How Creative Limitations Shaped Ocarina of Time's Best Music

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time must have the most beloved soundtrack in video game music history. This time around I break down some of the limitations composer Koji Kondo faced writing melodies for the game's titular instrument and how those limitations spawned some of the greatest themes of the medium.
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[@Necrossauro]

I also like that when you learn these 3-note-motif songs you are Kid Link, and when you learn the other songs which has more complex melodies you are Adult Link, kinda like when you just got your instrument you learn simple songs first but as you practice and grow you learn more complex songs

[@Loseirdo]

This is the entire ethos behind the design of OoT. When you start the game as Young Link, the world is whimsical and magical. The trials you face, namely the three dungeons, are relatively short and simple. Once you emerge from the Sacred Realm as Adult Link, the entire tone of the game has shifted. The world is now dark and dour. The trials are now longer, more challenging, and there are more of them. Even though there's no good reason why Adult Link couldn't use the slingshot or the boomerang, these are toys-not the tools that an adult needs, so they're replaced by items like the hookshot and the fairy bow. This contrast between childhood and adulthood is reflected in every aspect of the game, and it's one of the things that makes Ocarina of Time such a masterpiece of both game design and storytelling.

[@sdw-hv5ko]

@@Loseirdo I have to plug "Ocarina of Time: a Masterclass in Subtext" for anyone who hasn't seen it, which deeply explores these themes of childhood vs adulthood in the game. It's my favorite video on KZbin

[@pcm1011]

@@sdw-hv5ko amazing video indeed

[@orangeeeeeee]

The next step is to learn all the songs in real life then you are truly a legend

[@rockk9753]

Zelda's lullaby, ganon's castle theme, kakariko village and the fairy fountain music from ocarina of time were used in a link to the past originally

[@genuineangusbeef8697]

Calling the initial notes a 'question' and the remainder of the section an 'answer' is genius because it even makes sense considering the Ocarina as a magic conduit : you, as the player, ask for a certain power through the ocarina, but only play the question: then, in response, power is granted through playing the Answer

[@jons_7402]

I always interpreted the magic in this exact way. It's even more evident on the warp melodies, where the answer comes in a full orchestral arrangement of the same melody to contrast the question.

[@HighPriestFuneral]

Beautifully said and I was looking for this response in the comments. It's a ritual. You ask the spirits or gods for assistance and they respond back to you with the power that each individual song has. This video has made Ocarina of Time just that much more magical to me. It even has the traditional religious aspect of repeating your prayer (or mantra) twice before getting a firm response from the spirit you are trying to evoke. Every time I see more detail about the game, I appreciate it further and further.

[@nazimelon6653]

A music teacher i had a few years ago explained most music to us like that; all melody is inherently a conversation.

[@bitwize]

"Question and answer" (aka "call and response") is a common musical trope, probably as old as music itself. But you're right in that working the music into the game in such a way that the "call" invokes power is brilliant.

[@hyzmarie]

Yeah. It’s so satisfying to hear Link play his little tune and get powers in response, almost like the goddesses are giving him a pat on the head and saying “here you go, little buddy, now go save the world. You can do it.”

[@KarlMarcus8468]

I'm like 99% sure playing this game as an 8 year old planted the seeds of wanting to become a musician. These songs will be in my brain until I die.

[@rk3carpentry]

Same here! Same age at the time too!

[@anathemasoul8393]

Same here but even younger I think.

[@sethputman94]

This game was the biggest influence to get me into high school band. Played music for twelve years, and shaped a solid chunk of my life.

[@witterquickly]

My three girls are too young to be playing computer games but I've been introducing the music from Ocarina of time and they LOVE it. I can't wait to see their faces when they eventually get a chance to play :)

[@KarlMarcus8468]

@@witterquickly That's gonna be awesome, maybe you've got a little family band on your hands!

[@NintendoCapriSun]

The cool thing about the Serenade of Water is just how malleable its chord structure can be, regardless of whether it's being used as a i-IV or vi-II. How malleable? Well, it is the first two chords in the Smash Ultimate theme song, but it's also the first two chords of "Mad World"'s chorus.

[@Bara_tiddie_lover]

The nostalgia this video brought, and seeming you in the comments is unimaginable, lol.

[@Ivanhoenn]

Dang, never even thought about that. Cool!

[@DJI_Friday]

NintendoCapriSun! I’m starting uni tomorrow, so I’m feeling a little nostalgic about the end of childhood and that sort of thing. Seeing your comment here, when you made up such a significant part of my childhood, has made me feel somewhat emotional to be honest. I hope you’re doing well, and thank you for all the wonderful content you’ve made! :)

[@mattpaquette5519]

or ii - V :) as seen in "All I Wanna Do" by the Beach Boys

[@zeckma]

Wait, ya know stuff about music? Welp...

[@ARZiehm]

Daily reminder that The Song of Healing from Majora's Mask is just Saria's Song backwards - It's truly crazy how different the two songs feel while utilizing the exact same melodic notes

[@WhirligigStudios]

The chord progressions are also very similar! Both start with repeated movement between an F(add#11) chord and a chord with E and B in it (in Saria's Song it's CM7, in the Song of Healing it seems to be an E power chord actually). Then they move through Dm to a CM7 chord twice (Saria's Song adds a G and an Am to turn it into a descending fifths progression). The Song of Healing has an extra next section, but both eventually move through an F chord and end on a tense E major. Now I'm wondering if this was intentional.

[@ARZiehm]

@@WhirligigStudios I can't blame Kondo for using that juicy Lydian #4, I'd have a hard time resisting it too haha!

