ear. This was my first major arrangement of a piece for piano. Here is the original: And here's my arrangement of the theme: And here's the score (yes, I know that some parts need to be moved around; this is not the final version of the sheet music): Copy of Zelda Breath of the Wild_ Divine Beast Vah Ruta.pdf I know the chords aren't exactly the same --- this was intentional, as I preferred certain chord progressions to the ones chosen by the original composer (like in measures 18-19). The feedback I've gotten so far is basically that the harmonies and arpeggios sound pleasant, but that it would be difficult (if not impossible) to play using two hands. I tried playing it on my keyboard, and yeah, I can attest to that. I'm also aware that the dynamics are kinda weird; I tried to do the best I could to get it to sound the way it sounded in my head. Does anyone have advice on how to make this more playable? Because I don't exactly want to get rid of any of the extra embellishments I added. Should I make it even more complex and make it for four hands, or remove parts to make it for two hands?

Hi Young Composers, In my latest article, I discussed about why most modern game soundtracks are boring and lifeless and how to remedy it. And this has actually very little to do with composer's technical skill as most would think. Take a read and see if it make sense, or if you have encountered circumstances as discussed in the article. Also, it'll be helpful if composers(you guys!) in this forum can have a discussion if you agree with me or not. :) https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-most-modern-game-soundtracks-lifeless-marvel-symphonic-yoa/ Being an experienced composer/audio specialist for visual media with over 10+ years of experience and have worked on projects with over $85 million in the box office and multiple other award winning projects. I've worked with all kinds of people - both high and low, nice people and assholes. Through my personal experience, I know what's truly plaguing the industry and am offering my insights of how to improve it for the benefit of the community. Thanks and if you find this article helpful, do give it a like and share it to others :) -Kian Music Composer | Visual Media Audio Specialist www.kianhow.com

I'm working on making a video game from scratch, about a lost puppy. I actually wrote this piece on the guitar years ago with that idea in mind, because of a comment from a friend, and I wanted to capture the fear and excitement of a dog exploring a big scary world. Not sure if I achieved that, but this would only be one track from the game, with others to explore that idea further. I've been told I should just record it on the guitar, since it sounds great that way, and a lot of things may not translate well, but I wanted to experiment first with a sort of 16-bit sound (like Super Mario World or any other SNES game). I've found a decent library of Soundfonts, and I thought I'd give it a try. A lot of the strumming sections turned into Street-Fighter-esque machine gun sprays of notes, whcih I find pretty comical, but I feel like my ear isn't objective since I've been playing this on the guitar for so long. LINK: http://www.youngcomposers.com/music/listen/6443/Lost%20Puppy%20Theme (or see attachment) I need to fiddle with the volumes, I apologize if some sections sound piercing at the moment. Anyway, I would LOVE some feedback and advice! The song is designed to repeat (the transition back to the beginning needs to be a little less abrupt), and I've broken it down into 5 short sections: INTRO > ARPEGGIO > FEAR > RISE > MAIN THEME >> I'm proudest of how the main theme turned out. I can picture a puppy frolicking through a field. :) I would also love to change up the instrumentation, right now it's a chippy guitar for everything, but I can totally hear some viola & cello swells, especially in the main theme. Any advice would be wonderfully appreciated! Thanks so much for your time. lost_puppy1.mp3