Gusty Garden Galaxy's Perfect Melody

[@KMArrangements]

This piece and Rosalina's Observatory Waltz are simply one of the best pieces I have ever listened to in any mario game.

[@PrankOrigami]

Best pieces i have ever listened to, period.

[@Brunosky_Inc]

In a way the fact that the power these themes have did not quite carry over to Mario Galaxy 2 is an effective analogy to how Mario Galaxy 2, while probably being even better than 1 in the gameplay department, lost some of the magic and wonder Galaxy 1 had, visible in stuff like the change from the dream-like Comet Observatory to the smaller and more generic feeling faceship with its clear garden theme and generic world (or galaxy) map.

[@CelloGamerMatt]

For me it’s Super Paper Mario’s credits theme

[@shattermelon496]

@@CelloGamerMatt oooh, that's a good one.

[@pointlesschannel4028]

I agree but listen to Mount Wario. That electric guitar and sax solo is golden.

[@simeonrice6047]

Basically, we peaked as a species with this melody.

[@ello-olle]

Foxtrot Mulder game*

[@badaboom6089]

Nobody will ever surpass this achievement

[@JTheMelon]

So that means we're going downhill now?

[@northpenguins]

@@JTheMelon Yes it does.

[@blarneystone38]

With the game, really

[@wernerzieglerrrrrr4574]

Why does Schoenberg sound like the caterpillar from a Bug's Life

[@pogchamp7983]

Das ist gut ja?

[@jaredkhan8743]

Mert-Han H TRUU

[@dersps5905]

I found he sounded like granny from Celeste

[@grt002]

Because he wrote ugly polytonal expressionist music

[@ryancarroll1697]

Das ist goot?

[@OfficialMaxBox]

After countless times listening to this piece, I /still/ get goosebumps hearing the climax. Fantastic video.

[@onebulbyboi7499]

Max Box you’re alive?!

[@OmarGarcia-zx2yl]

Max hows your break bud

[@mugflub]

It really is incredible. Not an exaggeration to call it a perfect melody.

[@LEGOVE7]

Does anyone know what the music is thats playing at the end of the video???!!

[@HowluxDBS]

dunno why but 666 likes lol

[@jacobhayes3385]

So glad this iconic theme made it into the movie’s soundtrack

[@peterrealar2.067]

Why WOULDN'T it? It's become one of the most iconic Mario themes EVER for a reason.

[@peterrealar2.067]

@@2038Ounnak What other movie is there that this piece would appear in??

[@AndreiLigettiMarquez]

Duuuuuude, i hate you, huuuge spoiler!

[@peterrealar2.067]

@@AndreiLigettiMarquez Dude, the end theme has been out for weeks now.

[@Technotoadnotafrog]

shame it was only in the credits

[@happycamperds9917]

8-Bit Music Theory: “Listen to the melody.” My brain: “Ah yes, enslaved baseline.”

[@TheRealRidley12]

Lol

[@tritonhill9684]

😂

[@michaeldanielson6206]

My brain too lol

[@bluxpretion]

😅😅

[@gustygateway2280]

ya, Mario galaxy honestly does that a lot

[@supahstarclod]

The title sounds like it could be the name of a collectible star in the game. Love the analysis!

[@jacketofdiamonds]

More like a moon in Odyssey, since those can actually be collected from musical notes :P

[@bonniejunk]

@@jacketofdiamonds why the :P

[@KevSB07]

@@jacketofdiamonds The musical notes were in Galaxy, too :P

[@jacketofdiamonds]

@@KevSB07 Yeah, but they only ever really gave you 1ups or whatever iirc

[@BlueCollaredK9]

@@jacketofdiamonds apparently someone has not played Galaxy :p On a serious NOTE (im not sorry): If you haven't played it seriously do so. 100% great game 10/10 "too much space" IGN

[@andrewfortmusic]

Are you going to address the "Rosalina's Observatory" music? That's actually my favorite in the entire game! It brings so much nostalgia to me, making me remember all the time I spent exploring, talking to all the lumas, looking at the different areas... Beautiful. The Storybook music does that to me too.

[@TheRealRidley12]

Yes, please! That's one of my favorite themes from SMG!

[@MrShudderrr]

Andrew / Obsolesce the observatory has the most underrated music in the game. It’s so incredibly gorgeous and freeing.

