"Hedwig's Theme" - Harry Potter (Score Reduction & Analysis)

A full score reduction and analysis of "Hedwig's Theme." Enjoy!
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[@mdmf117]

As a violinist it has always been my dream to play this since I was a little boy. But having seen the score now, this dream has pretty much become my nightmare...

[@Jay-S04]

Don’t give up

[@jvil723]

Same 💀

[@alicegoldenvalley]

Never give up! ✨🌸

[@rake1087]

It's just arpegios, you got it, just got to practice your arpegios

[@arjenbij]

PRACTICE

[@foojuice101]

Wow. Those violin passages are absolutely diabolical

[@itznoxy7193]

I know! I can barely count them and follow along, let alone play them. And I am a violinist!

[@trevorjensen2706]

They're playing on an open string, so it makes it a lot easier. The musicians are top-notch sight readers, and, this is why they practice their scales, quickly, for composers like John Williams. lol. Practice your scales! ;)

[@jakegearhart]

@@trevorjensen2706 What do you mean by playing on an open string? There's only 4 strings to play open on and that'll only give you 4 notes.

[@trevorjensen2706]

My bad. The key is very string-friendly, so while the speed of the notes is a little difficult, for professional musicians, this is just another scale run to them.

[@michaelflores6253]

Counting isn’t the problem... the problem is keeping up with the tempo lol

[@emmaaxelson7821]

John Williams Writes HARD music.

[@pena1950]

Paganini too.

[@idontcare7197]

Holst too

[@idontcare7197]

Shotakovich, Prokofiev, Korngold...

[@S.H.gaming]

It is a fun challenge to play though. French horn

[@sampeacaml9307]

But OH so beautiful!

[@itznoxy7193]

This piece is amazingly complex. Even more so than it seems (and it seems really complex). I'm just here like "how did he come up with this?". Even by William's standards its so different and "out there" from what he normally does. This is like its own musical language/syntax that I have never seen anywhere else. Almost like its own genre entirely. The Philosopher's Stone should have easily won the oscar for best score.

[@Soytu19]

This sort of musical language is very bartokian (Bela Bartók). Unbeliavable counterpoint.

[@jakegearhart]

The sheer amount of effort put into creating the Harry Potter "soundscape" (unfortunately only used for the first two films) is astounding. _Every single time_ magic of some kind is performed in the first two films is either scored by one of these three themes or is scored by another theme that is derived from these. Both films' orchestration, embellishments, and key change patterns are so unique by so incredibly consistent that it can only be from Harry Potter. I hope one day, in some form, a project is done to rescore the rest of the series in this style using Prisoner of Azkaban as a template for how the last films should sound.

[@althealligator1467]

@@jakegearhart PoA has the best soundscape out of all 8 films. It's not very Harry Potter, though. It just should've been more consistent and gotten progressively darker. But I would like a sort of remaster where they somehow add things and change how some things look and sound.

[@sohankalirai8769]

U say that but if u look into the depths of classical music it’s almost a merge of Bartók and Tchaikovsky

[@pena1950]

John williams is the contemporary Paganini

[@wraith2939]

How did this not win an Oscar? This is outrageous.

[@joshqim3110]

I agree. LotR's soundtrack is great but it lacks the musical complexity that John Williams offers in his scores. The end of this track sounds like it's written by one of the classical greats.

[@jakubsedlak2173]

Lemme tell you something about Oscars... Who gives a shit?

[@RianDenver]

Because you could have said the same about LotR if they didn't win.. both masterpieces but unfortuntely there is can only be one winner

[@jakegearhart]

@@RianDenver LotR's score is great, but not on this level.

[@atuvelman]

@@jakegearhart Agreed. Even on the most basic level, if someone simply asked me to hum the LOTR theme, it's not memorable enough to where I could.

[@zoltan902]

I'm amazed you were able to analyse this piece in one video. Hedwig's Theme is possibly the most texturally complex I've ever seen of John Williams' writing. I own the Hal Leonard Signature Edition score of the piece, and refer to it regularly when listening to the piece. I think the 'bridge theme' is my favourite motive. Simple, yet so animated.

[@nickadkins5679]

the bridge them is amazing! It captures for me the true spirit of harry potter.

[@Tsharkeye]

John Williams is known for having very good B sections that evoke even more emotion than the main theme. It's crazy how much ideas this guy can come up with in just one track.

[@merlinhlr3553]

imagine John Williams having written the music for The Deathly Hallows. man. we missed such a pay-off.

