The Chord That SAVED Star Wars

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[@CharlesCornellStudios]

WAS THIS INTENTIONAL I HAVE TO KNOW

[@lilpiccolo6519]

i don't know you creeper!

[@TheChiptuner]

It has to be… right?

[@idolevin8795]

You weren't

[@adampetersen5906]

Probably.

[@aud1gen]

Please do an episode on The Incredibles it has great music

[@AdamNeely]

brb gotta go tune my lightsabers

[@Joskus]

Dont tell me you are trying to produce a dyad…

[@mostertrucks]

Are y m m B. Bbb I do C the H a Bum. B Knock I'm a I got a bad no'e. \ J

[@voidzminer1017]

Third comment on checkmark yessir

[@judahunderwood8433]

lmao that sent me. thanks Adam you're low-key a babe

[@multifariousgemini]

😅👍👍👍👍

I really think that this is one of those occasions where a random sound design guy is watching this at home and shouts that “HEY HONEY, SOMEONE NOTICED THAT I TUNED THE LIGHTSABER SO THE CHORD BECAME HALF DIMINISHED!!! OMG!”

[@redyau_]

This xd

[@MegaCadr]

I hope so hard that happened.

[@bymovingimages]

Yea this comment is gonna live rent free in my head for a few days

[@barongerhardt]

@Michael Afton Will it outlast riding horses in space on top of a space ship?

[@zach_attakk]

Leo pointing at TV meme

[@BigUriel]

Imagine writting a villain so good that when he appears on screen the audience cheers.

[@peterlacey5187]

only Star Wars

[@poorcolossus]

@@peterlacey5187 Vergil in DMC

[@themattster]

This, THIS

[@galenmarek4582]

@@poorcolossus they were not motivated enough when they said Only SW

[@russellbonaccorso8310]

The Darth Vader of Rogue One is the villian we had been searching for over 30 years. He never showed up in the prequels.

[@Steve_Hickman]

What's astonishing to know, is that the Vader hallway scene wasn't in the original cut of the film, it was added when they did the reshoots. To think a scene that became one of the most iconic in the franchise almost didn't make it, tells you just how special it is.

[@zoundbiestudio4021]

Tells you just how lame they are at choosing their scripts sometimes, god. THis is glod. Everything they made after it is just meh.

[@oXRaptorzXo]

@@zoundbiestudio4021the above comment isn’t exactly right. They were debating between two Vader scenes. One is this scene, the other would have him storming the beach on Scarif. They chose the right move

[@nextgenkilla7645]

@@oXRaptorzXo yeah they chose right but i'd love to have seen the other too. imagine how terrifying it would be for the rebels as they were outnumbered by quite alot already but to witness Vader himself would just crush your hope

[@jan_v_ier]

alot of the best scenes in tv almost didn't make it.

[@jcoolguy1548]

​@@nickf.6027if they had both, the hallway scene wouldn't be as effective.

[@a.t.9083]

Darth Vader: slaughters an entire team of innocent Rebel soldiers Charles: WUHWUHWUHWUH

[@MitoseNorikoFan]

Is that what the word innocent means?

[@azeyd7317]

Honestly...is anybody innocent in this franchise

[@suburbanindie]

If you're military you're not innocent.

[@barongerhardt]

@@suburbanindie They weren't military. They were rebels loyal to the royal family. Basically insurgent terrorists.

[@midnightskyofficial]

LMAO underrated comment

[@iMikecompany]

Don't underestimate the work of the sound designer. Usually they have a very musically trained ear and work very closely with composer and director together. Sometimes working on it together before showing it the director. So yes, I think it is very intentional. :)

[@redyau_]

Yeah, probably not intentional in the way as the composer writing in the score "and then the lightsaber comes in with an E", but it was intended by _someone_ on the team.

[@jovanj2717]

I agree with this take. The siren starts on D and glissandos down to G, fitting in the G minor chord. The lightsaber reharmonizing the Gm chord to an Em7b5 chord. I think it was all intentional sound design.

[@suburbanindie]

Sound designers muscially trained? Bro they're usually straight up musicians lol

[@KyleDavis328]

@@jovanj2717 It may have been intentional composing. I haven't listened side by side, but all the sound effects sound the exact same as in A New Hope (for the sirens) and Empire Strike Back/Return of the Jedi (Vader's lightsaber). So it very well may have been the composer going, "Hey sound designers, are you going to use the same effects/methods of obtaining the effects as the original movies? If so, I've got a big surprise for you."

[@jovanj2717]

@@KyleDavis328 I can totally see the sound designers sampling the original sound effects, then working with Giacchino and the mixing engineers so the sound effects are in tune with the score.

[@hudsoncordts4616]

I love how at the beginning of the video, the part of this song that is playing is actually in tune with Across the Stars (Anakin and Padme’s romance theme basically), and then goes into the craziness that is the hallway scene, only to end with the Imperial March. It’s almost like a musical version of the tragedy of Anakin becoming Darth Vader

[@LuqmanHM]

Nice analysis and i think i can agree with that!!!

[@alexanderzack3720]

call me crazy/paranoid but that sounds intentional

[@151monka]

The tragedy of Darth Vader is not a story the Jedi would tell you...

[@joeysmith5086]

@@151monka But Obi-Wan does exactly that lol.

[@JinnDante]

Holly shit good catch

[@VictorYami]

That whole ending scene of Rogue One that starts when Vader arrives to intercept the Rebel fleet is a masterpiece.

[@dcmastermindfirst9418]

Sadly it's all been shit otherwise

[@joshuakegley3524]

I thought that scene was dumb. Vader could have just used the Force to grab either the object from the guy or the guy himself and brought it to him in like two seconds and then still kill all the rebels.

[@dobertjowneyrunior3023]

and the point of the writers turning a decades old boomer plot hole meme abt the death star weakness into the most touching revenge plot was absolute class.

[@TuxedoStar269]

Do one on the Incredibles because the music for that movie goes hard

[@goofygoober3776]

True, the waltz theme is my favorite. (when he's training to get back on the job)

[@AgentStormCloud]

I've been wanting this for so long, he should do it!

[@marcieharding2333]

YAS

[@Milan.1789]

And the Mandalorian theme!!