[@PianistTanooki]

I’d love a look at that one! Comet Observatory was one of the only ones in the game written by Koji Kondo.

[@meep7895]

I love that song so much that I learned to whistle it from memory and just whistle it to my birds before putting them to sleep every night

[@kuyaleinad4195]

It’s pretty cool how the theme also layers as you open up more of the observatory :) Really nails the fact that so much has been taken off when you compare it to the initial version of the theme. I’ve learned to play it in the piano and everyone enjoys the piece not knowing it came from a humble mario game :P It brings be so much nostalgia when I play the song...

[@Dac_vak]

I always knew Gusty Gardens was the GOAT, but I never knew why. And NOW I do. 😤

[@cozyfoxtrot5095]

Game Of All Time? or something else? was

[@TaveZgg]

@@cozyfoxtrot5095 GOAT is an acronym for Greatest Of All Time

[@KubickQ]

MCVictorious actually it’s Grind Optimize Automate Thrive

[@duncan1887]

BeanSuop 8te you dropped this, my good sir: 👑

[@tjhooker824]

Gusty garden is a goat with no question

[@ErikCPianoman]

The Schoenberg impressing had me in stitches 🤣.

[@sonicthehedgegod]

music’s werner herzog

[@607]

Why? I didn't get it. I noticed the 'German accent', but why so sophisticated and whiney?

[@RookieGoBoom]

Schønberg

[@Ryan_gogaku]

@@607 If you read the music theory papers and contemporary music critiques of Schoenberg (spelled in his native German), or listen to his music, you'll see that it's all very dense, academic, and abstract. He pioneered many completely new techniques--for example, "Sprechstimme" and 12-tone music were both pioneered by Schoenberg in the early 1900s--but they are so esoteric and novel that they still sound incomprehensibly 'modern' and 'foreign' to many classically trained musicians today. To me, the impression was spot on. :)

[@Galaxia_EX]

@@607 Well, we actually had to read an excerpt from one of Schoenberg's books for Music History, and funnily enough, he _is_ very whiny. He also has somewhat of an elitist attitude about his music vs the classical canon. So this impression sums him up pretty well I'd say.

[@johnnymind4151]

I think the difference between Gusty Garden and Sky Station/Cloudy Court is quite indicative of the difference between the first and the second Super Mario Galaxy: one wants to tell an epic space adventure and story, the second is more quick, simple fun around the space.

[@Brunosky_Inc]

I agree. While the second game probably has the best gameplay out of the two, it unfortunately lost the feeling of magic and wonder the first one had.

[@zep4814]

In the production of the first game, the entire Nintendo composition team was involved, most notably Koji Kondo, who rejected the entire first attempt by Mahito Yokota at the soundtrack, saying that it was cute, but Mario was never supposed to be cute. Mario was cool, and so should it's music be. For the second game the composers were given less time, and so lost the magic.

[@bubby-fi9mc]

I actually can see where this is coming from, both manage to have very great soundtracks despite having very different styles.

[@bubby-fi9mc]

@@zep4814 I wouldn't say the second game lost the "magic", it's just not designed to sound like an epic, but rather like a simple and easy to digest tale.

[@Cream147player]

There is also one other crucial difference for Sky Station. Gusty Garden is about halfway through your Galaxy adventure, whereas Sky Station is the very first level of Galaxy 2. So Sky Station has more of a sound of "your adventure is just beginning" whereas Gusty Garden is saying "This is the pinnacle of your adventure right here".

[@xenon5473]

Right when it first came in around the 1:00 mark, I had the biggest wave of chills roll over my entire body. I've never experienced anything like that before. What an amazing piece.

[@Tulip_bip]

i heard it for the first time in 2007 and it never stops giving me chills

[@StarmanSuper00]

14:40 I was thrilled to hear you express this exact sentiment. I find this compositional/rhythmic pattern so distinctive that I actually refer to it as "limerick form". Other examples that come to mind are Violet/Olivine City from Pokemon Gold/Silver, Bianco Hills from Super Mario Sunshine, and the opening of Mozart's Oboe Quartet in F, K. 370. The technique isn't always as unmistakable as in Gusty Garden's melody, but I definitely think it's a common category.