[@semanticsamuel936]

The post-Williams HP music is mostly a bit rubbish. There are some nice moments scattered about (I like the Quidditch trials music in Half-Blood Prince and the fireworks music from Order), but they are few and far between. None of them have the melodic richness or the textural complexity as anything Williams did. I've been having a go at analysing the Nimbus 2000 music and even a few bars in there's so much to learn from it.

[@JohnBurkeMusic]

TRUTH

[@GregJamesMusic]

When the _Deathly Hallows_ movies were in production, Williams said in an interview that he’d like to score them. Unfortunately, that never happened, probably because he was working on _War Horse_ and _The Adventures of Tintin_ around the same time.

[@mattkirkhamm]

As a “normal” listener you get swept away with the gorgeous melodies. It some how makes you feel a sense of adventure, a sense of flying without wings, a sense of mystery. Then as a musician you realise just how amazing John Williams is. He writes music that is so dense, intricate, complex yet at the same time easy to listen to. Each few bars is something new, something interesting, something genius.

[@jimd385]

The word “GENIUS” is often overused. But in the case of John Williams music, it isn’t used enough.

[@60darklord]

The poor piccolo and flutes... and violins. Y’all are monsters.

[@trevorjensen2706]

Eh, it's just chromatic. This is no big deal for them. Throw the runs on a trumpet, then it would be hell. A lot of this music appears to be on an open string anyway. Also, flutes do this stuff all the time with ease. lol, the performers are ridiculously talented sight readers.

[@jakegearhart]

@@trevorjensen2706 Chromatic scales are actually kinda difficult for violins because you use the same finger to play different notes that are close together. For example, you use the first finger to play both D# and E on the D string and the second finger to play both F and F# on the D string which means you have to slide your finger up quickly and it's hard to make that not sound like a slide when you're slurring the notes together.

[@trevorjensen2706]

@@jakegearhart, well, for the professional musicians, they see this type of music frequently, so for them, it's really not that big of a deal. For many musicians, it may be very difficult. I wrote a score that had chromatic lines at a University, and it was sixteenth note runs at a quarter note = 120 B.P.M. I asked the violin performer if it was too difficult, she laughed and said, "it was for the first hour of practicing." She at least to me, made it seem that the fingerings and bowings, once figured out, were easy. But I get your point, this cue is probably difficult for even some of the best, but even at a University level, some of the musicians are ridiculous sight readers.

[@trevorjensen2706]

@@jakegearhart, have you seen this video? Brian Tyler writes some pretty intense string parts for this cue from Terra Nova. It sounds difficult, and watching the bow rapidly move, it looks difficult, but the lady playing the cello looks a little bored. lol. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qJ6vmJJqictgZ7M

[@trevorjensen2706]

@@jakegearhart, my point is, I don't think these top-tier musicians find much of anything to be too difficult. Thanks for your great information. I can compose music, and as I said, the one composition I wrote for the strings with chromatic runs at a 120 BPM, the violinist said it wasn't that difficult.

[@Raachen]

Without this music, the Harry Potter movies would've probably never caught my attention. It's the soundscape that pulls you into this world and creates a true magical experience. Simply one of the best scores ever written...

[@Lotschi]

this is so true!

[@DuhAverageJoe]

Those string passages are insane. Kinda reminds me a little of "Holiday Flight" from Home Alone.

[@brianbarry5039]

DuhAverageJoe You have to figure that Williams is writing for either top flight studio or professional orchestra musicians. He does write very challenging parts but their definitely not impossible thankfully!

[@joshwarrior9491]

In fact some of the string sections are impossible to play like the beginning

[@rodolfohurtado7714]

About the passages: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o6aTl2ulr5Jmi6M

[@thomasshredster4627]

yea i thought so too, very recognizable , you can hear it right away absoultly brilliant

[@iceborg05]

Truly, truly, TRULY one of the best pieces of music ever composed.

[@PianoGeek3]

Congratulations! This is one of the most thoroughly analyzed score reductions I've seen you do! Thanks for this!

[@madisonw4583]

If my conductor ever gave me this piece I don't know if I would quit on the spot, or practice 40 hours a day. Iykyk

[@beninglintang4895]

Well not all of us can be Ling Ling

[@adam4757]

This piece is mad. The way the Maestro darts in and out of different keys and time signatures is mind-boggling.

[@minemilx2702]

Damn. I don't even have the guts to write music that technically advanced.

[@brownie3454]

you probably don't have access to the musicians Williams does

[@greatmomentsofopera7170]

He knows the LSO will be able to play it

[@FreakieFan]

Nor the ability to.

