How to Compose Music like Final Fantasy

Have you ever wondered how to compose music in the style of Final Fantasy? Let's dissect composer Nobuo Uematsu's writing style across the first 9 games in the main series and live compose a track using these elements.

#finalfantasy #nobuouematsu #gameaudio

[StevenMelin]

k but for real...Aerith or Aeris!? 🧐 FF7 Remake has me all kinds of confused.

[johnvicaireiii]

Nobuo uematsu has heavily inspired how I write music.

[saged]

I'm a simple woman. I hear FFIX soundtrack, I melt

[roujiteku]

I just find it so inspiring that these 80's and early 90's videogame composers and artists were able to do so much with such limiting and primitive equipment- so it's really useful and helpful to study them as an aspiring creative

That Balamb Garden roll is... and it gets me every time.

[JoeMuntal]

This is the clearest, most practical breakdown of Uematsu's style I've seen on youtube. Thanks so much.

[reptilex]

i found this 4 years later and im learning 😭

[LoneTiger]

Fun fact for those interested.
According to retrospective videos and the like, "The Prelude" from FF 1, which became the signature theme for Final Fantasy, was the last song composed for the game, and it was composed in 10 minutes. It was a rushed job. 😸

[skyhart]

I haven't even played Final Fantasy 7, not the original, nor the remake. But hearing Arieth's theme on piano still sturs up the emotions within me. I don't understand.

[CRiSiS_iNFiNiTE]

it’s crazy cuz just watching this you can understand a lot of choices in the FFXIV collective soundtracks. seems they all got similar ideas/notes from nobuo’s work haha. that song he writes at the end sounds straight out of XIV

[ZebulaJams]

What a wonderful tune you made at the end there. That chromatic element in the melody really sells the individualism. Great work!

[hiiambarney]

7:30 holy shit, he made that all the way back then on the NES Soundchip?, he really used mashed fruits to paint the Mona Lisa on cave walls

[chimpmonk]

I don't know anything about music, i just wanted to see how Nobuo Uematsu would've started making music and you've given me a great idea of that, thank you, you did amazing

[Radical_Dreamers]

The final result definitely sounds like something from FF ! Though I think Uematsu goes a bit further than that : I think he really focuses on what feelings the song must convey and making it suit the tone of the story. It has a subtlety to it, it doesn't just shove sad piano in your face. To think he knows nothing about music theory...

[HappyHeart]

As a game dev myself, I oughta learn how to emulate Uematsu and work on arpeggios, ostinatos and the like. Your video seriously helps me with my RPG project. I'll be watching this more than once.

[mavince]

I couldn't help but hear bits of Rydia, along with pieces of Cyan, and flourishes of Aria/Aerith. Awesome composition, like taking a sip of good wine. Not sure how direct those influences are, but definitely captured the Uematsu sound!

[midnightslider]

Another thing he seems to like melodically is using the Lydian mode, where essentially the 4th note of the major scale is sharpened. He used it a lot in FF8, including in the Balamb Garden theme which was mentioned here.

[azaratowcanica]

Im sorry.. but this deserve proabably another 500k more likes AT LEAST!!

[maxchapuis]

Thanks a lot, man ! I was just trying to search "nobuo uematsu composing" on YouTube and found your video. I repeated what you're talking about on my piano, and try to keep these chords progressions in my brain. I also almost shed a tear when you had shown the scene of Aerith being murdered. What a piece of art is this game...

[michaelysmaelfernandez]

dude, I did'nt skip your 31mins video. I was really inspired, you really gave me ideas. I'm a game developer and I also plan to compose music that is as good as the music in ff, I will use it in my future games.