[@xXpuddleduckXx]

I just noticed that the Comet Observatory also has a similar structure. So cool, I never noticed stuff like this before!

[@sahmadmoore7282]

I just want to say how impressed I am at the fact that the song was playing in the background the entire time he was talking about it then transitioned perfectly into the foreground at 18:12

[@openyourbank9426]

Yes indeed

[@liraco_mx]

Dat editing 👌

[@grantbwilson]

When he FINALLY let it play, I melted

[@budlombardi8893]

Now whenever someone tells me Super Mario Galaxy DOESN'T have the best soundtrack in the series, I can show them this and they'll GO TO JAIL

[@wariolandgoldpiramid]

What would you say to somebody who played the whole game without audio?

[@sirensongss]

@@wariolandgoldpiramid play it again

[@alexandermarc5641]

How do I save a comment?

[@NeverduskX]

I definitely have the most attachment to Sunshine's music - but I can't deny Galaxy 1 blew me away.

[@mr.c9382]

Nah, Mario 3 still has the best songs.

[@ErikCPianoman]

10:04 I’d argue Fluffy Bluff Galaxy BGM was more of a spiritual successor to the Gusty Garden theme imho. Also thx for making these quality analysis videos on these beloved themes. I’ve shared more than a few with some of my students who are just getting into music analysis and composition. Edit: well it looks like you covered Cloudy Courts music as well. That’ll teach me to comment before a video is over. 😅

[@iceddingle8400]

I love your vids man

[@Albert_Pecanio]

How did you find Fluffy bluff as a better spiritual successor? I think that fits more if you were comparing gameplay of both galaxies

[@noahlobue472]

@@Albert_Pecanio fluffy bluff has a similar climax to gusty garden, while sky station doesn’t get as hype in the climax as gusty garden. Sky station music is definitely more akin to good egg, which is fitting because those are both the first galaxies you visit in each game

[@Albert_Pecanio]

@@noahlobue472 i think cloudy court's climax is actually pretty short compared to gusty's which is why i said that. otherwise I can understand a bit

[@christianlund2925]

On the subject of mario galaxy, one of my favorite aspects of this game's soundtrack is the 5-1-5-#4-2-3 heard in the in the main theme of the game. It's first use in the series either comes from the 1-up sound effect, or the SNES rainbow road theme, but EITHER WAY it's usage in galaxy is crazy cool. It's played when you get a star, use the fire/ice flower, or red power star. The theme also subtly changes in galaxy themes as well, two of my favorite examples are the space junk galaxy theme, with the motif keeping its 5 to #4 lydian sound, then resolving on the 3rd, as well as melty monster galaxy theme, where the B section has the same 5-1-5-#4 melody. I realize this has VERY little to do with gusty garden galaxy but this soundtrack is just too cool.

[@pktsundere]

you can hear it in bowser's theme in earlier games - the A D A G# in bowser's theme from mario 64 resembles the 5-1-5-#4 in galaxy. not sure if intentional but I found it pretty cool

[@briangeer1024]

5-1-5 is in a lot of rainbow roads and apparently some other space travel stuff. There was a comment on the rainbow road video that explained this.

[@Pkmn20]

incidentally, the lydian melody from the main theme bears heavy resemblance to Korngold's Violin Concerto 3rd movt see: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a5ukmKOAf6eEhdU and especially this part: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a5ukmKOAf6eEhdU

[@kaptenteo]

18:25 This is also used in Mario Kart 8's Cloudtop Cruise, and the first time I heard it, I popped with excitement.

[@maxspecs]

With dynamic music, no less, shifting the melody to a darker tone while in the thundercloud portion of the course.

[@Moonboy65]

@@maxspecs the thundercloud portion of Cloudtop Cruise basically switches to all out guitars and i love it

[@Albert_Pecanio]

yeah, but at this point it's pretty much in every mario game in some remixed form or another

[@Moonboy65]

@@Albert_Pecanio true

[@cheddarsunchipsyes8144]

@@Albert_Pecanio true

[@fakeronjan]

A breathtaking review of a breathtaking piece of art. You've captured every reason that this one sticks with me years later. The soaring climax matches perfectly with the floating level mechanics in a way that still makes me feel like I'm flying whenever I hear it.

