Video Game Music Theory | The Deku Tree Music Analysis

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[DraedenOfficial]

This water temple joke took me off guard ! Great job I love those videos

[daveyc]

that "graze the like button" joke at the end was comedy gold 😂

[brandongentry]

My god. I always came to this song, without hesitation, as one of my favorite pieces to date. And you just made it even more beautiful.

[MsMarcello]

Very interesting analysis. This is the kind of music theory analysis I enjoy <3 Thanks

[MiaMartel]

~3:30 - ~3:47 - I agree with that imagery, & would also have mentioned though that maybe that's in part because it's a rare instance in the piece where the parallel 4ths get a wrench thrown in them for a moment, with one of the lower harmonies initially sorta "drunkenly" stepping up instead of down (and then back down and down and down once again parallel with the melody). I get a sense of unease mixed in with that (end of act 2) 'resolution', and tying it like you say to the reality of the Deku tree's ill health makes a lot of sense.

Great video. Also really liked the talking about the last bar symbolizing the Deku tree dying and passing the torch to the rising Link. Never thought of it that way before.

[wellswells]

YOU ONLY FINISHED TWO!!!??? 😔 Well if you ever decide to get back into analysis videos I will definitely be tuning in

[GUIM]

Yo, this is a great video. Nice job!

I'd like to mention that voice crossing isn't forbidden. It happens a lot in polyphonic music in the 16th Century and Bach even does it regularly. It's just one of those things that are treated as forbidden when students are initially learning to do part writing, sorta like b9s. Except it gets blown up to be forbidden, just like b9s... but neither are.

Regarding that line, it is hip to see that there is a chromatic enclosure. You have it written as "Gb Ab G, " but in regarding the chromatic enclosure it would be viewed as "F# Ab G." It's beat 4 of the second to last measure going into beat one of the final measure. This is also a result of the voices crossing so it's interesting to consider.

Right at beat one of the final measure, we get a diatonic enclosure with "B D C."

It follows the narrative you applied to the piece as well. The Chromatic Enclosure has a tenser sound (such as Deku's death) versus the Diatonic enclosure (Link's rise).

[jonassholmberg]

Great stuff, can't wait to deal with the rest of the soundtrack!

[KevinKaragozianMusic]

Amazing vid, definitely looking forward to more of these!

[LadyPapaMayodora]

Youre analysis is perfectly explained to me. I am so happy i found this. Its like you unlocked the mystery this song held for me for so long. Too bad you dont have an analysis of forest temple music. Kondo is mozart reincarnated

[muragaru]

That's a good deal to unpack for such a short tune. Pretty nifty :D

I am curious to know why Crossing Voices is such a no no, so looks like I have some reading to do! Thanks for sharing!

[AugustBurnsSam]

I have a question. At 1:47, you claim Cmaj7 is the tonic, but there are four flats in the key signature. Why is this? Is this to emphasize C Phrygian's notes being relative to Ab major's?... Or something else? Haha.

[StevenMelin]

Whoops, too late. I already smashed the like button…

[Grayfox]

I'd like to know if the composers have all this in mind when composing or it's just because it sounds good xD