[@muffinconsumer4431]

@@FreakieFan loser

[@keithfoester7326]

liszt: i buy this piano so imma write songs using all 88 keys!!! john williams: hold my oscars.

[@timmah4476]

What amazing resources you are creating for the composing community here - Bravo 👏🏼👏🏼 John Williams will be remembered up there with the best of them! 🙌🏼 His fluency with the harmonic and rhythmic language of music is next level - It's like he completed Duolingo for Music on God mode!!!

[@TommyLellan]

I love that the 4:48 manic flutes and harps is mentioned in a tiny scribe. It DOES sound magical.

[@robert_270]

And clarinets

[@kaan_bey]

Me: John, which notes did you use in Hedwig's Theme? John Williams: Yes.

[@vbnnbvcx1]

The violin section is dead hahahaha

[@trevorjensen2706]

Nah, they are just fine. This is fun for them, they finally get a challenge (well, it challenges them for thirty minutes, then it's probably cake-walk).

[@camsolo2024]

Love how you put the themes in the beginning. Your analyses are so clear! Thanks!

[@MehdiD.Ardebili]

This is such a masterpiece!

[@joeythomas2724]

These videos you have made are treasures. Thank you for the time and effort you take to make them! Uniquely valuable.

[@BenjaminLandauMusic]

If I may, I have spotted two misspelled tension chords : -Bar 131 the G#m is in fact a Fm7/b5 (you missed the bass :p ) I guess it is just experimentation, he went for the major/minor flavor and its nice tension of an half diminished seventh sound. The rest of this part are minor chords planings. -Bar 210 it is a Cm7/b5 (wait again?) instead of a C°7 Keep up the good work dude, this is my fav channel! This channel is a dream come true!

[@olihayne3724]

Such an amazing complex piece of music. John Williams is great at creating these themes which are then moved and played around with for different representations of mood.

[@mikoajdudkiewicz8727]

This is spectacular. Thank you very much for this work, it helpes me with my arragements of this music. ❤

[@dawid13og]

This is pure magic. You are wizard, John Williams!

[@AaronAlterman]

3:08 Alexandre Desplat modifies this theme in “The Tunnel” from Deathly Hallows Part 2. I recommend listening to this part and that song :)

[@marekciepucha7569]

Wagner and Stravinsky are proud!

[@brianeheads]

I wanted to see the Celesta part. Nevermind, I don't wanna work on scale runs and arpeggios. 😅

[@TheBycara]

You can really hear 'The Carnival of the Animals', definitely inspired by it.

[@alfred4264]

I hear the aquarium

[@Imagineyourmusiccom]

fantastic work, very well done, thank you so much!

[@justjulia4541]

Why am I happy and crying at the same time. Damn my kids will be great wizards. Thank you for this masterpiece.

[@geevanh4200]

♥♥ the power of music ♫♪♥♂♀♦♣♠♥

[@TheMaestro2005]

Man my orchestra played this a few years back before I left the group and them violin parts were no fun but they were so fun

[@Jay-S04]

That violin part is viciously difficult. Someday I'll be able to play it...

[@tamasfekete9673]

Thank you so much for this! :)

[@AndreyRubtsovRU]

I know a lot of film music in UK would be recorded on the day. Surely this fragment would merit a special note from a composer saying 'we probably need an extra rehearsal for the violins. and violas. and celeste'.

[@steffen5121]

So how much do you hate your orchestra? Williams: Yes

[@Jay-S04]

Some day, I swear I’ll be able to play those arpeggios and runs on my violin

[@demonhunter5478]

Keep on practicing ! You'll get there

[@callummckie894]

I be really interested to see the subtle differences in orchestration between the two C major chord hits at the end. Sounds like the trumpets are playing the complete triad in the second hit for one. Amazing what a small difference in voicing can do for the colour of the same chord.

[@andrewrichesson8627]

I love the chordal horn chromatic motion at 4:52

[@HDKinoCool]

Amazing composition!!! amazing! Bravo!

[@beepbeep7358]

Man this is on another level

[@LanaVegana]

I've always liked 2:50 so much!

[@brownie3454]

best part. reminds me of the breakdown section in the Sorcerer's Apprentice

[@SYQmusic]

That was quite a journey through key signatures and variations!

[@zcvs-x9k]

Such a wonderful analysis! Thank You!

[@typo1345]

Rip celeste player

[@anselmsnodgrass47]

I can't have been the only one to notice the similarity of this music (essentially a theme and variations) to the Sicilienne from Pelléas et Mélisande (Fauré Op. 80).

[@VickyGreen-tz3pn]

I noticed that too.