[@jgcodes2020]

There once was a plumber in red "My princess was kidnapped!" he said Found, after much hassle, "She's not in this castle" He left to race go-karts instead - 8-bit Music Theory, 2020

[@SwoleTommyPickles]

This comment section is dealing actual damage to me. Nobody’s acknowledging how amazing Good Egg Galaxy is

[@terranosuchus]

It's good but nowhere near the level of Gusty Garden

[@fakename6498]

I almost don't like gusty garden due to the fact that so many people claim it's unequivocally the best song while overlooking the other stellar songs in the soundtrack

[@dannyrambles]

@@fakename6498 gusty garden is probably the best but my favorite is Melty Molten.

[@noahtuneslaunchpad678]

@@dannyrambles Yessss that song is hype.

[@reillywalker195]

The Good Egg theme really gave me the feeling that I was lost on a lonely, heroic adventure through space. The Gusty Garden theme felt epic and confidence inspiring. Both hold a special place in my heart.

[@jordandavis1038]

As an aspiring music writer myself, I constantly find myself coming back to Super Mario Galaxy (and Galaxy 2) for inspiration. I love what you said about the music’s language, the conversation it has with itself, because that’s one thing I struggle with most when writing melodies. I can come up with short, catchy little phrases, but tying all those phrases into one cohesive piece is the biggest challenge for me. This is what Galaxy’s music does so well. There’s order, there’s interest curve with rising and falling action, and there’s a perfect blend of repetition and new ideas to keep it all comprehensive and interesting for the listener’s ear. All of this achieves a melody that not only makes sense, but also is fun to listen to over and over again! I love that about this game’s music, and it’s the kind of stuff I try to incorporate into my songs as well. Great vid as always, 8 Bit! :)

[@matesafranka6110]

Also, that limerick is alone worth the watch.

[@mothslug4387]

i turned myself into a lime

[@sanarek188]

neither of you are worthy of experiencing gusty garden galaxy's sublime composition. begone, sinners

[@santumChannelYes]

@@sanarek188 come on, i bet it was the funniest shit you've ever seen

[@farmvilleawesome]

@@santumChannelYes so there was this scientist right?

[@DeadwingDork]

I just wanted to thank you for your vids. I don't know much music theory but some of the ideas you've mentioned (like the quick musical "statement" or "thesis" in the beginning of a lot of Mario songs) really helped me with my own compositions. You make MT fun!

[@cloudlaw7979]

how do you compose with out knowing music theory? just curious

[@k_d742]

@@cloudlaw7979 For me, its like trail and error, seeing what works and what doesn't

[@maxalaintwo3578]

@@k_d742 how do you know what works and what doesn't? Your gut feeling? I mean that's totally acceptable nothing's wrong with that, but what's your metric if not scholastic theory?

[@k_d742]

@@maxalaintwo3578 I guess in a way yeah, it's like a gut feeling. And while watching vids like this talking about what makes a song sound good kinda makes me think whenever I'm just listening to music. I'm always listening to music, so I like to try and figure out what about a song I like so much. I haven't made any music lately, but I've made quite a bit of songs before, only a few I still listen to and enjoy.

[@ooofritada8103]

Hey Claw

[@mkselite7461]

Best soundtrack from any game EVER

[@mkselite7461]

Do Majora's mask next!!!

[@makesomething4093]

MKS ELITE I think Final Fantasy VII is emotionally and narratively perfect. I can’t say anything tops it in quality as well as variation and quantity.

[@adamushu]

That belongs to Ori and the blind forest, or Journey to me

[@harrylane4]

@SleepyWolf more like small disagree. This one is up there

[@harrylane4]

@@makesomething4093 everything Uematsu writes is gold. Easily one of the most talented composers in gaming, if not all of modern pop culture

[@Squabbles64]

I thought this song was overhyped(Although understandably) for the longest time, but after watching this video I have a newfound appreciation for the piece and all the techniques it masters so perfectly. Another great video! Keep them coming!

[@anna.reyess]

ahh i played rosalina's observatory for my a-level music exam performance, it's one of my all time favourite pieces

[@MisterAppleEsq]

Oh that's so cool! I just played classical stuff.