[@DogOnAKeyboard]

Just like one of my favorite adventurous-sounding themes: Skyward Sword's theme, being a reverse of Zelda's Lullaby. I love the feeling of adventure it evokes. Maybe he can do a video about themes that can be played in reverse too xD

[@simonn2045]

You've just blown my mind

[@chompythebeast]

@@simonn2045 You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?

[@wbuck]

I always thought this would be a cool idea for a video - you definitely didn’t disappoint! Zelda’s Lullaby is really interesting because it predates this game mechanic - it was used in Link to the Past. I would assume Kondo started with that and expanded his pitch set from there - by adding the tritone and octave you mention in the video.

[@8bitMusicTheory]

That’s such a good point, I didn’t think of that! That definitely would’ve narrowed down his options choosing the ocarina notes

[@zach5550]

How did you post a day ago, this was just released 10 minutes ago. Or maybe it’s a YT bug.

[@leprifacioncustard4921]

@@zach5550 early access for patreons by unlisting them for regular subscribers

[@Vuusteri]

And obviously ocarina itself was already recurring instrument, being obtainable item in LttP and Link's Awakening. I wonder, if they had already used the idea of using songs in Link to the past, I guess we never would've had Ocarina of Time.

[@Cuzjudd]

@@Vuusteri I don't remember Ocarina being in LttP

[@guyedwards22]

Exposure to the works of Koji Kondo at such a young age is legitimately why I'm a musician today. Around maybe five or so, I sat at my grandmother's piano and figured out so many songs from OoT, and it only grew from there. My friends and fellow musicians always tell me that the music I write sounds like it belongs in a Zelda game, and it makes me feel so proud to have been influenced by such a great composer as Kondo. I got a tattoo of the treble clef from this game on my right wrist; that's where it feels like the music flows, and I like to remember where that love for and connection to it came from.

[@haretztj4682]

please upload your songs on youtube i really want to hear :3

[@DSteinman]

Same here, cheers ❤

[@Maplewest]

8-Bit Music Theory: Teaches us about the genius of Ocarina music. Background: Absolutely getting wrecked by Moblins in the deep forest maze.

[@prime8411]

I looked for this comment

[@sdw-hv5ko]

Me: "No don't use bombs use the hookshot! The hookshot!!!"

[@pcm1011]

Why was he using bombs lmao

[@Maplewest]

@@pcm1011 I'd like to believe he did it for our entertainment and not that he had done it his whole life.

[@nelsonnicholson6175]

@@Maplewest He is just a humble music theorist, not a gamer!

[@Casual_PKBeats]

There's no doubt about it, Koji Kondo is the greatest game composer. There's always been something so masterful about those early Zelda games' soundtracks, and Ocarina of Time has always stuck to me in a way almost no other game soundtrack has (as someone who really enjoys prioritizing melodies and such lol). Great video, loved hearing this get talked about

[@TheSchaef47]

I love Kondo but I'm torn by Uematsu

[@jimmyhirr5773]

What about Tim Follin? He's made some very fancy music across a wider variety of limited platforms than Kondo or Uematsu. If you haven't heard of Follin, you'll be amazed by what he did with just a one-bit ZX Spectrum beeper.

[@reillywalker195]

Koji Kondo is a great composer, yes, but I think you could make arguments for several other video game composers as being the _best_ at the craft. David Wise, Grant Kirkhope, and C418 come to mind.

[@joshsholes2674]

@@reillywalker195 I was honestly thinking that making it a competition almost is beside the point.

[@BiohazardEXTREME]

I would say he ties with Nobuo Uematsu. Each is the absolute master at what he does, and both brought us THE best video game music ever.

[@12tone]

This was awesome! I'd never transcribed these pieces and I hadn't touched the game since before I went to music school so I always just sort of assumed the notes were some form of pentatonic, but in retrospect, you're right, that really wouldn't make all that much sense.

[@dreamhackedmusic1099]

I mean, you wouldn't be wrong! This sort of pentatonic scale happens to have more of a modern complicated past, which was made famous by this era of Zelda. :)

[@frogelle16]

Zelda game music scares me. I never go near them to transcribe lol

[@chrispham6599]

​@@frogelle16 they're not that hard to transcribe. If you know the main melodies, then the harmonies will just fall into place

[@Warri0rLink]

Me: “Wow! These Ocarina songs are so iconic! I wonder if I could write something cool with these five notes!” *Scarecrow’s Song* Me: ⬅️➡️⬅️➡️⬅️➡️⬅️➡️

[@chompythebeast]

I always tried to do the Imperial March from Star Wars, but I think it would cut off like one note shy so it never sounded good lol

[@Nyxael5845]

My Scarecrow's Song in Ocarina of Time is the Goron Lullaby. And in Majora's Mask my Scarecrow's Song is the Bolero of Fire.

[@Equinerhael]

same

[@cullenlatham2366]

well, it is more than i do. i just choose a direction, spam it 7 times, then throw one random note at the end. Mostly, it is the speedrun side of things that makes me do it. i dont need any precision, i just spam the repeated button, then after i am certain i have gotten at least 7 out, i press the changed button. I would do all 8 of the same, but the game is onto me at that point. XD I have tried using MM songs, but i can never remember which one i picked when i come back a month later (i have played both games so many times that i dont need to play it in any reasonable time frame).

[@HelpTheWretched]

The song I always do only has 2 different notes as well, but I play them with a cool rhythm. B)

[@futur_sunds]

I can not put into words how freaking perfect and beautiful the sound track for Ocarina of Time is, as well as the whole. I spent my entire childhood playing this game, so much that I get intense nostalgia from it that I literally cry when I here the opening menu music!