[@atshef]

He also did the soundtrack to Space Mountain at the Disney parks!

[@mattgreen7692]

12:40 there's no winds in High Orbit. Vader was making his cape flutter dramatically with the force. You can't be the Fist of the Emperor without a little showmanship.

[@subbot8077]

Technically it's cuz the hanger is pressurized and there's a force field covering the gaping hole that is the entrance to said hanger, but I like your explanation better.

[@imgonnasneezeachoo]

Vader has traits of Anakin, his attitude and arrogance and flashiness. Makes sense tbh

[@MingoCity]

Yeah, but there's a full array of rockets speeding away from him... maybe enough t flutter a cape

[@scottwallace1]

Perfect comment of the day. You win. Per.Fect.

[@SuccubiSage]

He also held the door closed and turned off the lights on his suit for *drama* lmao

[@davecrupel2817]

11:00 is the _perfect,_ PERFECT spin on the imperial theme. With the exact same sinister brass Williams gave us back in the day!

[@TealJosh]

Damn, was he forced to cut parts away from the video? Damn copyright. I know what you mean, but wish I could see what was cut out.

[@thevegastan]

​​@@TealJosh think he meant 11:00

[@davecrupel2817]

​@@thevegastan Yes i did mean 11:00. No idea why i typed 13:26. Corrected it. My bad.

[@themattster]

My favorite chord in all of Star Wars is probably either the first chorus note in Anakin's Dark Deeds or the very beginning of Duel of the Fates, they send chills down my spine every time.

[@MrBiteme39]

Duel of the fates is wild fast and all the instruments flare in and out in melodic or dramatic fashion. But also somehow catchy

[@sirraccs9584]

Ngl, Duel of fates goes hard, and it’s nostalgic af for me so whenever I hear it I know exactly what it is

[@jamesbarrera7104]

I could be anywhere, doing anything, and the second I hear that first glorious "....KORAHHHHHH....MATAHHHHH....." fucking chills.

[@iceberghoney]

Oh man, Dark Deeds is SO underrated, stunningly crafted

[@coachholden]

I always stop what I’m doing when Anakin’s Dark Deeds comes on in Battlefront 2

[@djorgs]

You guys realize he only had 4 WEEKS from initial phone call to make the soundtrack because Williams unexpectedly fell through and last minute reshoots? Absolutely nuts how intricate this score is.

[@cyndacat76]

The fuck that’s insane

[@SilverAg11]

Williams was never involved. Desplat was replaced by Giacchino with a little over a month to write the whole thing. He did a great job though, it's a solid ST

[@allarickhawkins1317]

Your harmonic analysis of the pieces that you have covered are remarkable. The pure joy you express during your analysis is inspiring. Keep up the awesome work.

[@brianbond9375]

Alexandre Desplat was actually supposed to do the soundtrack but he had to dropout due to his schedule and the late reshoots. That's when they brought in Giacchino. I don't think Williams was ever involved.

[@charliecampbell6851]

Williams wasn't involved

[@WoFDarkNewton]

As someone with synesthesia who perceives E as red, the fact that Vader’s lightsaber sound is in E feels extremely satisfying

[@lionnoir1592]

Omg you too 😂 why does this chord sound so red ?

[@cleverman383]

If you watched Star Wars while young, could Vader's lightsaber have caused your perception of E?

[@lionnoir1592]

@@cleverman383 I discovered Star wars late x)) but it surely is a similar reason, I agree with you.

[@WoFDarkNewton]

@@cleverman383 I’m not sure if we know what exactly causes those with synesthesia to associate specific aspects of sensation (ie: E specifically) with others from a different sense (ie: red specifically). It’s probably something like that, though I personally think it was likely a children’s colorful toy piano, but there are so many I doubt I’ll ever find it. As for this specifically, it completely depends on whether Vader’s lightsaber was also in E in the original movies.

[@stevencox3019]

Awww man...I get orange

[@timmeinshausen6060]

hands down one of the TOP 3 most amazing moments in a theater. the entire theater full of people ROARed....its what we should have had with ALL the movies in the Disney era.....WHY is this so hard to achieve?

[@christophergallagher3721]

Lack of respect for the franchise. All the new directors want to do their own thing.

[@PhotonBread]

The siren/alarm going off in the background is forever burned into my memories. Absolutely iconic

[@victorportella8389]

"The light saber is in E" is definitely not a phrase I thought I would hear today...

[@joda3615]

My heater is an F. When I played an F1 on my keyboard my heater started to vibrate like crazy. And it actually sounds somewhat like a light saber. Absolute useless piece of information, I know

[@Randomness823]

@@joda3615 resonate frequency!!! We love vibrating things by making noise

[@lorddragonskin3603]

I hear many appliances constantly emitting musical notes. Most commonly: -Drills in F (though most recently I've heard them in C) -Shaving machines in Eb (when away from hair) or A (when in contact with hair). -Anything related to cold (I think temperature in general) in E.

[@lennartmachatsch9897]

Fun fact: the sound of Vaders saber slashing is a bassline to the piece ALL the time, the guy shouting „take it“ adds to the chord in the same way the saber is (somewhere between the 3brd and 3rd) as well as the blaster shots and Vaders breath. Finally a really demonstrative score that shows, what film music actually does/is supposed to do!

[@rnttnzr774]

Yeah that’s an old technique called “Mickey mousing” where the music literally narrates the action and melds with the sound fx

[@jackbob9961]

@@rnttnzr774 would Baby Driver be an example?

[@rnttnzr774]

@@jackbob9961 Since Baby Driver is mostly licensed music I don’t think it technically counts. although you are right in that the soundtrack for BD always fits the energy of the scenes, Mickey Mousing is more when you annunciate an action (like a character slipping and falling) with accompanying musical sound effects (like a slide whistle).

[@mrslipnslide251]

@@jackbob9961 I believe Baby Driver was more about sequences being choreographed to pre-existing songs, rather than music being written around the action in the film.

[@ICCUWANSIUT]

@@rnttnzr774 that's a bit ironic considering the owner of star wars rights

[@A_Final_Hit]

Having had no clue as to Vader's presence in Rogue One before its theatrical release, I was positively giddy when he powered up his lightsaber, and couldn't help but cheer him on as he proceeded to slaughter every soldier in his path. I grew up watching the original trilogy on a weekly basis, so the sight of Vader finally displaying why he was the most terrifying being in the universe was truly remarkable to witness.