[@anna.reyess]

@@MisterAppleEsq yeah i love playing waltz pieces and I love video games so I thought it was the perfect piece! but classical pieces are still really nice :)

[@frenchfreys]

I also played that piece on piano! I really enjoyed it

[@anna.reyess]

@@frenchfreys yes it's so nice! hehe

[@billny33]

Whenever I would hear it while playing the game I always thought it sounded like a piece from Beauty and the Beast. That whole "come enjoy the warmth of our enchanted castle. Isn't everything so warm and nice and cultured? Let's dress up fancy and nice and do a carefully coordinated classical dance with our partners while expensive paintings and furniture litter the background. So I used that kind of stereotyping to dismiss it a little bit. But then it grew on me the longer I played it. It really did make the game feel warm and cozy no matter how ironically I tried to frame it. It really did foster this very real emotional attachment I had to this game. In the related videos it even has "The Mario That Dared To Be More" and I couldn't agree more. This game had the biggest heart and made real efforts to get you to care about its characters and story beyond some light comic relief and the usual Mario branding. It had a significant story to tell with smaller nested narratives of significance within the main story. There was more to it than just a set of cool levels and a hub world joining them.

[@caviicape]

i’m at the point where the first second of this track actually brings tears to my eyes

[@AdamPianodude]

8-bit's impression of Schoenberg wasn't something that I thought I wanted, but now I realise... it was something I needed

[@mostlyokay]

Personally I found it a bit jarring, it took me out of the video for a bit

[@emerald6597]

@@mostlyokay very annoying tbh, similar issue to the snot nose kid in the dark souls video. humor is fine but this kind of thing is just obnoxious

[@mjkleiman]

To me, it sounded like an intentional mockery of the accent. Not a fan

[@the_most_ever_company]

8 bit can't handle Schoenberg, he cries like a weak baby when confronted with real music

[@boynamedcate]

Wasn't really close, though. Schönberg had a thick Viennese accent, not a generic, snooty, German one.

[@Loogaroo1]

The melody is great, but THOSE CHORDS are what really tell the story.

[@letimo6721]

Spicy chords! ;)

[@rorycannon7295]

ur either chord gang or melody gang, there is no in between

[@ianmoore5502]

@@rorycannon7295 as a representative of chord gang, im sure i speak for all of us when i say the chords are just as perfect here as the melody. No complaints.

[@letimo6721]

@@ianmoore5502 True! :)

[@oldbird4601]

I think lame chord progressions kill a piece but lame melodies don’t kill a piece they just make it worse. You can’t make a masterpiece without a great melody but you can make a pretty interesting musical idea with just harmony.

[@tacocatyay8740]

Okay, this is an amazing explanation, I’ve always loved this song, and these techniques are now in my pockets when composing, since my weak point is the melody.

[@Andrew-qu7lq]

I still have a vivid memory of that C section hitting hard and just thinking "wtf, this is amazing!" stopping Mario to listen to the entire piece over again. I was an adult when this came out, and it still was just such a noticeably wonderful piece of music.

[@hamman91]

Melody is such a huge thing I consistently have trouble with. Thank you for making this video, and with such a beautiful piece too.

[@YoutubePizzer]

I thought I didn’t like your example of more variation in the sky station melody until I realised I still remembered how it went on rewatch

[@JosepiThe13th]

Finally, a video about my favorite Mario game and favorite gaming soundtrack of them all. I would love to see more Mario Galaxy related videos in the future :)

[@KingMe-qz2hr]

I got goosebumps when the C theme played. It’s just so incredibly good

[@mugflub]

So good.

[@KairuHakubi]

aaa so weird hearing someone acknowledge how music can just sound like language

[@dizzydaisy909]

Music basically is its own language tbh

[@Clara-anise]

I highly recommend you check out Leonard Bernstein's "The Unanswered Question" lectures. The similarities and differences between music and language are a central idea of it

[@KairuHakubi]

it's certainly always felt like it to me, but that's always felt weird to explain.

[@CaptainSunFlare]

Adam Neely talks about this idea a lot

[@takemetoyonk]

@@KairuHakubi my favorite songs sound like someone really casually talking or complaining. Do you have a preferred "tone?"

[@matheuscastello6554]

8-bit music theory videos make me very happy, anything super mario galaxy related also makes me very very happy, combine the two together and you have probably one of my favorite videos of all time :)) thanks as always for this awesome content

[@jblen]

I've been getting really into the smg music recently. Cosmic cove is incredibly underrated but really holds its own against the greats like this piece and buoy buoy base

[@sanstheskeleton4525]

I think freezy flake galaxy theme is underrated too. I like cosmic cove about the same as it, but for different reasons.