[@Mcironeable]

Exact same boat! As a kid I would always rush to skip the title music to play the game, but those few times that I would let it fully play were haunting. Looking back it's the most memorable one now!

[@MoonwalkerWorshiper]

I will notify you if/when I upload the Marketplace music expanded into a full classical piece.

[@paetonlaur3655]

You are not alone. Every time I listen to the game's soundtrack or play the game just for a moment, I feel like I am seven years old again.

[@futur_sunds]

@@paetonlaur3655 7 years old… just like Link 😳

[@paetonlaur3655]

@@futur_sunds Exactly, although I played it in the 2000's, not the 1990's. Sometimes I even compare myself to the Hero of Time but without the "hero part."

[@vittoriocorbo8301]

What I found most fascinating is how he was able to the herculean effort of composing these songs with only 5 notes. Leaving oneself to think that he made every possible song possible with those 5 notes. But then he just one ups himself and does it all over again for Majoras Mask, that makes it even crazier

[@majora4prez543]

What's interesting to me is that Zelda's Lullaby actually wasn't composed with these specific limitations in mind; it's actually reused from A Link to the Past. Was it just a happy accident that this song fit into the patterns of the ocarina songs in Ocarina of Time, or did Koji Kondo choose the notes and patterns for Ocarina's music based on this already-existing piece?

[@plvmbvm513]

Yeah I was thinking the same thing! I was pretty sure that zeldas lullaby was taken from lttp but I needed to go look it up to be sure haha

[@plvmbvm513]

I think it must have been part of his considerations because zeldas theme is just so good that, if I were him, I would have loved to reuse it if I could. And seeing how it's still being used 20 years later I think that keeping it in was a great choice

[@KairuHakubi]

Considering that not only are those notes used, they're in order from left to right on the C-buttons, and form a triforce, I think it was definitely where he started then just added those two more minor notes for variety, one of which is the top note an octave down

[@binusbechbips758]

Interestingly enough, OOT's iconic title theme was actually based off Mario 3's flute theme iirc, so it wouldn't be a surprise for Koji Kondo to re-use the same melody from previous soundtracks he's worked on

[@KairuHakubi]

@@binusbechbips758 and the fairy fountain was more or less used in mario 3 too, or at least its cousins

[@SulfuricDonut]

You could actually play almost all the notes if you use the thumb stick to bend up or down from the normal 5 buttons :) They couldn't be used in the button codes for spells obviously, but an interesting feature is that if you bend to a different note while playing the spell songs they won't work, because it's the wrong notes even though you're hitting the right code. I had a fun time standing around in game trying to play a bunch of random songs on the ocarina.

[@Woodyoodyoow]

Wait, really? Why did I have to wait 20+ years to learn that

[@Randomluck]

There is a scarecrow in Lake Hylia that let you freestyle your own song. Was fun messing with the note bends there. :)

[@Roxfox]

I think the triggers also added an additional half step, down with left and up with right, at least in the GameCube port which is where I played OoT for the first time. I spent many hours trying to learn the full versions of the ocarina songs, substituting button presses for bends so it wouldn't trigger the song, and my muscle memory tells me I needed both the stick up and a trigger held to get to the final high note in the Lon Lon Ranch theme...

[@thulsa_doom]

I still have the OoT cartridge I bought in 1999. I played this game for countless hours and messed around with the ocarina a lot! haha Not only the analog stick changes the tone (up or down for a whole tone, or sideways for a vibrato) but also the Z and R buttons (Z for a half tone lower and R for a half tone higher).

[@brandobond]

I remember downloading and printing off ocarina "cheat codes" which were just sheet music (well, button press short hand) of popular songs. I got pretty good at it too!

[@anthonygillette]

Koji Kondo and Nobuo Uematsu are my two favorite. Everything they’ve done is memorable, nostalgic, and iconic.

[@samkauffman53]

He didn't mention that Zelda's Lullaby predates Ocarina of Time. It was in Link to the Past! So in order to use it in OoT, Kondo already had three of the five notes set in stone, giving him even less flexibility for the other songs.

[@HighPriestFuneral]

One of the comments that I've seen on this video show that the question of Zelda's Lullaby shapes a Triforce, I can definitely see that as a starting point from which to build from.

[@theponderingplumb9790]

Koji Kondo is the John Williams of gaming, thanks for this much-needed serotonin hit!

[@rabbidassassinMC]

I've always thought the N64 Zelda games have such a different vibe than the rest of the series. Partially due to their comparatively darker themes as well as their heavy draw from real world cultures. Whenever I think of video game music it doesn't take long for OOT or MM to come up, especially the dungeon themes.

[@cloudhed]

Forest Temple 4life

[@GaudyGabriev]

You're not wrong. The whole of what those 2 games became was the sum of straight up genius from everyone involved, from Miyamoto to Kondo and everybody in between. What they did impacted gaming (and lots of kid's lives, mine included) in a way I think no other game has reached, for good reason.

[@Woodyoodyoow]

I only discovered them later on, but I'd say Link's Awakening songs were pretty memorable too.

[@ARZiehm]

@@Woodyoodyoow The ballad of the windfish is really good, and maaaaybe the theme from face cave or whatever it's called, but pound for pound there's many more bangers in OoT and MM edit: Tal Tal heights is pretty solid too

[@HyperImaginative]

I love The Song of Healing, it's such an emotionally heavy song especially when the piano and synth kicks in. Forest Temple is amazing and mysterious and the Water Temple always feels very calm and chill. And I love Oath to Order, very ominois and emotional too.