[@LAK_770]

Yeah that was probably the most hype I’ve ever been in a theater. Like, goosebumps, jaw dropped, completely and utterly impressed. By that point I hadn’t been a big SW fan for years, but it completely reignited that magic for me. The sheer spectacle and terror of it, they NAILED it. The ultimate example of fanservice done right. Then you realize that it’s segueing directly into the first scene of ANH and that ties a bow on it

[@Jearbearjenkins]

Only time I ever sat in a theatre and the whole cinema went crazy and cheered for a bad guy 😂😂😂😂

[@zoundbiestudio4021]

@@LAK_770 same same same

[@dcmastermindfirst9418]

​@H1dden1s Yeah shame it went to shit after that.

[@andrewblackburn1426]

You know Vader is evil…but this is the first time you get to see him in action as the fearsome Dark Lord you’d been told about for forty years. Exciting and terrifying at the same time.

[@nuramotion6676]

I’m pretty pretty sure that it was giacchinos intention but Disney never noticed, because as a film composer you pay a lot of attention to the pitch of certain things in the environment of a movie.

[@SomeGuy_GRM]

Yeah, this seems like it. Intentional decision by the composer, but nobody asked him to and only music geeks ever noticed.

[@V3nom7]

@@SomeGuy_GRM Since musics are editing are in a very close realionship during those phases, it's very unprobable there was no intentional work about this specific point between the scoring team and the editing one. Movies (with a bit of involvement from authors) are made that way for years, and it's even easier with DAWs to edit musics... and video clips.

[@TyphoonSam]

Fun fact Vader actually turned off his life support to be completely invisible So basically he turned off what's keeping him alive to be a badass while entering

[@athmaid]

Or maybe he used the force to hide the light/alter their perception, like siths can change the way they look so nobody notices who they are

[@rolo2764]

That's dedication right there

[@CTheMagnificiant]

Theres also no wind in space, so he’s also taking a note from “How to Make an Entrance” by Obi-Wan Kenobi

[@michaelwerkov3438]

evidence where?

[@EvilSearchEngine]

Well if you're going to murder a dozen people, you should do it with style!

[@bungiecoocoo]

“The combination makes this dramatic disastrous sound” Like we’re 12 seconds away from having a room of corpses?

[@RdiSongs]

LMFAO I know, right?

[@Naseem384]

yup

[@ric8248]

This video just blew my mind. The light saber changing the chord.. WOW, I can't stop hearing it anymore. The perfect scene just got better.

[@ryanmac8829]

The end scene of Rogue One is amazing. That's the type of Vader that needs to be it's own movie, him just being an unstoppable badass.

[@bryananderson3772]

No, it shall be a series

[@SophisticatedGoat222]

I don't think it needs to be a movie. One of the reasons this scene is so effective is because of how isolated it is.

[@bryananderson3772]

@@SophisticatedGoat222 they need to film the Vader series like a horror film. Make everyone terrified

[@GrassHopa]

Being a composer and having worked with a ton of sound engineers, I can blindly vouch for this being 100% planned. However, I didn't know why this was my favorite Star Wars scene in the last 15 years and now I know. I got chills when you explained this. Please geek out like this in every video, I enjoyed it so much.

[@tobiastangen37]

15 years? pretty sure this movie came out in 2016

[@eddydrouet1888]

@@tobiastangen37 yeah but he means in the 15 years prior to when he saw this movie

[@ubberJakerz]

I think the Luke hallway scene in mandalorian is just above this one for me, but this takes second place by an enormous margin.

[@aclator]

@@tobiastangen37 IN the last 15 years 🤦‍♂️

[@Suspended4thYT]

@@tobiastangen37 Read the line again ...

[@uhwaykin]

My dude was like “I know that’s the sound of the twin ion engines, not the lambda shuttle. Shut up, nerds.”

[@christopherminutolo9384]

RIP MF DOOM 😪

[@Universal_Craftsman]

Composers for film music are just incredible, I have no idea how they come up with such good music, that fits exactly to the movie.

[@V3nom7]

Constant communication, tests, tries and errors, and rework between editing teams and score teams. You don't synchronize a ballet by keeping each dancer away from the others.

[@WitchKing-Of-Angmar]

​@@V3nom7 All it takes is good composition, as soon as you give everyone something enjoyable in their part, the entire orchestra will happily indulge into the theme and play it till their hearts content.

[@tracerjames51]

You know this chord had an insane impact when even I, somebody who’s not musically inclined at all, noticed it. Never thought I’d see anyone talk about it

[@elijahmarshall475]

"It disappointing that the characters die" True, but hey, you can't ruin their legacy with a terrible sequel if they're dead

[@Narfmann369]

That's what prequels are for

[@apmarcus]

Don't underestimate their power...

[@chwade6065]

@@apmarcus *laughs in Disney*

[@hsadreamerofrlyeh7516]

*Laughs in Andor*

[@Inferryu]

Prequels... force gosts... Disney.

[@darthsyphilis6008]

Three more things: 1. That Vader Theme is called "Hope" 2. You can here the Blockade Runner theme when you see the ship 3. If you speed the soundtrack up, it becomes the imperial march

[@zetaproductions2022]

I never never poo old have figured that out.

[@simonsaysdie3155]

Whaaat

[@andrewdotbrown]

The Gmin to Ebmin pulls a bit of the Imperial March into the mix as well. Which adds to the awesomeness as this was (at the time of Rogue One’s release), one of the greatest Vader scenes. Weaving in his theme song only adds to the feeling of his overwhelming power!

[@DarnWhippets]

Andor is one of the greats as it segues into Rogue One. Both show the backstory of immense cost and sacrifice needed to get that information into Leia's hand; which starts the ball rolling back in '77. Like many, I was there as a kid, at the cinema watching something life changing. Thanks for your compositional breakdowns, and enthusiasm.

