"Rey's Theme" - Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens (Score Reduction & Analysis)

A full score reduction and analysis of "Rey's Theme." Enjoy!
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[@ramonjosephesteves139]

It's late when I realized the real purpose of the moving robot.

[@consciousanimusic9293]

Same...

[@nicksipich1024]

Bb-8

[@lucusspokemoncards2741]

*op battlefront II moments intensifies*

[@chrispelayo6365]

Same, I didn’t realize it was telling us where we are

[@matthewlutz3912]

Uh.. I tHINK YOU MEAN BB8

[@liteoner]

This theme is so underrated. I often find myself whistling or humming it.

[@nealfiggy]

"Motif C" lines up to be harmonically supportive of the theme of "The Force" (try singing it over the music!) I'm sure it is intentional that Rey is in harmony with the Force.

[@liteoner]

It is. At the end of Jedi Steps and Finale John Williams did a little mashup of the two themes. Here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYalhp-BnNiBgZom27s

[@evancobb2554]

Bro wth

[@thatpitter]

I was about to comment that! Jedi Steps and afínale is such an amazing ending - the way it’s like, hey, you want to know who’s Rey’s parents are? Congrats for sticking around to the end... remember who’s theme was the force theme originally? Then episodes 8 and 9 came and were like, hahaha let’s just ignore John William’s foreshadowing

[@InsidetheScore]

You notice also that Motif B is basically the classic Dies Irae plainchant

[@laertesdd]

Nice catch.

[@waterglas21]

1:44 This is very simmilar to the Kamino theme from Attack of the clones.

[@patbreacadh]

Yes, indeed, the first notes are! I hadn't noticed at first. But if memory serves the Kamino theme then moves on to a minor phrase that is not exactly uplifting, yes? John Williams recycles quite a bit of his material, usually in a very clever way. Within the SW treasury of themes however, he has managed to come up with really cool ideas for each episode.

[@ReedBensonComp]

I really love the D Major Chord at 1:00, the G Major chord at 2:09, and the Ab Major at 2:41. They really gave me goosebumps

[@mydogskips2]

Actually, chords by themselves really have no meaning, it's the context, that is the sequence and progression that really makes them special. For example, take an A minor chord. Play a simple A minor triad on the piano and it doesn't really sound that great, but play it in succession with a different chord like John Williams does in the what this video calls "motif B"(first heard at about 0:36) and it's amazing. It's such a simple tune and structure, incredibly simple really, all of it, both the melody and harmony are made of up just the first 5 notes of the A minor scale(easily played on the piano without even moving your hand), but I love it, it's my favorite of all the motifs in Rey's Theme. And BTW, assuming your time marks are precise, I think the chord at 1 minute is actually A minor, it doesn't hit D major until 2 seconds past one minute.

[@djfiasco9526]

Actually these are the same chords in different tonality contexts. It's a Dorian scale which means that you are in minor and you decide to play a IV major chord instead of IV minor chord. It create this beautiful feeling. Man you are right, it really gives goosebumps

[@ZHL242]

Love how BB-8 follows the music at the end

[@gerardofranco-mora257]

ZHL242 it follows the music the whole time

[@JakeSandersonMusic]

Love your videos so much! Educational and interesting.

[@LoreleiMission]

Strikes me now, when the story arc is done, how much of Rey's theme was minor key/minor themes, and her tale wrapped up more like greek tragedy than a happy ending.

[@EvanYoungMusic]

I still see myself coming back to these videos to spark some inspiration in my own teaching and performing. Just seeing such great writing and techniques used really gets my brain working when arranging, even for elementary school band. Makes me think outside the box.

[@curiouschris98]

How do you not have more subscribers dude! This is one of the most interesting and original ideas I've seen yet on KZbin!

[@johnjackson9767]

I love these. So well done and very useful!

[@camsolo2024]

All of John William's Music is incredible. This one is particularly great. Thank you FilmScoreAnalysis! If you have time I'd love if I could look at Anakin's Theme. Thank you!