[@Nitrogen467]

Something that makes the ocarina songs even more impressive to me is that Zelda's Lullaby wasn't introduced in Ocarina of Time, it first appeared in Link to the Past. Not only did Koji Kondo do such a phenomenal job with making the ocarina songs distinct and memorable and all that with only five notes, he did so while only actually getting to choose two new notes. Three of them were already set in stone.

[@Erolatilon]

The Song of Storms was based on the Castle/Fortress Theme from Yoshi's Island, so the limitation in even Bagger, which makes it much more impressive than only the Lullaby limitation.

[@paradoxxis8612]

@@Erolatilon No, the only thing borrowed from Castle Fortress is the bassline, so it wouldn't affect the notes of the melody at all.

[@michaelclements5793]

The sheet music at 8:10 is Kaepora's theme (that owl that everyone hates who shows up and yammers on and on), in case anyone was wondering.

[@michaelkrelwitz6203]

You're absolutely correct about the sunrise theme. I've never thought of it when I think of Zelda music, but I was hit by a wave of nostalgia the second you played it! Reminds me of waking up early Saturday morning to play some Zelda :)

[@HighPriestFuneral]

I can't believe I never noticed that the starting notes of the morning was the Sun's Song answer. It makes perfect sense, I mean, it should have been obvious if played in Hyrule Field from day to night.

[@mitchtvdsu4275]

I think Ocarina of Time definitely sparked my interest in playing songs by ear on the piano. The first song I played by ear was the Song of Storms. The music was so special because it made so many memories for me. This game not only had great music, it had music that made you want to play an instrument!

[@winterpumppkinn430]

This is literally me. The first song when I play any instrument I pick up is song of storms. It's so simple yet so mm! Music my beloved and if it weren't for ocarina of time, idk where I'd be.

[@hyzmarie]

:) yeah. I don’t play an instrument but I’d like to learn the one that sounds like a music box (I think it’s called kalimba?)

[@ianemerson2704]

​@@hyzmarieCelesta?

[@CalamityInAction]

Watching this channel while taking a theory class hits differently than before

[@zulkst]

I can relate

[@granthoechst5255]

Great vid! The point about repeated 3-note phrases being memorable for the player is a great one, and leads me to think it was a great design call to WAIT on the 6-note songs (minuet of forest, serenade of water, etc) until later in the game when the player is already familiar with the ocarina mechanic :)

[@Pr3tzelz]

Koji Kondo is THE reason why I got into music as a kid that led me to become a Cellist. Absolute legend. Still get goosebumps hearing music from this game

[@Sapphira603]

I have been waiting for this video since 1998. Since day 1, I have been so blown away by how many GOOD songs Kondo composed out of these 5 notes, and just how different all of the songs sound. In particular, the bit about Sun's Song and how it fits into the morning theme of Hyrule Field is something that resonated with me (no pun intended), as its one of my favorite bits of video game music ever. Though I admit when you asked rhetorically what songs were the most memorable from this game, my brain went GERUDO VALLEY before shorting out.

[@frickinfrick8488]

This is an amazing video. I was always impressed by how iconic and different all the ocarina tunes were while only using the same few notes, I’m glad to discover a deeper appreciation of that through this video

[@justaguy2182]

He took just 5 notes and made 12 tracks that all sound so distinct from each other. It's a feat that i've always appreciated since first playing Ocarina.

[@Shroom-Mage]

Something that didn't get mentioned, Zelda's Lullaby didn't actually debut in Ocarina of Time. It was already firmly solidified as Zelda's theme in A Link to the Past. That means that Koji Kondo had even _more_ of a restriction on what notes he could choose because he had to make sure Zelda's Lullaby could fit. He had inadvertently chosen three of his five allotted notes in the previous game! Not only that, but the songs you learn as young Link have a series of three notes that repeat once before automatically flowing into the "answer" of the song, whereas the songs you learn as adult Link follow no such pattern. This was almost certainly a deliberate design choice in order to make the first songs in the game the easiest to learn. Again, Zelda's Lullaby was already following that 3x2 pattern in its initial composition, which means that once again, he had already set up one of his restrictions many years prior. Many pieces of the Zelda series fit together like a long since scattered puzzle, and the music is absolutely no exception.

[@Annihilated481]

It's also why Zelda's Lullaby is the only melody that's not playable on a real ocarina, which only has around one octave.

[@Zeraphyr_]

I'd be really interested in seeing a follow-up video discussing the similar limitations present in The Wind Waker and how the games approach them differently, both musically and in regards to gameplay.

[@almisami]

I still say Gedudo Valley's guitar riff is absolutely the song that comes to mind to me when someone mentions OoT.

[@ntholas]

This. I went on to play guitar for this

[@hyzmarie]

I LOVE GERUDO VALLEY!!! Sadly I also usually use Zelda music to relax… slow covers don’t stand up to the original. Zelda and Chill’s cover for instance is a solid Zelda and Chill, but it’s not really a Gerudo Valley. I wish they’d reused that in the desert for BotW

[@TheBfutgreg]

Gerudo Valley and Song of Storms are the two biggest OoT originals I think of....as a kid I loved Kakariko Village and Zelda's Lullaby but they were from ALttP

[@thisisfyne]

I think the effect of all this is a soundtrack that feels insanely coherent, and thus memorable. If you think about it, Kondo did basically the same thing for Super Mario World; pretty much all the level music in the game is a series of declinations from a single core idea (the overworld theme). No doubt this approach was used in OoT to craft melodies from, again, one core structure (the 5 notes). It's brilliant, really! Edit: OMG I never realized that Sun's song plays at the beginning of the Hyrule Field track!!!!! WOW!!