[@fluffytoaster427]

6:08 "I'm sorry. I'll stop geeking out." *geeks out for another 11 minutes*

[@emr1d341]

me

[@thebush6077]

@@emr1d341 too

[@IAzraelI]

Me three

[@TruthWiz]

Me fourth (I am one with the fourth, and the fourth is with me)

[@caseykoons]

Part of why I love Rogue One is that it is a tragic story. Star Wars is one of those strange war-for-kids stories, when real war is desperate, tragic and good people die. It was something that the franchise needed and I think needs more of.

[@floppywalrus3426]

They also need less of “the good guys always win” since it ruins the tension when you know that everyone will love and get the outcome they want except the space nazi

[@brandonthomas9431]

If you haven't read Shatterpoint, you'd probably like it. It was another moment where Star Wars kind of dipped into the reality of war

[@ttry1152]

@@floppywalrus3426 sorta the thing with clone wars. We know half the characters will be ok

[@Vespuchian]

@@floppywalrus3426 Ironically this is exactly why _The Empire Strikes Back_ was originally kind of hated when it first came out, as was _The Last Jedi:_ they're both films where the protagonists fail (and in the _Last Jedi's_ case everyone fails). These days _Empire_ is considered the best of the original trilogy and people are coming around on _Last Jedi,_ but when they were both new people _didn't_ want to see anything other than "the good guys always win". As the second acts in the extended 3-act structure of a trilogy it makes complete sense why the heroes would reach the lowest point of their story, that's traditionally how the 3-act works, too bad _Rise of __-Palpatine-__ Skywalker_ didn't have the payoff of _Last Jedi_ clearing the road for it.

[@otteration9891]

@@Vespuchian Actually, Empire was very universally liked when it came out… saying it was hated? That’s a myth. The “hate” ESB got is a recent myth due to the hate TLJ got. ESB was never universally hated like TLJ. Stop falling for these myths.

[@odinnhrafnsson6267]

I really like how you look/ hear the scene as a whole with all the sounds and effects and not just the music and how it plays together. I never thought about it that way how the lightsaber changes the chord, but it's absolutely true. So badass.

[@ominousintrusivethoughts3947]

I was expecting a full analysis but it felt more like a conversation, kinda refreshing ngl

[@joeedgar]

10:23 those two chords (Gm->Ebm) are the chords of the Imperial March. The lightsaber may not be intentional but those two chords are ALWAYS used to represent Darth Vader, throughout the saga

[@OrignalElidest]

Same thing i was thinking. With that being said it has to be intentional

[@bigdave5678]

Indeed

[@mikeboxer441]

Was waiting for him to realize this!

[@josanbabu]

The music in the scene is the Imperial March, just slower.

[@TromboneConductor767]

By extension, that movement of a minor chord, moving down a minor 3rd to a minor chord is something William's, and many other composers of his era, use ubiquitously to represent evil in a lot of scores he's done. Comes out of the octatonic scale.

[@elliottlee5262]

just imagine if everyone's lightsaber's had their own specific note, and the character's themes were based around it all.

[@joermnyc]

Reminds me of the line from “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” that Blondie says about every gun having it’s own particular sound (right after the scene where Tuco shoots someone while taking a bath. It’s loud enough for Blondie to hear and he figures out Tuco is in the same town as him.)

[@Gaz66d]

I kinda thought they already did tho…

[@elysemeyers1256]

I know each lightsaber has its own sound, but I didn’t even think about how it could be reflected in the score… Further Research Is Needed.

[@kefkajanar12324]

@@joermnyc this makes me think about Revy from Black Lagoon! She uses modified 92F Berettas that make a very specific "PING" sound, and the protagonist Rock is able to recognize her presence when she fires them.

[@ChristopherKardos]

That's an awesome idea, actually!

[@LAMBDRIX]

Honestly, growing up with the original trilogy and then seeing the prequels left me yearning for years to see Darth Vader in his true fully devoted and wrapped in the evil of the darkside.. this entire scene wrecked me emotionally, tears of uncontrolled joy and excitement. This scene litrally wrapped up ALL of StarWars for me! This movie was an absolute masterpiece and I am left wanting a stand alone Darth Vader movie.

[@Sh27x3m]

A year on from this video being posted, I want to acknowledge the brilliance of the prequel to all of this: the ANDOR series. It’s just incredible how phenomenal this whole storyline is. ❤

[@andrewsorensen2316]

11:44 "Props to that guy! He had one line, and he nailed it!" That was the director, Gareth Edwards

[@guitarhero8110]

Gareth is the guy who pulls the lever immediately after dude screams launch.

[@quadcannon]

Yeah, he's talking about the guy that yelled "Launch" and not the director who pulled the release.

[@robertlindop600]

That's a Willheim Scream too

[@piraka_mistika]

Apparently it's actually Christopher Nolan (no relation)

[@derdurstbursch]

@@piraka_mistika i heard his name was actually Darude S. Storm

[@awookieandagerman]

I'm now convinced those lego star wars clips of Darth Vader conducting his own theme music with his lightsaber are actually cannon. Vader is definitely enough of a drama queen to change the pitch of his lightsaber to enhance the music.

[@janmelantu7490]

Anakin was always a showboating, swashbuckling hero. Vader never lost his showboaty nature

[@charliebeckham2391]

@@janmelantu7490 fun fact: when Vader is standing on the edge of the ramp towards the end there, it's fanonically accepted that he was using the force to blow his cape around, as there's no wind in space. At the beginning of the hallways scene, he also turned off all the lights on his suit so he could just step out of the darkness, illuminated only when he ignites his lightsaber, and finally, in an episode of Star Wars Rebels, he used the force to land his TIE Fighter while he was standing on top of it, implying that he flew his TIE to Malachor, got out, got on top, and flew it from on top of it. So basically, Darth Vader is still that bitch lmaooo

[@Boyde712]

@@charliebeckham2391 Vader understands that villainy without theatrics is, quite simply, a travesty.

[@OdaKa]

Bruh I am dead, this thread is hilarious

[@kalwidorntheimmortalcaptai2435]

Drama king i guess?

[@DoggyDanny001]

I love hearing people be so passionate about their skill. Keep on rocking, dude, you're awesome.