[@MtFuji-pl3eb]

I love Harry Potter and its music. Thanks for uploading! 💖

[@glidermusicvideos]

Those trumpets at 5:01: TONGUING!!!

[@alfalfa_art]

I got to play this piece in an orchestra, but unfortunately it was a youth orchestra and the arranger apparently didn't get the memo that the bassoon initially got some pretty parts!! Those exposed woodwinds are just so lovely in this original, they look fun to play :(

[@gijsvanamelsvoort3689]

Such an outstanding piece of composition, it ticks all the boxes! One question though; I'm wondering why Williams chose 3/8 over 3/4? I'm really curious what the practical use of the 3/8 is in this case?

[@FreakieFan]

No real difference other than visual. It’s a fast and lively piece and 3/8 looks more fast and lively than if it were 3/4. It’s a great communicative tool to the musicians, to understand the composer’s intentions. Also, a lot of the HP score is written in 6/8, 9/8, 12/8. So having this in 3/8 makes metric modulation easier to digest for the players. And I think it’s a better question to ask as to why it’s not in 6/8 rather 3/8. It feels way more like 6 to me.

[@NightmareGuitarist]

This is awesome. Much appreciated!

[@TheJazzDane]

Is it just me or is that a subtle 'Dies Irae' in the horns at 3:12?

[@yuhscha]

3:10 Liszt La Campanella Coda

[@joshtimmins4410]

Amazing video! Appreciate the time and effort gone it to have such a wonderful outcome which is easy to read and follow. :)One question, are the violins playing at the start of the piece when the score says they are, or is it just very quiet? ;)

[@sammossa3920]

Hello! First off, your channel is great and has helped me so much as a composer. Thank you for your videos. Also, can you do score anaylsis of the "La La Land" Epilouge? That would be awesome

[@avakan5218]

Those string runs are a real headache. Even for the professionals! Not that I would know as a horn player. Just what I have been told by the poor souls who have had to play them. I’m happy sticking to the offbeats 😂

[@carlpowell0]

really appreciate the channel these videos are very helpful for myself atm.

[@Musicrafter12]

Roman numeral analysis would generally be so much more helpful to learning what he's doing. I appreciate exact chord names, and sometimes functional analysis doesn't make sense in some contexts, but I'd love to see some roman numerals. Also not every chord is super important, so having them all listed, even when it's just basically some neighbor-tone planing chord for half a beat, clouds up one's overall analysis.

[@AAAstudioz]

Sight reading this piece at 7am must’ve been a blast. 🤦🏾‍♂️

[@xatnu]

This must take hours of work. I hope you find doing this as rewarding as I find it interesting and enertaining to watch.

[@carmenromerovera6853]

Crazy violin part

[@AramZero]

"What's the definition of an eargasm?" " 2:50 "

[@user-rx4qf8vk1i]

I think there is a small mistake/typo in measure 193: the chord arpeggio for flutes and clarinets should be two 16th- followed by four 32th notes (instead of the six 16th) and a corresponding 8th note, a "g", is therefore missing in the melody right before the "f#".

[@JohnMassari]

Thanks for the IMAGES 1972 excerpt.

[@samueliglesias8601]

I just used this video (thoroughly) on a piano lesson with a student who wants to play this theme and understands basic harmony. I'm pushing her to come up with the most conscious arrangement that she can play. Thank you for this! Wrong John Williams movie quote, but "this belongs in a museum!"

[@u1zha]

Similar here, couple of years ago I pieced together a playable piano arrangement for my son from this video. 👍️

[@chloeprice4166]

as someone who played first violin in this piece, i absolutely hated it 💀

[@jadejaguar69]

Oh wow! You were the one who recorded the original score?? What's Williams like in person? I play in Berlin Philharmonic (not second or first, sadly) and it's always a dream to meet and talk to him!

[@AAAstudioz]

Chloe Price you played during the actual recording?

[@CosmicTeapot]

lmao at the comments. Have you guys never heard another orchestra play one of the many John Williams medleys out there? Just because she said she played it doesn't mean she was in the orchestra of the original recording... There's a gazillion college-level orchestras that play Harry Potter/Star Wars/other film music medleys as the first part of a concert to draw in the crowds that are too afraid of listening to contemporary music.

[@dominicvansever]

I've recently sightread Wagner/Liszt - Tannhauser Ouverture, so I believe a decent piano transcription of this masterpiece by Williams is indeed possible! :) I know Jarrod Radnich made a good attempt at it, but it is possible to "squeeze" more from it.