[@YingwuUsagiri]

Out of all of these I mostly feel impressed how Kondo just went I know that the Descending Bass has been somber and sad for CENTURIES from Bach's Crucifixus to Chopin's Prelude in E minor to more recently in Les Miz and even Up BUT I'm going to make it homely and calming in Lon Lon Ranch.

[@jimmyhirr5773]

Don't forget "While my Guitar Gently Weeps" and "Dazed and Confused"!

[@Cherodar]

There are plenty of non-sad uses of the descending bass in older music though! For instance, Bach's Air on the G string, or Procol Harum's "A White Shade of Pale."

[@lambdaman3228]

This comment makes me cringe. Kondo knew what he was doing, and he was masterfully playing into a western genre music stereotype, not going against some long standing tradition. Your comment reeks of classical elitism while simultaneously being ignorant of musical history. Like a child who is just learning but already believes they know it all.

[@the_SolLoser]

Up? The movie? The movie that was made many years AFTER Zelda:OOT? The dude is a time traveler from the future! No wonder he's so damn good! 😂😂🚀

[@epicgamer-ur1wg]

@@lambdaman3228 jesus

[@treborkroy5280]

You can close your eyes and know exactly whats going in this game. The sound and music is perfection.

[@Woodyoodyoow]

Had to see this right after getting the notification! I think the relative simplicity of melodies in Ocarina of Time and being able to fiddle with the ocarina are what led me and, I assume, a lot of other young kids to become interested in music. I would definitely like to see more videos about the series. And I like how you included the Owl theme in the background which is one of my favourite OoT songs.

[@BobTheism]

Oh yeah, this is what hit me the hardest when I first played OoT. I never had a N64 as a kid so I was like I think 17, maybe, when I first played it. At that point I had played music for more than half my life and I immediatley noticed how limiting five notes seemed and then the game just hits you with banger after banger! Glad someone could put it into words better than I could!

[@jjkthebest]

Man, I love the temple of time music. There's not many songs that are able to just instantly give me shivers as strong and consistently as this one.

[@ShuckleShellAnemia]

It’s worth mentioning that Zelda’s lullaby wasn’t composed for Ocarina of Time but was already an established song from A Link to the Past, which may have acted as a jumping-off point in Kondo’s process for picking the 5 different notes Edit: and of course someone else already made almost this exact same comment lol. Guess it means it’s a strong theory!

[@Fmajor7]

Ocarina of time/Koji Kondo is the reason why I'm a music student today 😍😌

[@Cuzjudd]

😍

[@spacefan36]

The little "drawing a line" sounds add some "real" feeling to the video which makes it perfect to watch.

[@richardlu6706]

I just finished OOT 3D the other day, and I think this video touched on so much of what made the atmosphere of that game special-the soundtrack stems from a very simple ocarina system (that's made more dynamic by, as you said, giving the player the power to play each note rather than picking songs from a menu).

[@ejwiseman]

This is SUCH a well written, edited, researched, and cohesive video. I revisit it every time I'm stuck with my composing. Keep up the good work!

[@deltaloraine]

These songs have stuck with me longer than anything else. They’re so simple, yet powerful. Super catchy, yet unique. You hear them once and find yourself humming them forever

[@martinborgen]

At 9:56, "in both cases the answering phrase leaps up dramatically in response, but it's interesting to note that after these leaps upward, both melodies use downward motion to acutally resolve the phrase" This is literally counterpoint 101, from Pallestrina or before, to Fux's Gradus ad Parnassum, to our day. I'm of the opinion that you don't need to learn any theory, much less counterpoint to compose music, but there are lots of good stuff there you can choose to use or not use to further the music you have in mind. Koji Kondo is obviously aware of all these musical forms and gestures, and uses them to maximum advantage here.

[@KnightTechStudios]

8:28 Question: What happens when you reach the top of a mountain? Answer: You go back down Question: What happens when you reach the bottom of a valley? Answer: You go back up Crescendos are naturally followed by Diminuendos. Diminuendos are naturally followed by Crescendos.

[@cowheaddoe2544]

You just helped layer on a whole new level of appreciation for these songs. Thank you for all you do!

[@GrooseyGroose]

Seeing what Koji Kondo managed to do focusing on just 5 notes is crazy inspiring, and the point about those songs being some of the most iconic in video game history is mind blowing. It makes it much less intimidating to try writing music because you don't need to know many complex ideas to make something beautiful, just use few ideas extremely well.

[@rux_ton]

I am so excited that you did this video! One of the games that really pushed and reinforced how much I wanted to be doing music and I never looked back. Thanks for this breakdown!

[@satirical140]

Every time I hear the Temple of Time music I get emotional. I don't know what it is about the theme but I have ALWAYS loved it ever since I first played the game, and it's stuck with me all these years.

[@TheBfutgreg]

Agreed and then it has a central role in Majora's Mask too

[@HighPriestFuneral]

Song of Time was my lullaby from 1998 to 2000, before the Song of Healing became my lullaby from 2000 to 2002. (Then dot hack took over my life and Harald's Theme became my lullaby for quite some time)

[@drdandan6128]

12:01 that motif is also used in the song in BOTW when you're at a stable

[@cebo24]

Bruh this man is iconic and you have to keep in mind that he even made a new palette of songs for majoras mask with the same notes

[@Valadit]

I really wish there were more people doing analysis and discussions of video game music, especially since the video game industry is such a prominent employer of modern-day composers, and because a lot of the newest developments and explorations in music theory are tested out in video games. Whenever I have faced burnout in doing music in college these last few years, channels like 8-bit music theory have always done a great job renewing my passion for the whole field. Keep up the incredible work, me and all of my colleagues/roommates love your videos and quote them on a near-weekly basis!

