What Make Super Mario RPG's Music So Good?

[@unsightedmetal6857]

I knew it was Beware the Forest Mushrooms from the thumbnail :D

[@lilyrosethevtuberfan]

Beware the Forest's Mushrooms is one of my favorite video game music tracks of all time because of how rich the harmonic progression is. Shimomura constantly flips between the minor and relative major keys in the main progression in ways that invoke a sort of chaotic "stay on your toes" feeling. The modulation from C# minor to F# minor is the ultimate reason why I love this track. It goes from C#m to B6 to B7 and back to C#m. But the second C#m chord has a more dominant sound than the original does, and it's all set up by the B dominant seventh chord. The way Shimomura basically bounced between two different root notes, but made each chord sound different, all to set up a key change, is just a brilliant compositional move. Let's Do the Fooka Fooka is another Super Mario RPG track with an absolutely brilliant modulation that I absolutely love and highly recommend everyone check out.

[@acpeaco2]

My favorite has to be the Great Guy Casino music. Super short loop but it's always getting stuck in my head.

[@RyanLeach]

🎹 Join the Virtual Composer Summit! virtualcomposersummit.com

[@alexperalta45]

🎵I WAS NEVER BOOK SMART, IM MONEY SMART🎵🗣

[@satirical140]

I wondered if you were going to talk about this game! Captivated me as a child, and I think the ost is partially responsible for why I'm a composer now

[@clementcomposer]

Simplified rhythm at the end of the form to 'diffuse / liquefy the material and make it less distinct' -- really great insights throughout this video, but that one really stood out!

[@Bitimi]

Yep. My favorite video game of all time! The music is so memorable and great.

[@PierreFun]

Thanks for the music theory breakdown! This sound track has such a special place In my gamer heart! Breakdown more songs! 🙏🏽😆

[@SpoonyBard88]

"Where Am I Going" in the remake now has more than those bars and it is amazing.

[@ashpreet.singh07]

i look forward to you hearing mario bros wonders music

[@elijahdupaulmusic8017]

My favorite track is also Beware the Forest’s Mushrooms. Takuma Nishimura has a great arrangement of it.

[@anatomicallymodernhuman5175]

Mushrooms has more than just Dorian and natural minor (and major, unless you count the coda as an extended Picardy third). The whole transition/interlude is in my favorite mode, Phrygian.

[@jcong000]

I was thinking about mario rpg and you upload this, and similar things happening lately, it's creepy how the universe connection works :)

[@gavinleepermusic]

Great one! Excited to release that mordent video, as well as the course ;)

[@Amadeus.Herrera]

Such an amazing soundtrack can't wait to listen to it in-game!

[@douglasbradley7244]

Amazing analysis! Thank you, Ryan!

[@anled.composition]

Thanks for sharing !

[@bonuebonue]

Ryan, you analyses and explanations are very refreshing and helpful. Thank you very much!

[@musik9089]

Can't wait for the new course with Gavin Leaper ! (already since it was mentiond in the last video)

[@JazzumJones]

Awesome. Nintendo is always so great to learn from ❤

[@violet_broregarde]

This is such a good soundtrack, thank you for the video! I'd love to see more videos on this, there are still tons of interesting songs you could've covered. The clave is all over the soundtrack and there are a couple motifs that appear over and over again (one of my favorites is the dun dun dadun dun dun dadun dun rhythm that appears in the bassline of the opening theme and the snare drums at the end of the battle theme and a couple of other places) When you're writing a song in Ab Lydian, are you supposed to natural every D? Is it bad practice to use a 3-flat key signature? As a composer it's easier for me if the key signature reflects the notes that are in the piece so I don't have to keep writing accidentals every time the characteristic note comes up.

[@jamescb]

Yo Ryan I'd love to see you talk about the RRR score. It's pretty awesome if you listen to it

[@apormalo]

Great analysis, Ryan! Quick question, when writing in a mode does it matter what the key signature is? For example for Ab lydian, could I also have the key signature in Eb?

[@RyanLeach]

I think it's personal choice. If I'm in Ab Lydian I'd probably choose Ab major for the key signature just because it orients what the tonic is, but I get how that could be tedious to keep having to use accidentals. Although I guess the accidental kind of helps stand out as a reminder of the mode too

[@apormalo]

Cheers! @@RyanLeach

[@havenless3551]

Do an analysis of Windmill Hills from Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze please :). Easily the best Nintendo song

[@yeth_half]

AHHH IM SO EARLY

[@c.f.3503]

First

[@rushrallyofficialgameplayc7043]

DUH