[@jaimevillalvazo7868]

Thank you so much for putting these together!

[@SorrelMae]

This is great! I love the rolling BB8; it's really helpful for those of us who aren't so proficient at note-reading. :)

[@tastyteddy3874]

i only just realised it followed the music lol. I thought it was a cute extra. Thanks for pointing that out

[@lazersly]

I always thought measure 36 was the bridge of the song. He uses it at the beginning of Farewell and the Trip. I also really enjoy how he removes any victorious sound to it by grounding it from the G back to the D in measure 39.

[@---wd3ij]

You are so amazing!! I appreciate and learn so, so much from your videos!!! Please continue creating these magnificent videos!!

[@jmisolis]

I love Rey so much!

[@user-bu8kj1re6z]

I salute for your great work!

[@germaintorrealba6973]

Great, great job!!! I just discovered your channel and wanna say thank you so much!

[@catslikethief]

Wow!! Did you transcribe everything by ear? That's awesome!!

[@josephf2960]

This is awesome. Thanks. Next please do Duel of the Fates please.

[@joheelee]

Great job! Thank you!

[@mariaeugeniacastro6699]

muchisimas gracias !! amo esa construcción maravillosa !

[@DominiquePERETTI]

Fantastic !

[@juancamilotrujillo2266]

Hello friend, very good reduction, I just wanted to correct one thing, at minute 2:43, I hear a countermelody made by the horn, which does not appear in the score, I don't know if I'm wrong, thank you!

[@RuiCBGLima]

Also Page 12, Bar 63 - the left hand is doing motif B slowed down.

[@wdwnutjm]

very nice!! Thanks for the BB-8 to follow (I do read music, but have a little trouble following so many things going on)

[@joebarton397]

These videos are fantastic! If you ever get the chance, I’d love to see some reductions and analysis of Rogue One music! I know it’s not Williams but it’s still great nonetheless!

[@JohnMassari]

Excellent.

[@daichan4177]

I love the Fmaj7 on the horns! 1:08

[@francescopagnini6230]

thanks thanks thanks !!

[@franklehman8677]

What program do you use to engrave these scores? Really beautifully done!

[@FinlayAcourt]

Looks like Sibelius. I've seen those blue page icons in the corners before.

[@GlennKramer]

This is wonderful! John Williams is the greatest living composer in my opinion.

[@PanCakesAreFat]

I have to ask: what is the notation software you use? Other than that, awesome job with this!

[@JohnKennedy-mk4ob]

Motif D is an end of motif C. It's not a separate theme

[@RedLabs]

👌🏼👌🏼 top job

[@masterzane4369]

anyone else notice BB8 reaches the next measure almost like a metronome?

[@bubbamc119]

Thanks very much for this! Just thinking out lout - wouldn't an 8.8 time signature be more suitable than 4/4? IMO the feel of the pulse lends itself towards 8 subdivisions. I have a copy of the official score on the way so it will be interesting to see what's on it.

[@maltebechtold6488]

I think a 4/4 signature is the suitable choice for music with 4 or 8 subdivisions. 8/8 would be kind of messy to read and count. I don't really remember an example with an 8/8 time signature

[@baptiste667]

Have you the complete score ?

[@tascha2007]

At 2:55 that should be Cb for the entirety of measure 66. I don't think the case for harmonic ambiguity can be made there, it sounds very distinctly like Cb.

[@bigboland6160]

In measure 67 it says Eb major but the notes are Eb minor

[@Love.Ruby.]

The BB-8 rolling around is so cute!

[@alexrus5495]

Thank you!

[@connorgriffin9924]

Do you have the original score to back up the first page where motif B comes in and it's glockenspiel/vibraphone/marimba? When I hear it I distinctly hear handbells (like the kind you'd see in a church) there.

[@oscarjenkins-wing304]

Connor Griffin I have the signature score, and that section is: Harp and Piano doubling, in octaves; Marimba and Vibraphone (very soft mallets); and glockenspiel doubling the top two notes of each triad. i can send a photo if you'd like, just give me your email??