[@baumansound]

I would say I'm 90% sure it was intenional. Many Audio designers I know do change pitch (and even rythm) of SFX to match music on very emotional scenes. Even soccer ball kicks, weapons loading, chunky metal impacts, waves crashing, get pitched to match music in trailers and important scenes. I can totally see the sound designer layed this out, the composer layed this out, then they met during a mixing or editorial session where they would try out things like that. And I bet they geeked out just like you did (Specially because Rogue One was the 1st [I think?] Start Wars film without Ben Burt... they had VERY big shoes to fill).

[@theobviouskraken3404]

I worked in a cinema during the release period of rogue one. Much to my boss's dismay, the entire ushering team would all run to a screen when we knew it was approaching the Vader sequence. We watched this scene literally 20+ times on opening week and it was chilling EVERY single time. 10/10, would Vader-in-Hallway again.

[@lisa_gay]

The phrase "10/10, would Vader-in-Hallway again" has me giggling hysterically! Thank you for tickling my grammar nerd brainstem.

[@aejylhis4s]

I understand NOTHING about music theory, BUT, the energy you had is INCREDIBLY infectious, and I found myself sitting through the whole video despite not understanding a single thing you said. I love this.

[@chrisaustin9949]

It's not that hard. Think of the scale "do ray me fa so la ti do" as "1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8". A major cord would be 1 3 5 8. For the minor cord lower that 3 "me" by half a step. Now if you take the cord and start adding certain other notes, it becomes dissonant sounding. Most common is to add the 7th "ti" but here he's talking about adding the 5th "so". That's it, that's all there is to what he is saying.

[@janouglaeser8049]

No, the 5th is already there, you meant the 6th

[@kleeblattchen38]

no need...the thing to take away is this: It's unclear if this was intentional or not but the pitch of the lightsaber sound adds to the music and creates a even more dramatic sound...

[@Mattz554]

I understood what he said, but I get your feeling! I was also watching because he was so genuine! Such a good youtuber!

[@tfossgh]

@@chrisaustin9949 You just didnt hahahahahahaha

[@ashleyskapyak7103]

Your reactions to these scenes make me so unbelievably happy, you're adorable and seeing someone act the same way I do at these awesome scenes is so cool

[@EH23831]

Watching Charles excitedly geek out and lose his mind is such a blast 🤩🥲

[@azblueauthor8081]

When Vader ignites his saber, that's the moment where Star Wars goes from Space opera to Space OPERA. The music is describing the action, the Lightsaber joins the music, and the shouts of the Rebels join in as well.

[@00bean00]

And then the Stormtroopers lock arms and dance in from the sides

[@Flaxxxen]

@@00bean00 The clacking of their armor as they march certainly fits…

[@ImNotOld_ImVintage]

Did I intentionally notice the minor 7b5? No Did I feel it in the moment? Absolutely This is why movie scoring matters more than most people realize. The music will make you feel something whether you realize it or not. The right music absolutely sucks you in on a subconscious level. The wrong music did the opposite and can make the viewer completely disconnect.

[@shlatekkin]

"wrong music" **Suicide Squad has entered the chat**

[@DeflatingAtheism]

This is in large part why I think the studio heads thought they had a turkey on their hands when the original Star Wars was in rough cut form. The film still needed needed Marcia Lucas to tidy up the editing, and John Williams to tie the whole thing together.

[@lordsiomai]

True. The composer took the adage "music is important in film" to heart, and did a fantastic job at applying it

[@Arnaz87]

This brings back so hard *Light of the Seven* vs *The Night King* Light of the Seven was off-putting at first, because it confused you, but extremely quickly you were feeling it throughout the scene, and the initial confusion was extremely smart executed in the way that it showed that something was very off. The Night King instead was surprising at first, the same way, but it never stopped feeling so. For the duration of the scene it was cheesy and inconsistent with what we were seeing and the emotions we should have had. I love Ramin Djawadi and mad respect for the guy, he's pretty much up there with the best composers in Hollywood history. But that was not a good decision (from either him or the directors).

[@duncandonuts5268]

I remember Episode 7 actually being pretty well liked when it initially came out because of the mystery shrouded around it. Wasn't really until 8 came out that not only ruined itself, but it's predecessor in the process.

[@Jearbearjenkins]

I disliked it from the moment I left the cinema on opening night and I never understood why anyone liked it. It was a rushed, rehash of the old plot only being different in that it had an unlikable main hero (ONLY because she was rushed in terms of in story development and not because of her) and lost all the emotional baggage we had with the original cast. It felt like it was rushing to be different but used too much of the old movies’ material in the process. I felt like the whole plot was written in 2 days. And the first day was spent watching the original trilogy. If they made Rey a character that you could actually root for who had to overcome challenges she has never faced without dumb lucking her way through every single thing and being perfect at everything and they made kylo a little more menacing (without ruining Luke’s character in the process) it could have been very decent. I never thought she was in danger vs kylo. Mostly because she seemed to be insanely good at every single thing on the first try. And I was right. She survived the last fight. She wasn’t ever in tremendous danger and the tension was cut. Tension when luke fights vader comes from us knowing that luke is significantly underprepared and outclassed in every way. That’s why that fight scene works. We she has a significant disadvantage… but she has one everywhere yet she always seems to have this innate ungodly level of expertise at every new thing she does. Luke can’t even pick up a rock properly after being trained by obi wan and yoda for a while. She JUST heard that the jedi existed and she could use jedi mind tricks. The last jedi was actually trying to be different but had many many shortcomings. I’m not even going to mention the last one.

[@passingby7967]

I always enjoy your enthusiasm in music whenever you can't stop yourself from being overwhelmed with joy!

[@Channel-dg5tn]

Unrelated to the Music: When it all clicked, it makes the confrontation between Vader and Leia in ANH even better. It's literally a child lying to a parent in a 'they know that I know that they know I'm lying' situation. "We are on a diplomatic mission!" *"I WATCHED YOU RUN AWAY."*

[@anonleft]

I have the opposite reaction. According to Rogue One, he didn't "trace the rebel spies to her" he watched them fly away, they knew he did, and he just followed them. It would have been so much better if the escaping ship WAS NOT the Tantive IV. Also why TF was Leia just sitting in a corvette inside some cruiser? A huge part of the rebellion, uselessly exposed to destruction but not doing anything. Makes no sense.

[@Cafferssss]

The ligthsaber being tuned has to have been done intentionally. And it's an epic piece of writing.