[@tunestar]

Very good analysis video, I loved this topic much more than recently others.

[@oliviapg]

One of Nintendo's greatest and most iconic pieces of music ever. I don't know if I'd consider SMG my favorite Mario game but it easily has my favorite soundtrack out of all of them.

[@mauroramondo5855]

I feel like mario has this thing were you can tell which games are good but you can't tell which one's better I love galaxy and galaxy 2 But then i remember how much fun i had with nsmb wii But then i remember the awesome movement from 64 And it just goes on

[@zachrox9]

The music in this game is just unmatched. Every time I hear any bit of a song it reminds me of my childhood. Best video game music ever imo

[@danielbazin242]

We did it, boys, we got 8BMT to do the coldest musical take imaginable!

[@TheSchaef47]

3:30 the third bar is also an inverse of the first bar rhythmically: a held note followed by movement on three last three eighths, replaced with a suspended tone for (effectively) three eighths followed by a held resolution.

[@briangeer1024]

The limerick analogy is amazing.

[@mrcorn55]

I'm so glad that people are still making videos on Super Mario Galaxy. It's my favorite video game of all time, and my favorite game OST too. Thank you, 8-bit Music Theory. (+1 sub to you, good sir)

[@exister6652]

I saw this and instantly clicked. Thank you so much for covering this game and especially this song!

[@Oneofone77]

This piece has brought so much happiness to me as a kid - and continuing through my adulthood, it’s very much done the same. After studying music for a bit in high school it’s nice to be able to understand through your explanation why this piece of music has brought me and my friends together so much. Thanks. :) This video made me happy.

[@miniaturedolphin3721]

As someone who can’t read music I still find this very interesting Your able to find a way to explain the music to everyone in a way that makes perfect sense

[@richardgurney1844]

I did Music at school for GCSE and my first year of A-Levels - and i have learnt more about writing melodies in this 20 minute video than i ever did at school! Thank you so much :)

[@heavygtrst]

Can't believe Schoenberg recorded his own audiobook

[@jamreviews9547]

The c section brass always gives me chills every single time I hear it. What a great piece.

[@wgelid670]

It's fantastic how knowing all this actually makes this song even better, if that were possible. Great video!

[@PianistTanooki]

Fun fact: Koji Kondo discarded about 20 tracks Mahito Yokota had written for this game during development. Yokota thought Mario games were just simple kids games and gave them a sort of lighthearted Latin/Pop feel, and Kondo basically said, “Mario is not cute, Mario is cool.” Gusty Garden was the first new composition that Yokota wrote with the idea that Mario was “cool,” not “cute.”

[@OddMeterMusic]

This video is inspiring me to write my own music imitating Mario music. I love this stuff and I want to write music for video games on day.

[@gabe1274]

I feel floaty when listening to Gusty Garden. It melts my ears.

[@peterjohnstone8814]

18:56 It's not just a part of Galaxy 2's main theme, the c section also appears in the main theme of this game.

[@Albert_Pecanio]

it also appears in 1/4 of the entire 2nd game's soundtrack

[@woomy8971]

i love your channel but you are destined to be a schoenberg impressionist. you know it in your heart.

[@spunky1968]

2 ideas. 1. Koopa’s Road. I love it. 2. Endless staircase. How did they make it seem to go up forever when it doesn’t.

[@photon_break]

I know this comment is old but if you still don't know the answer to number 2, then look up what a shepherd tone is. They use an audio illusion to make it seem like it's constantly rising in pitch when, you are right, it is not

[@YingwuUsagiri]

Only thing I'd say about Gusty Garden that isn't so spectaculair is the 'limmerick' structure which 8-bit mentioned. Mario music uses the 4-bar question, 4-bar answer, 2-bar / 2-bar acceleration and then 4-bar transition soooooo often that hearing a song go back to that structure is kinda like ugh, again...

[@RedheadButNotReally]

2:00 I appreciate the attempt, I really do but don't do that again. xD

[@snailofkale]

You don’t even need to click the timestamp to know what you’re talking about

[@lejoueurfreetoplay]

He sounds like he's about to cry💀

[@fredhollows3180]

Thank you, I’ve been waiting for this for so long. :)

[@DaniPooo]

The second section hits me every time, it's perfect. I am actually tearing up. I know, it's weird.. Well this song is a masterpiece in my opinion.