[@Infernoraptor]

Crazy to remember how many amazing titles came out in '97 and '98

[@Kithara1117]

There haven't been many leaps in technology as big as the leap from 2D to 3D in the history of gaming, so it's no surprise. Comparing those games to the games of 2 or 3 years earlier is what made them seem so amazing; aside from being technical achievements, a lot don't hold up.

[@Infernoraptor]

@Patrick Hamos I wouldn't go THAT far. I work in games. Most people in the industry honestly want to make good games. It's the management and marketing teams that are often the problem.

[@KairuHakubi]

not just games either. the end of the millennium was an amazing time for TV.

[@iantaakalla8180]

And now everything is just for money except for accidents. I don’t use accidents in the way that most use accidents; I use it in that since everything is now intentional and towards making money and preserving the status quo and subjugation, anything that escapes that is, essentially, an accident.

[@Infernoraptor]

@@iantaakalla8180 I work in games. The difference is cost: the developers are as dedicated as always, but now they need more development money so the management has more influence.

[@camblokland]

That guitar lick at 5:26 made me giggle 😂 the “only scale” we know 😁

[@SolvingTheMoneyProblem]

Dope vid. Kondo is the GOAT!

[@jeanderbar]

Have been following your channel since the beginning, didn't know you were a fellow VG music aficionado. :)

[@nomukun1138]

4:17 I've probably played Ocarina of Time through more than any other video game, and I never noticed the movement in the tenor voice before. (The Eø7 chord with the B♭)

[@FoxerTails]

What I really like is that after Ocarina of Time was released and Majora's Mask began development, Kondo went all out in constructing the ocarina tunes in that game. I especially love New Bossa Nova.

[@dittmanrat]

Dude, I just taught a small class on this exact subject last month! These 5 notes in Ocarina of Time hugely inspired my own deep dive into music theory as a kid/teenager, so it's cool to see another musician showcasing it. My class was about 2 hours so I've got a few points that you didn't cover, but you also filled in a couple gaps I had with this video, so this was great to find! Here's a few super quick notes for anyone interested: I liked how you grouped the notes into a DFA group and a ABD group. I had something similar, and classified my songs into three groups: "Songs without F", "Songs without B", and "Songs with F and B". Most of the harmonically adventurous songs are in that third category. In the game you never need to play the songs at tempo or in rhythm, although as a kid I usually tried to do that anyway. Luckily, it seems Koji Kondo also limited his rhythms somewhat. The first six songs are the easiest rhythmically because they have just 3 notes, grouped twice, while the last six are more complex but aren't at crazy tempos and don't go faster than eighth notes. The fastest ones are Bolero and Prelude. Because of how limited the notes are, some of the songs in Majora's Mask have to get even more creative with their harmonies to avoid retreading the same ground over and over. If they made further ocarina games, it would be even more difficult to find unique and memorable tunes that haven't been done already. Although I'll admit even in OoT some of the songs took me by surprise - I assumed Minuet started with G major instead of Em until I was researching it, so that shows Koji Kondo was always trying to include variety. Thanks again, I loved this one. I've been following for some time but I rarely post on anything, but you're doing great. Keep it up!

[@BrianMagnan]

This sounds like a fun composition exercise! “ Write a series of motifs and themes using only 5 specific notes.” While it’s common to use 1-5 in a specific mode or major/minor pentatonic scales I think you learn a lot about compositing/yourself as a musician when trying to write in less conventional ways. It’s also a great tool for writers block. For anyone looking to take this challenge up try this: find a song that you like the vibe of, take the main melody of that song and try to create 4 or more short tunes 2-8 measures) using only the first 5 notes. You can experiment with different tempos and meters as well as keys if the chosen notes allow the flexibility. But do your best to stick to those 5 notes. This will surely make you write in ways you don’t typically try. Finally, if you come up with a cool idea where you need to use a note outside of the self-imposed limit, remember that rules are made to be broken. 😊 Enjoy.

[@Mugenz00]

I was actually thinking about this while replaying zelda on 3ds last week. How limited kondo was with the ocarina mechanic yet he still created some of the most memorable themes in all of gaming. Pure genius.

[@Jeikobu]

The thing with the ocarina songs, I know that there are future games with just...items that do these various things, or a simple menu...it doesn't FEEL as good as doing a thing to do these more utility magics. Playing the ocarina just...FEELS great.

[@scraps7624]

I think this is my 3rd or 4th time rewatching this video, you really outdid yourself with this one my dude! And for a channel of your quality that really is something special

[@FreezerKing]

And then he did it again in Majora's Mask, though quite a few of those ones are reversals or modifications of Ocarina songs. Which is a great and clever way to solve that problem, to be sure.

[@kiwikenobi]

I was going to make almost this exact comment, but I wanted to check if someone had beat me to it. Glad I checked. ^o^;>

[@FreezerKing]

@@kiwikenobi Yeah I did the same thing before I posted mine. Somebody probably still beat me to it, but what can you do?

[@KairuHakubi]

Amusing too how we even got a few original little three-noters as wall graffiti, not used for anything. you can tell since that game was rushed he just kinda sketched up a lot of tunes and some didn't end up doing anything important i still think the new wave bossa nova (and their completed warmup song) was a huge letdown after they set up this cool rock band XD

[@BetterCallJamie]

I’m amazed and fascinated how the guy created such memorising tones and how they still stick with me to this day. I’m amazed how he got such catchy things out of a DMajor 6 chord

[@awintory]

Hard to argue the Greatest Of All Time title! What a legend

[@kozmo7]

This channel is just the best. Thank you so much for all the videos, blood sweat and tears you put into it all. Thank you!