[@BobRobertsMusic]

100%, no way does a person whose whole job and passion it is to obsess about sound not make these basic considerations

[@peejay1981]

It may not be intentionally musically tuned, but I bet the sound design people could hear the dissonance and said "yeah, that's it!"

[@shanejohns7901]

@@peejay1981 I think it was tuned intentionally. It's all about the timing of the swings of the saber in relationship to where the musical score is. That's just not accidental.

[@cmonclair27]

Ah..the lower pitch of sinthethic crystal. It's those sound effects that make SW unique.

[@Naeromusic]

Also the siren being tuned to D lol

[@sfawsf]

I love that you incorporated the saber into the song…..I never woulda thought to put that together…..it now makes me realize if this happens in the original films that the way the saber makes a kind of wub wub wub sound, that the origins of that style of dubstep may come from the 70s songs with the lightsaber over top lol.

[@mr702s]

This helped me understand why that scene had so much impact, thank you

[@Matthew-McCallister]

That blood curdling “LAUNCH!” Was definitely one of the best lines given by any extra ever.

[@Loafusbreadmyre]

Hats off to that extra for REAL. Honestly all the actors in this film knocked it out of the park 100%. Those who don't like it seriously need to take an unbiased look at this movie because it's so amazing

[@bigstanky2037]

that 1 line is gonna launch his career

[@mastod0n1]

Another commenter said that was the director and I honestly don't know if they were referring to that line and I did absolutely no research of my own. So.....take everything with a grain of salt.

[@littlepip8343]

The director is in that scene! But rather he’s actually the one who pulls the lever, which is probably what this fact is based on!

[@jimslater8685]

"LAUNCH!" In this case means " I am staring death in the face mask, get us the hell out of here!" Lol

[@VexylObby]

The fact that the lightsaber WAS such a pitch-oriented sound tells me they had some intention of context into the pitch mix.

[@pyRoy6]

If I weren't lazy, I'd check Darth Vader's lightsaber pitches throughout the original trilogy to compare.

[@grantmalone]

But that's just normal for a lightsaber. When they are turned on and not moving they hum at a stable frequency, like lots of electrical things.

[@VexylObby]

@@grantmalone However, they chose for it to be stable pitch, AND fairly in tune with conventional pitch.

[@adamkozakiewicz6766]

@@grantmalone And that stable frequency is practically exactly E... and then F# just a few moments later, as the music requires. Must have warmed up from being used a lot. What a weird coincidence.

[@grantmalone]

@@adamkozakiewicz6766 Right, but not actually E, and not synced with the music but cutting with the shot, and not actually F# but dancing around it, and not actually "as the music requires" but clashing with the music until it changes chord at which point it kinda fits with it. A weird coincidence that the lightsaber changes pitch when moving? For other examples of this see every lightsaber fight ever. I guarantee you you'll find plenty of examples where the saber hum happens to vaguely fit with the music. Especially if we're allowing for notes outside the chords actually being played. Add any note to any chord and you get a new chord. Sorry, gotta go, just saw the face of Yoda in a cloud... :)

[@TheMattooine]

It has a Frankenstein-like monster movie organ tone to it. One of horror or impending doom. Excellent!

[@sigfredcid]

Your enthusiastic manner and music passion gives the real value behind your work. Thanks for this.

[@benester4225]

Just an fyi! every lightsaber has the “hum” but every lightsaber sounds different. (Especially on ignition). Soo anyone other than Vader would have had a saber that wouldn’t fit with the themes created by John Williams in the original trilogy and Michael’s work on Rogue One. Freaking amazing

[@pianoman5586]

No one: Charles: That imperial shuttle is playing a Ab/Bb

[@RikipediaGO]

I love watching people geek out about things they love. Thank you for elevating what was already an iconic scene through your explanation of the excellent music!

[@Conrad1013]

That moment always gives me chills....when you're lost in how amazing the scene is composed, and then it dawns on you how significant the scene is, and your jaw hits the floor. Perfectly executed...

[@RedCaio]

It's very intentional. At least in the sense that they've said in bts materials that music is tricky in saber fight scenes because the sabers are so musical themselves, in fact George Lucas started out always intentionally not having music in saber fights, saying "the sabers _are_ the music" essentially. Of course they eventually started having music in the saber fights but they likely alter the pitches of the sabers to not clash too harshly or dissonantly with the music.

[@5botball]

Charles (off handedly): “maybe we should do something on The Incredibles” Me: Punches through screen screaming YES!!!!! DO IT!!!!! I WANT!!!!!

[@charlieistryinghisbest]

Agreed.

[@iheartedjwj]

Absolutely

[@Tavi78]

the creaking ship right before Vader enters the scene also sounds reminiscent of rumbling drums. dunno if it was intentional but if so that’s a brilliant blend of musical and environmental sound design.

[@alltheleaveswerebrown]

Nerding out so hard over this. Love this video! Thanks for putting it together and sharing it with us! Never apologize for geeking out over film scores :)

[@Arcanage]

As a sound designer, I tune everything. Although I'm usually only thinking of consonance and dissonance. Even atmosphere can do a lot in terms of psychoacoustics. The sound of waves against cliffs, winds, anything.. can all be tuned/eq'd to impart a particular feeling, be it conscious or subconscious.

[@Blake22022]

That's super interesting...

[@Nikora.Biddle]

I find it fascinating how music has a control on the mood at play

[@ChristianIce]

As a sound designer, I would never interfere with the soundtrack to the point of changing the way you perceive a chord, that would be overstepping my role. You are right saying that it's our job to fine tune things to avoid contrasts with the music, but in that case you would pick the root, the 5th or the 3rd, leaving the feeling of the chord intact.

[@Arcanage]

@@ChristianIce I don't agree. That's no fun. I do whatever feels right and sounds good to me. Sure.. keep a safe backup, but push your ideas and creativity... that's the job, in my opinion.

[@ChristianIce]

@@Arcanage If I find it cool I would at least call the songwriter and ask if he's ok if I change the root of his theme :) That is, of course, if it was intentional and the guy thought "let's turn it into a diminished chord", while probably he just thought "sounds ok, print it".