[@vaguelydeltarunethemedsocks]

I never would have thought to make the comparison at 14:04 and it made me smile. Amazing video!!!

[@bengajupite]

I've always loved Gusty Garden Galaxy's theme but I've never really utilized any of the compositional techniques in it for my own music - at least not consciously. I'll definitely try to do it for something in the future.

[@RohanMaratherofl]

This video says so many things that I have failed to articulate in my mind for years. Brilliant.

[@Frederatormusic]

16:30 just to be picky, the Accompaniment Rhythm also happens at the Gm7 and Dbdim7 bar (you stuck an extra G 8th note after the A), so he didn't completely pull this out his butt!

[@graycampbellcomposition]

8Bit I want to thank you so much for this channel. When I was a junior in high school I was taking ap music theory and the teacher didn’t have time to create lessons for us because of all of his other duties so I learned everything from your channel and I was able to make the highest possible score on the ap test. And as a freshman in college studying composition it’s still enormously helpful. I love this channel dude please keep going.

[@devinthebrownie]

Gusty Garden Galaxy a perfect melody? INSTANT LIKE!!!

[@besjen]

I just want to say that this video essay was beautifully written. Especially at the end where your points perfectly build up to the climax of the song, further emphasising the climax. Well done!

[@selfloathinggameing]

This video could have easily been called “Variation and Repetition in Gusty Garden Galaxy,” similar to how other 8BMT videos are titled, but, no- this is the *Perfect Melody* and needs no more explanation.

[@dylanlee777]

This is the first 8-bit Music Theory video I watch coming from searching Gusty Garden Galaxy. Immediately subscribed after watching every single minute. Beautiful balance between music theory and application, cross referencing and comparison different pieces (requires research and knowledge) for better understanding. Accurately timed purple marks (even with marker sound effect) on every single point that needs attention. The level of detail behind this video is incredible. Big thumbs up man. Keep up the excellent work.

[@torikenyon]

I think Cloudy Court is underrated. Although it uses little repetition, I think it actually uses this lack of repetition brilliantly. It’s probably my favorite melody from the entire SMG franchise, because in my ears it somehow manages to sound natural and flowing while varying a lot. It’s something I strive to achieve in my own music a lot.

[@djhemm5278]

Watching this at my summer work as a woodwind technician when my coworker Lauren recognized your channel and informed me your a good friend of hers which I was blown away by 🤣 love your works! I'm actually using your 7 levels of harmonization video to inspire my Clarinet choir arrangement of Midnas Lament im working on.

[@Richard_Nickerson]

I was always keen to Purple Comet. That melody gets used in a lot of variation throughout the game and I can't help but sing along. Edit: Oh that's the C section melody! Haha so, basically I've agreed with this video since the game first came out.

[@nathanielberger1595]

The way you dissect this melody is exactly what i needed a few years ago in music theory class. Learning so much better off you than my teachers!

[@joshuabang1437]

Throughout your videos i keep thinking “ok that makes lots of sense” and “what the fluff is happening” but like at the same time

[@williamsanborn9195]

I was wondering why Super Mario Galaxy 2's soundtrack couldn't grab me as well as Super Mario Galaxy's. Your comparison between Gusty Garden and Sky Station helped me out a whole lot! Thank you so much! That question has been stuck in my head for YEARS! Keep up the great work, friend!

[@willdamron6299]

Kirby's Epic Yarn would be a perfect game to look at the music of!

[@zugrath16]

That analogy with musical phrasing and limericks actually blew my mind a little. I think this might be my new favourite video from 8BMT. Really good stuff!

[@freddiev9932]

some of the best video game music ever written comes from those 2 games. flawless composition and orchestration. so magical. not to mention the games they accompany are also phenomenal!

[@Ptatoo]

I have waited waaaay too long for this video. Does not disappoint. Great work!

[@LoverofLiszt]

18:12 - 🎵 "Go west! Life is peaceful there..." 🎵

[@Shaolinjake08]

Your channel has got to be one of my top 5 favorites on KZbin. Thank you for spending the time to break down these incredible songs!