[@connorgriffin9924]

That's so interesting. It sounds so clearly like handbells to my ears, but I've also seen Williams conduct the piece twice in concert and both times it was as you described (a mix of piano and mallets). I wonder if that's just the "concert version" taking into account that it's not feasible to have a handbell choir on stage for each performance. For the original recording it wouldn't be that unrealistic to track them in.

[@oscarjenkins-wing304]

Connor Griffin maybe, it could even be synths, but it wouldn't surprise me if the original recording is scored with piano/harp/mallets, by looking at the rest of the score it's just filled with texture. I remember listening to it for the first time thinking "oh this is really really cool, nice texture" and then when i got the score i was blown away by all the different things going on at once.

[@drumcoyne]

Hi, I am wondering if you could provide me with your reduction? I teach AP Music theory and am interested in using it in my class. Please let me know. Thank you!

[@twixotic04]

Some have thought her theme contains Dies Irae- would you agree?

[@bradfrey]

Just looked through the score and double-checked - I think the only place you could make that argument is "Motif B" at 0:24. You could say that the Dies Irae is present in the middle line of the harmony (C,B,C,A), and that that motif follows the melodic contour of the Dies Irae, but that's a bit of a stretch in my opinion. John Williams isn't usually so subtle about his use of the Dies Irae.

[@twixotic04]

Yeah I've been hearing mixed messages about it- some comments online saying it was obvious but then others like you are saying it's not something Williams would hide. My main interest was there is the whole theory that maybe Rey herself might go dark at some point, or has some dark side origin herself, so in the event that happened, it'd be interesting if her theme hinted at that from the beginning. Obviously pure speculation lol and maybe Williams is not privy to those kinds of details anyway. Thanks for the quick response!

[@TOcheesehead]

Maybe it was just because I had been listening to it at the time, but first time I heard Motif B I thought it sounded very similar to the first song in the Sweeny Todd musical, at the lyric "Swing your razor wide..." That song is definitely quoting the Dies Irae motif so I hear it here too, intentional or no!

[@twixotic04]

I was hoping for some hidden Dies Irae because one of the *rumors* is that rey could be the "harbinger of doom." Obviously take with a grain of salt but I would find that very fascinating for her character development and I think if Williams is privy to this, it would make sense he makes a "hidden" dies irae in her theme. I get dies irae is supposed to be "obvious" but if it's a spoiler for rey, williams wouldn't make it obvious in that case. Just my 2 cents. I just listened to the sweeney theme you mentioned, I hear the similarity too!

[@cherrycheryl]

I want to play that in my violin, but i don’t know how to read particures:V

[@peterphillips3665]

Is the entire score in concert C?

[@mydogskips2]

I believe the analysis presented in this video is, that is the actual notes/tones heard are what is seen. But if you are asking if John Williams writes the score transcribed in such a way, the answer is no, it is written as the instrumentalists would see them per the usual practice.

[@nastynate4916]

not the biggest fan of rey but i like her theme

[@maltebechtold6488]

The robot's body moves too fast (in relation to it's general slow speed) ;)

[@DocLitmus]

robot is so annoying, but thx anyway for lovely work

[@konradkaranowski6553]

The only good thing about new trilogy

[@thatpitter]

I don’t care of the sequel trilogy was a let down, Rey’s theme is awesome.

[@ENIGMVTIK]

I very much like the theme. It deserves a better character than Rey, though.

[@malkolmlind8598]

I like the concept of Rey... It's just that the character was pretty poorly written.

[@Nicksonian]

Rey? Who is Rey? Don’t know. Don’t care. LMAO. The music? Eh. Quite unmemorable.

[@TheSecondFoundation]

Pity the film was such utter pants

[@LuisLopez-ht2ww]

Great thanks! but please remove the animation of the character below , its is really disturbing and annoying when you are reading the score

[@carlpowell0]

I found it very useful as i am still practicing being able to follow a score as it plays. the robot is in time with the measures

[@masterzane4369]

anyone else notice BB8 reaches the next measure almost like a metronome?