[@prestone.3698]

*Me knowing nothing about music:* "Ah yes, the gee-miner and ee-flat at 3/4th quarter point cord, naturally naturally..."

[@finnrock5558]

Same. I love watching technical deconstructions but I have absolutely no idea what this guy is talking about. This sound is made of sound, that's all I know.

[@juanmoralesvideo]

I understand some music theory, and I'm sure you do know what this guy is talking about, because you can hear music and you can feel what the composer wanted listeners to feel. You just don't understand the jargon (yet).

[@dugoo3405]

It is only natural...

[@mumbo4134]

😂🤣 im dying... Naturally ahahaha

[@finnrock5558]

@@juanmoralesvideo you underestimate my inability to feel music. I can't detect dissonant chords or when a piece is played an octave too high or too low. I'm basically one step above tone deaf.

[@Azeltix]

I’m not a musician but I totally heard that dramatic effect when you showed us ! Awesome !!!

[@someopinion]

12:17 Love how he calls it a "battle"

[@lauripaananen5263]

10:23 "That is a very Star Wars sound" says Charles as he is playing the chords to the Darth Vader Theme. Gm and Ebm. lmao

[@aydenduke2556]

Thought i was the only one who noticed

[@itsTHURSDAYagain]

I was yelling at my screen "IMPERIAL MARCH CHORDS BRO YOU'RE PLAYING IT RIGHT NOW!"

[@HollywoodLito]

Yeah, I heard it the first time we saw the film in theaters. Of course, I'm probably one of the biggest "Star Wars" fans ever, so...

[@MrockDragon99]

I was looking for this comment. 😂

[@CraigHunterMusic]

Yep... Giacchino not really doing a great job "not being Williams" when he's using the same chords, in the same key, as arguably the most iconic theme from the entire saga. Not trying to gatekeep but I find it odd that a self-proclaimed star wars fan and serious musician wouldn't realize this lol

[@LuanMazi]

Fun fact I thought Charles would talk about: That Gm to Ebm chord progression is the exact same one that drives (most of) the iconic Imperial March theme.

[@jeremysette3657]

Me too

[@kennethsimonsen7998]

That's exactly what I thought! I was like "obviously bro! Gmin to Ebmin is the most recognizable aspect of the Imperial March." Glad someone else thought that.

[@iriroche]

Yeah same!!

[@newfontherock]

And Duel of the Fates

[@yuvalne]

It's the general "John Williams menace". Voldemort for example is Am to Fm. But the Imperial March was first, and it was in G.

[@maximusk_vlogz]

00:08 love how he just plays this beautiful melody so casually😭…like howwww

[@luckytoh5750]

I may not understand anything but seeing this guys excitement and explanation makes me smile

[@toketsupuurin]

This ending sequence was one of the best horror films I've ever seen, and it's the moment I saw "ah. THIS is why Vader is terrifying." The original trilogy didn't give us THIS.

[@ari.martin]

It kind of did, we have to remember that Episode IV is a 45 year old movie. But this takes it to a whoooole new level and I absolutely love it.

[@ttry1152]

Yeah. A solid like 6'3 black shadowey figure who had a blood red lightsaber and could kill you through a tv. The rebels had a righr ro be scared

[@alastair4839]

@@ttry1152 "could kill you through a TV"....lol, brilliant - not quite sure that is how the force works... but then, hey, who am I to know :))

[@lukemimnagh2594]

@@ari.martin wait, The Original Trilogy is around 45 years old? My god…

[@BigUriel]

The original trilogy was limited by the technology of the time - and back then it was groundbreaking stuff. And the fact that it was not normal for actors back then to do months of physical preparation for a role to make elaborate action scenes convincing. Of course modern films can much "flashier", over the top action scenes. I mean look at Obi Wan vs Vader fight on the miniseries. I makes you wonder how awesome a remake of the original trilogy could be, if they actually did it right. Then you remember that they'd probably make Obi Wan gay, Tarkin would be trans and Chewbacca would be rainbow coloured, and Leia would comment every five minutes how men are useless while single handedly doing everything better than everyone else because reasons.

[@iakovzhitomirskiy1569]

The Lightsaber sound does not really get cut out, it just gets hard panned to the left and there is a treble cut, but the low, low E is still clearly there

[@dominicsianez3409]

4:12 - 4:32 was absolutely GORGEOUS. I wish he continued it

[@theaffiliate4208]

Even with all the Disney adaptations of Star Wars, my all time favorite episode was "The Empire Strikes Back". The fight on Hoth, the budding romance of Hon and Lea, the introduction of Yoda and Lando, the first real light saber fight, the reveal of Luke's true father, (and our joined interest) the introduction of the "Empire" theme... all make it the best of the Star Wars franchise.

[@biggayal84]

Definitely a play on The Imperial March. I love how Giacchino leads the Imperial March in to the Death Star theme from A New Hope as Vader watches the rebels escape.

[@sartajhanspal5604]

Yeah this, it sounds like it's building up the premise for the main notes of the Imperial March to get introduced at this point.

[@insightfulrhino]

You're forgetting that the Gmin to E flat maj chord progression comes from the first two chords of the Imperial March/Vader's theme chord progression.... same key too. When it modulates to Cmin later and maintains those same chordal qualities, same Imperial March chords, just modulated 🤯

[@thefabulouskitten7204]

I was going to say. I thought it reminded me of imperial March but I couldn't place it.

[@codswallop321]

Yes, thank you. Indeed these two chords form Vader's leitmotif and Giacchino is clearly referencing this here.

[@Vinemaple]

And then near the end, you get a little quote of it.

[@jasenjacobs1365]

It's not just referencing it. The choral is the imperial March slowed down.

[@Vinemaple]

@@jasenjacobs1365 I was talking about 12:42. But now I notice he's playing with it all through the retreat sequence.

[@airfixx_8952]

Awesome energy when you preceded to talk about the light sabre! [subscribed]

[@andybiz4273]

Gm/Eb chords being so evocative of the Imperial March makes me happy!

[@muftiosoTV]

The title was a little clickbaity, which is strange, because the video overdelivers. For a fan of music and Star Wars and filmmaking, this video is pure gold. Excellent work.