[@jamesg.4279]

Granted this is a great video, might you do one breaking down the original Xenoblade Chronicles soundtrack? They use very strange instruments and themes throughout.

[@RE_sandwiched]

I would love to see a xenoblade ost analysis

[@thiffio9134]

I've been learning a lot about music theory from this channel. I am so happy I became a subscriber!

[@TheJuicyTangerine]

Is that F# at the end of Requiem of Spirit a "Picardy third"?

[@NintendoFan214]

Yes! That resolution is so pretty. Gives me goosebumps almost every time.

[@rettosu9792]

When I watched this video and heard Requiem of Spirit, I wondered the same thing. I've played and beaten OoT twice, but I never knew about the Picardy third until years later. And now that I know about it, it seems evident.

[@not2tired]

I learned about Picardy thirds in 1998 (the year OoT came out) and never thought about them again... Until the first time I played OoT, which was in 2019. When I heard this song, the term "Picardy third" immediately popped back into my head. I can recall this out of nowhere after 21 years, but can't find my keys after 21 seconds.

[@TheAdvertisement]

Each ocarina melody in Ocarina of Time has so much personality, thank you for showing why!

[@nshady16]

The greatest video game composer of all time sounds like a big call until you think about it for literally one second. There’s no one else.

[@CapoElChivo]

Sakuraba, Uematsu, Yoko Shimomura, Keiichi Okabe, theres definitely a few lol

[@calvinguy2715]

Nubuo Uematsu is up there for me as well. I grew up playing Zelda and the ff series. The music from both is great. Heck, even his work on Mistwalker’s Lost Odyssey was amazing. The music in that game just blew my mind.

[@vilhelm6134]

Grant Kirkhope and his Dk64 and Banjo Kazooie come to mind. Kondo still wins, though.

[@ARZiehm]

I agree with others - Kondo is indisputably the most iconic, but Uematsu comes in a very, very close second. The others listed, while also amazing, just can't quite compete. They're going up against literal titans though lol

[@BlarGames]

Nobuo Uematsu..Yasunori Mitsuda, Grant Kirkhope, Yoko Shimamura etc, there actually are. Kondo is definitely up there, but he's not alone.

[@EricBridges]

Ever since you first started this channel, I knew this video was coming. Excellent work

[@Daniel4119]

Now do Majora's Mask! It even had songs that played on the earlier songs in Ocarina of Time as WELL as new songs!

[@Dustz92]

Ocarina is the same with A link to the past

[@SquealingMage]

Love your videos so much! I love music but music theory has always been tough for me to understand but you make it so easy to understand. I love when you’re talking about “D major sus 5” and I have NO idea what you mean but then you pull up the sheet music with your notes and I totally get it. Thanks for doing these, it really helps me appreciate the work that went into the music I love so much

[@averytubestudios]

Ocarina of Time is my favorite game fo all time and to finally see it get a video the channel is just great.

[@unclewooly]

I recently purchased a keyboard to learn songs alongside my father. While researching songs to learn from media that I love I found this gem of a video. Definite subscribe and look forward to seeing more videos from your channel!

[@glitchy000]

Interesting how Zelda's Lullaby was actually composed for LttP.

[@MissingRaptor]

Thanks for the basic tutorial videos your channel . they significantly increased my understanding and appreciation of the rest of your videos!

[@cs82271]

Yes, there's good music in modern games, but I wholeheartedly believe it's because of the technical limitations of the past that make older soundtracks so great, as opposed to the modern day where videogame soundtracks can't easily be distinguished from film charts.

[@NickHoad]

Only if they use the same kind of instrumentation as film music, i.e. orchestra-dominated. Mario Kart 8, Breath of the Wild (kind of), the Portal games, pretty much anything with music by Ben Prunty or Lena Raine, and a whole lot more that I've missed all have very distinctive sonic palettes

[@BiggBossChanel]

@@NickHoad Mario galaxy has extremely memorable themes and it's also orchestra-dominated, I don't think the instrumentation is completely at fault here but I do believe with more reestrictions nicer melodies come up

[@iantaakalla8180]

Mario games are Mario games and therefore are an exception because everyone knows what Mario is about and everyone knows to bring their best game for Mario. The rest (except for Zelda and Kirby) vary far too much.

[@heartmusic922]

Thank you for doing this video. Learning how to play these melodies on my family's piano is what starter my musical journey. For that alone I owe so much to Koji. Truly one of the best games if not the best game ever made.

[@Tralfazz74]

I can't say whether or not Koji Kondo is the best composer of our collective generation, but I feel comfortable guessing that he's far and away the most listened to

[@MoonwalkerWorshiper]

He can make classical music catchy. That's it for me.

[@Tralfazz74]

@@MoonwalkerWorshiper You know what? I think you just nailed his style AND his appeal in 6 words

[@MoonwalkerWorshiper]

@@Tralfazz74 Thank you, I'm working on an interpretation of one of his songs and I think I know the essence of that which is why I'm basically a Koji Kondo fan.

[@Sector_VII]

This is the exact in depth analysis I needed! Wow! Incredible video. Not only did it shed new light on how these pieces were written, but I now understand the meaning behind those pieces as well. I love the explanation on how limitations can really bring out the creativity one might need for such a game. It can be scary, but it’s something I have to remember!