[@jertz_tv8238]

My favorite game of all time and my second favorite song! (Space Junk Galaxy’s theme is my personal favorite)

[@sobersaucer6718]

I've been waiting for this video for a long time

[@christopherjobin-official7440]

I nod my head at everything he says without knowing what he’s talking about.

[@Hermitstatus]

This song is just the right amount of variation to make one look forward to when the melody comes back again. And just like you mentioned at 10:11, this song is a triumph.

[@ChristianPerrotta]

At 1:19 "If there's no logic to follow, the melody sounds like..." Me: Schoenberg. (Edit: ironically, he quotes Schoenberg just after that)

[@TheModicaLiszt]

Christian Perrotta Shoenberg’s 12 tone rows lol 🤮

[@BrassWing]

That's not irony. That's coincidence

[@atsumindesu]

Schoenberg's music is pure logic though

[@mikesimpson3207]

Schoenberg's all about making everything (melody, countermelody, chords, etc) a repetition of everything else, but altering/disguising the repetitions to the point that you can't tell. His music is full of that balance of logic and natural freedom that he's talking about, just in a much less sing-song way than Mario music.

[@SaberToothPortilla]

I mean, it is kinda easy to dump on him, but don't take it for granted. Schoenberg was an extremely technical/analytical kind of composer, and if it doesn't immediately show in his music, it definitely does in his writing. Structure to him wasn't necessarily intuitive or *natural*, but it was of critical importance. The tone rows that he's known for are an excellent example. It isn't clearly perceived as structured by most people, but it definitely is, and to him, that was enough, and I think most people *would* say that it avoids sounding like noise... but they might still say that it sounds random.

[@ForgottenSonata]

Gusty Garden Galaxy is ridiculous beautiful, it makes me emotional every time and I loved hearing you break the theory of it down!

[@fitoduarte8000]

1:47 got me lol

[@josephmitchell5304]

I took a swing at arranging for the first time last year when I made a Super Mario Galaxy medley for my school orchestra, but this video pointed out so many incredible things I’d never noticed. Somehow you made me appreciate this music immensely more than I already did. Thank you so much, and keep up the amazing work!

[@NonSequitur314]

That Schoenberg impression omg I died 😂 also hooray for SMG! Its soundtrack is amazing

[@RedCaio]

I agree. Never played the game, but when Gusty Garden Galaxy came on my Pandora I instantly loved the a-section melody only to be completely awestruck by the c-section melody and it moved me. I love it!

[@matesafranka6110]

Also also, I'd say the C section is the de facto theme of SMG, as they also used it in the purple coins theme, as well as the Cloudtop Cruise course in MK8 (although the course itself was mostly based on GG so it does make sense)

[@colbyholloman4433]

Not even de facto. It straight up is the main theme. The SMG1 version of the main theme is so slow-paced that it takes almost two minutes to build up to that section, but it is plainly there. The SMG2 version is basically just a faster-paced, trimmed down, amped up rendition of the SMG1 theme, so the statement that Gusty Garden had anything to do with it was confusing to me.

[@matesafranka6110]

@@colbyholloman4433 Oh, okay. I don't think I ever made it past the first few bars of the title theme when playing, so that's why it didn't stick with me :) But now that you pointed out, yeah, I remember.

[@BenjaminAnderson21]

@@colbyholloman4433 SMG1's opening fanfare is actually more of the "main theme" of the game than Gusty Garden's C theme is IMO. In the Staff Roll/Main theme of the game it's expanded upon into a full-blown melody, and actually dominates most of the peice with GG's C theme only cropping up in a single section

[@ThePinnacleSFA]

Keeping me sane during this quarantine! One of my favorite channels on KZbin the concept of analyzing video game music theory is so good, wishing you nothing but good fortune in the future

[@desplanchesstevan1418]

I love the idea that the melody is some kind of a dialogue, or is telling a story, that makes me appreciate it even more.

[@citrus8788]

0:34 The syncing of John Williams to the Galaxy soundtrack in the background is a nice touch.

[@shanmango]

Whenever nintendo uses a live ensemble I know the soundtrack will be a masterpiece

[@jlbenj01]

Melody writing is definitely an elusive skill. I love the way you broke this down. So clear and in a way we’re I feel I could almost do something as good lol. Always learn something on your channel.