[@crazynachos4230]

Hey if the video overdelivers then he can clickbait all he wants

[@phoenixx5092]

original series: "a lot of people died to get us this information" literally the entire script of rogue one. But the end scene literally adds 10 minutes to the older fan loved movies beginning. So that one time, we forgave Disney.

[@oXRaptorzXo]

Disney did much more good then bad

[@EliteSniperTV]

@@oXRaptorzXo that's.... no...

[@Vim-Wolf]

Yes, when K-2SO died was the moment when I suddenly remembered this quote and realised where the film was going.

[@DanielBowen1]

The “many bothans died to bring us this information” relates to acquiring the plans for the second death star, rather than the events depicted in Rogue One to acquire the plans for the first death star.

[@ARandomInternetUser08]

wasn't that for the 2nd death star?

[@aidanrmacgregor7537]

Literally, goosebumps, chills, the second you added the E to make it diminished in your demonstration 5:38. Literal chills. What a catch

[@elysemeyers1256]

Then when you immediately cut to the opening of A New Hope and Leia is like “we’re on a diplomatic mission. I don’t know what you’re talking about?” Like he didn’t just slaughter two hallways full of YOUR CREW not half an hour ago! Lol

[@deadfromhell1235]

there is an indertermined amount of time between those two scenes

[@Einnor084]

@@deadfromhell1235 A daughterz gotta do, whut a daughterz gotta do! She may not appreciate, da fact, dat dadz been around da block, a time or 2, & knowz all about whut shez doing.

[@DavidSmashGames]

Which is why this movie is WORST Star Wars movie in history!

[@Einnor084]

@@DavidSmashGames WOW!!! Current eventz, should show u, dat a bold-faced lie, can git u far. If u blieve they r telling da truth, about just about anything going on n 2daze newz, then Princess Leiaz lie, probably woulda worked on u 2!

[@raptalos9412]

@@Einnor084 are you ok?

[@ethanhegel8576]

As someone in the film industry, I would be extremely surprised if this was not done on purpose. The music rings out here, the lightsaber rings out here; they absolutely would’ve cross-checked to make sure they were tonally complementary. For instance, in Ford v Ferrari, the composer was instructed by the director to use a key that would complement the pitch of the Ford GT’s engine.

[@orrinn_and_kylaris]

Great video! Chills just listening and watching

[@andrewbloom7694]

You did a great job putting this into words, I couldn't when trying to discuss the music. All I knew was it improved an already amazing scene to the point of being completely legendary. Ive never seen another scene get a reaction like that in the theater.

[@taatanka]

I would love to see an Incredibles score breakdown

[@MatheusRobis]

it would be really incredible

[@benwood535]

Seconded

[@snatch1838]

thirded

[@ShaunCollege]

Yes please. Please twice.

[@julianmcmanus3384]

Fourthed

[@kevyriverside8082]

Just watching people geek out to stuff like this gives me hope for better days

[@lenochod6]

THIS!

[@rangerstedfast]

Amen

[@mrswan7745]

Idk if anyone else has pointed it out, but this whole piece has really, really strong connections to the motif of the prequel movie Anakin-related pieces like the Duel of Fates

[@jondavis793]

Coming to this video knowing very little about musical science, you have given me a little more understanding towards the chemistry of the symphonies and the movie we all came to really love. Amazing, easy to watch video.

[@TheDakoad]

7:17 the chord is actually the same as the opening chord of Verdi's Dies Irae! The very jarring nature of it was also an instantly noticeable similarity, and while I'm sure it wasn't intended, it certainly invoked the same chaotic feeling that Dies Irae stimulates!

[@gillianomotoso328]

That’s pretty progressive for classical, it is a m7b5! The musical allusion is likely strong here to contextualize, but it’s also just inherently destabilizing or tension-inducing

[@AtaraxianWist]

Interestingly enough, it's also the Imperial March, a.k.a. Darth Vader's theme song. Makes you wonder whether John Williams did that on purpose, and this new composer guy too.

[@NielDLR]

I would say this was 100% intentional. Dies Irae occurs often in Star Wars scores.

[@TheDakoad]

@@gillianomotoso328 Oh yeah sorry I think Dies Irae is just a regular g minor chord, certainly no flat 5 in it, but the voicing etc sounds similar. Don't have the Star wars orchestral score to compare exactly

[@ZHL242]

@@NielDLR it's literally everywhere, listen to the first four notes when the full orchestra kicks in at 3:08 as it plays the main heroes' theme from the movie. First four notes of dies irae. Pretty cool when you think about how dies irae is usually used to denote death and mourning, literally means "day of wrath," and they made the heroes' theme echo its beginning as they all die in the end.

[@davidyuditskiy]

Fun music theory fact: The two minor chords a major third apart actually make a relationship known as a "chromatic mediant". This relationship is commonly used in film because it adds a very dark and ominous sound. In the case of this scene and the Star Wars series in general, it serves as the basis for Darth Vader's theme (the Imperial March).

[@millenniumf1138]

I took music theory in class and was pretty well known as a Star Wars fan, and my teacher would always look at me whenever we discussed chromatic mediant chords and say, "Otherwise known as the Star Wars chord." Because it's everywhere in the Star Wars score!

[@ambisonic8440]

Cant it also be a minor 3rd apart? Because a chromatic mediant is 2 chords that are 3rds apart and have only one note in common so am (a c e) to cm (c eb g) is a minor third and has 1 common note.

[@tonio3375]

A chromatic mediant isn't necessarily 2 minor chords a major 3rd apart, it's just that the mediant (3rd scale degree) or submediant (6th scale degree) is altered relative to the original key. So in G minor the chromatic mediant would be Bb minor (instead of Bb major diatonically). The chromatic submediant for G minor is Eb minor (again, instead of Eb major).

[@MauricedelPrado]

Music is math is music... Love this discussion and video

[@RRRRobbbb]

I've never heard the term "chromatic mediant" before but your last name is Yuditskiy so I'll assume you know what you're talking about.

[@zoundbiestudio4021]

This is amazing. This is brilliant content Charles OMG!!! You've just unveiled another EXCELLENT details on this already best star wars scene EVER. and man I admire your communication skills you're really transmiting a lot. Not only the message but the JOY of finding this. Love it.

[@chrisreilly1290]

I love you geeking out about this!