[@TheThoerlChannel]

On the topic of this, one of the things that keep me awake at night is the rhythm of the Song of Time. Since I was a child, in my head it always started on a pick up, with the second note being on the first beat. The second note seems to be accentuated, and it's also the D in D minor. da - DAAAAA - da - da- DAAAAA - da But many official pieces based on it (like on the anniversary album for example) and also this video, treat it as if it just started on 1. Which just sounds wrong to me. The rhythm feels awkward and the 1s are all on the fifth note, which makes it sound kinda agressive. Am I mad?

[@smoke_stacks]

I agree with you that the first note should be a pickup. The melody ending on beat 4 I think is also another indication that it's a pickup. if it was a pickup it could end on a strong beat (or just make the last measure 2/4)

[@KDeusgeetar]

You're not mad. I heard it that way too. I think the reason is the style of that song. It's really only a melody, and that's it. It's never fleshed more or fully orchestrating out in the game, like the other songs, with a stronger harmonic emphasis or rhythm. We only hear it on the ocarina and in the temple of time. It's just one melody, and that's the only context we hear it in. That leaves it more open to interpretation as to where we perceive the beat, time signature, chord progression, etc. One person may hear the beat start on A, while another person hears it more prominently on the second note, D. Because where the beat lies is never truly established by Kondo. That makes is sound more mysterious and atmospheric IMO, which I believe is what he was going for. hopefully this makes some sense.

[@AzureLazuline]

@@KDeusgeetar The one time you hear a more fleshed-out version is when you first open the Door of Time, and that one DOES clearly have the first note be on the downbeat, but it's also changed to be 3/4 (straight quarters for those 6 notes), so it still leaves the original 4/4 one up for interpretation! I always heard the second note as the downbeat though.

[@KairuHakubi]

interesting, I heard it as two notes with a little interstitial note, all daaa daaa (da) daa daaa

[@henrique88t]

That's the most perfect video I could have on my feed right now. Thank you so so so much

[@JETAlone12]

I remember getting bored practicing music for band and instead figuring out how to play OoT melodies. I always appreciated how straightforward and recognizable they were. Whenever I tried to recreate other songs from memory I was always worried I'd get the notes or rhythms off. But Saria's Song, or Song of Storms? It's like it was instinct.

[@JonnyZye]

I will never forget these melodies - even as an 8 year playing this game. Truly epic and timeless!

[@MrJakeValle]

He said “the oh-carina”

[@kcsupersonic1]

One of the biggest things I love about Zelda music is how each game seemingly evolves the core, "Zelda Motifs." Every game just has that perfect mix of, "yup, that's Zelda Music," in it. The example that stands out the most right now because of Skyward Sword HD is of course Ballad of the Goddess and how it perfectly utilizes the reverse Zelda's Lullaby motif while evolving that new thematic idea into something totally its own.

[@eldonhill4840]

Gears are turning in my head as someone who played OOT as a little kid and then learned music theory as a teenager... Wait, the ocarina scale spells out a Dm6? Is this why I immediately felt so attached to the D Dorian mode? Growing up, I always figured it might be because I'm from Scotland, and Gaelic music traditionally uses a lot of Mixolydian mode (almost a mirror to the major scale as the Dorian's relationship to the traditional minor scale), but this is a way cooler reason

[@KairuHakubi]

i similarly enjoyed this video.. I never learned any music theory but all of this stuff stuck in my head and I TOTALLY heard the up-down motions and the question-answer stuff.. I thought that was just me hearing that.

[@inheritedwheel2900]

yes, d dorian, but it's more flexible than that... it's important to note that at its core it's a bm7b5 chord inversion... that's the real juice -- that 4-note chord includes the tritone of the scale (B and F), which is very useful as an upper extension for all kinds of diatonic modes. g mixo, d dorian, f lydian, etc. depending on what bass note he chooses below the ocarina melody. the bass really decides the mode... my favorite tune that shows off the bm7b5 as a whole is "new wave bossa nova" from MM.... such a great song

[@eldonhill4840]

@@inheritedwheel2900 Ooh good point. That makes it way more versatile and melodically interesting. I love the bossa nova too.

[@Ace-in8qr]

I see what you did there at 8:10, you used a transcription of the background music's melody as the example right when the music switches in the video. It's a small thing but I appreciate it.

[@teamyordle23]

The creative juices flow when your choices in how to approach music is limited or already chosen for you. It seems like the opposite would actually do the same but there are so many techniques and styles of music out there to choose from that it actually gets in the way of creativity because you don't know what to do. Almost like a sensory overload.

[@jeremyhannigan]

I've always wanted to see a comprehensive look at this! Thanks. Also, Requiem of Spirit will never NOT give me chills.

[@bazzfromthebackground3696]

"Thats why Koji Kondo is the greatest video game composer..." *Uematsu has entered chat*

[@paulnewhouse5126]

The question and answer portion just made me laugh because i never noticed it before. This is why I love this channel!

[@hughjass311]

ITS AH-KUH-REEN-UH

[@palfo32]

I love your content, especially the pacing between the many really useful visual examples in sheet music, playing the track from the game and explaining. yet you keep it simple enough for me to enjoy the information and it so often inspired me to arrange video game music for ukulele or band instruments. really helpful, thanks

[@Vanpotheosis]

Is his mic buzzing or does my sound system deceive me? Tsk, tsk. 😆

[@cmdraftbrn]

both

[@konstantin9303]

2:22 Same chord that The Great Fairy Fountain music starts with! :o

[@bellyjelly0812]

I don't know if I can get through 15 minutes of you pronouncing ocarina weird