[@ivanrangga]

Superb analysis! Would you mind doing The Mummy Returns Theme by Alan Silvestri?

[@LipnitskyOrchestra]

Thanks for your work!💫

[@chuckwieser7622]

Awesome video and reduction. Very helpful!... I do want to mention that the C diminished chords. If they have a B-flat and not a double B flat or A natural, they should be half-diminished 7th chords not fully diminished 7th chords. Thanks

[@jrocket7368]

Omg I love you for making these videos.

[@benjylamb]

I can't hear the violin passage at figure '17' at all ( 00:40-00:52 ). Is this omitted for others? (There could be something wrong with my speakers).

[@zoltan902]

That passage was only added to the piece later in the concert edition. The recording in the video is the original studio recording. Curious that such a minor addition would be made and nothing else, but in the end you can't really improve perfection.

[@tomekkobialka]

I've always wanted to play the bass part of 4:48; must be so much fun!

[@729MendicantTide]

1:07 Measure 43. Bassoons can play that part as written without having to transpose down an octave? How does that sound like in practice?

[@holtenbarnwell5136]

Seriously, the amount of stuff that is going on in this main theme is crazy. The about of 16th and 32nd note string runs across like 8 bars is insane.

[@SamVillano]

Images is such a fascinating score for Williams

[@sanjayr.a8502]

This is amazing 😍

[@dodirahmadi7314]

wow so cool! keep it up bro!!! 🙏🏻 thanks for the sharing

[@Eden_Rubin_Music]

Great anlaysis but I found only one mistake, In the last page, 210 bar its not C diminished7, it's C half-diminished(Dbm/C is C half-Diminished, different sign). Beside that everything is good :)

[@jonathanparham]

Thanks. Always learning

[@pepn]

So I'm having difficulties to play a very regular 16th notes motives at high tempo, and these people just play 11:1 rhythms

[@ΝικόλαοςΠετρίδης-ν8ε]

wonderful videos, keep making them

[@Jonsimp13]

I would like to see more wide scope analysis. forest for the trees!

[@FyrverkeriElskeren]

I’d love an analysis of “Be prepared” from the Lion King!

[@franklehman8677]

Superb! How on earth did you get your hands on that score from Images? (Or is that your own transcription? If so, impressive -- most impressive!)

[@bradfrey]

Not a transcription, I have the score... I know some people ;)

[@escopiliatese3623]

Could possibly find the sheet music for Bernstein’s theme for “The Magnificent Seven!”

[@lettucedaydreams1178]

As a violinist I hope I never have to play this... not because I don’t like it (actually one of my favourite pieces of music) but because I would probably die

[@laurencechu4465]

its so enjoyable listening to your videos! would you consider iron man 3 main Theme OST' by brian tyler, ' fantastic beast and where to find them-Tina Takes Newt In / Macusa Headquarters ' by JNW, ' The Rock - Hummell Gets The Rockets' by Hans Zimmer ? these are my favourite film scores! and of course many more too.

[@FeonaLeeJones]

The theme does sound a bit like David Wise's music from Donky Kong 2....

[@b3yourself91]

I love you channel so much! do you think you'd be able to find a score of the battle from the chronicles of Narnia?

[@bradfrey]

I love the Narnia score! I think I have some sort of "suite" of the music somewhere, but I'll do some digging and see if I can get ahold of the battle score.

[@656520]

I cant still figure out the supposed harmony in the sixth measure, that a# - d# and b - f natural that goes to e - b (tonic) anyone has an idea ?

[@dushdy7160]

Thanks for all this amazing content! I'm inspired by your Reductions for a while and trying to accomplish something similiar for VGM Themes. I'm curious, do you do all of the layouting in Sibelius, or do you use any other Software to assemble the final layout for the videos? I'm not having the resources for Sibelius, so I'm using MS - so I don't know which features I could be probably missing for this case. It's very easy to get ordinary scores done and make em look good, but shrinking and reducing systems, condensing parts into one system, all the useful stuff that is happening in your videos, seems to be only possible in Sibelius?

[@aidanmcbride3780]

Flight to neverland please!!!

[@mitchellwiseman1774]

Aidan McBride yes please. or something like "Remembering Childhood" or "You are the Pan" from Hook !! that's such an underrated score that i'm low key obsessed with 😂

[@mydogskips2]

+Aidan McBride If you type that into Google you should be able to find a pdf of the score.

[@brunopineyro1805]

That guy is a legend

[@Fernando-hp6hp]

I'm lost, you should've informed us where the music is at the moment.

[@kappabravomusic2101]

Beautiful piece