Why the Gerudo Valley Theme in Ocarina of Time is such an Amazing Song

[@SaveDataTeam]

What do you think about Gerudo Valley and it's music? Tell us about it below! Also, it would be a huge help to getting these videos out at a faster rate if you supported us financially at: Patreon.com/savedatateam And I stream Zelda Randomizers sometimes at: Twitch.tv/savedatateam

[@knitguyy9212]

Gerudo valley is my second favorite. Right behind clock town day 2

[@generaljimmies3429]

5:55 The spirit temple's Boss is Twinrova, not Twinmold

[@apocryphalentertainment2456]

I remember reaching the gerudo fortress for the first time and hearing this play, and omg has it played in my head time and time again every time I saw anything resembling a desert! Love this series man! Keep it up!

[@alysdexia]

its, hick. Kristendom: more like Hæresydom; gentiles/nonvirgins/women cannot be Kristians; Orthodocsics, Catholics, Anglicans, Protestants are Petrists, papists, mishmash, Paulists as they do what Gospels expressly oppose like popes, family and marriage, conversion of foreigners, diet, wealth, eisèghèsis and mistranslation, public worship, and don’t do what they bid like drink poison, castration, play with snakes, heal sick (not with drugs as those incur death penalty for witchcraft in Revelation-bad news for sectarian hospitals), speak in tongues (not fake ones like Pentecostals), sell everything, buy a sword, cut off their sinful limbs, kill unbelievers, get killed for their faketh.

[@dianabuttercup2818]

So when will you get around to talking about the music and design for Lon Lon Ranch?

[@mikereyes2488]

I always wondered if Koji Kondo was like "you know what, I just feel like putting a Spanish flair to this level/song" and not really thinking of history/origin of the Gerudo people 😂

[@Kagomai15]

That could be true, and it could also be unconscious knowledge or bias, but either way, the history and influences are there, and it's very interesting to learn :)

[@hardcorecarlo]

You could also say he listened Bamboleo and got inspired by it, you're welcome

[@retrogamermax8287]

Well, Spain has some Arabian/Moorish origins to a good chunk of it's history so it makes a bit of sense to draw music off from Spanish culture for a middle eastern setting world in a video game.

[@deansbian5607]

I’ve just started playing this game with my sister and when we got here I was like. did Enrique Iglesias write this

[@StarBomber_4]

@@deansbian5607 LOL

[@LAM1895]

My dad plays guitar for fun and I talked him into learning this tune. It was difficult for him because he didn’t know the style and it was a huge workout for him to keep the rhythm, but he managed to learn it and I accompanied him on my electronic keyboard by changing the sound to guitar or trumpet. We had fun playing this together 🙂

[@SaveDataTeam]

I love that! Thank you for sharing!

[@cameronjadewallace]

That's amazing! What a bonding moment

[@lulufivego]

share the outcome

[@ayanamiayachanJ]

You have a cool dad

[@Nico2much4em]

can he teach me this on guitar?

As an andalusian myself and flamenco enthusiastic (and zelda player too) i wanna say that your video is pretty well researched, i liked a lot that you used video examples, you saying the elements names in Spanish and the respect, thanks for this video

[@jackwhat5969]

As a Portuguese man, as a history tour guide, as a fan of Zelda games, and as a fan of both fado and flamenco music... You've really done your research. Great video, I really appreciated this.

[@mangoreefclips]

Haven't seen the video yet, but Gerudo Valley was also inspired by Fado?

[@braziliantsar]

Fado is underrated as hell. It needs to get the popularity flamenco has

[@brianmerritt5410]

It takes talent to create a track that slaps, but never gets annoying when the player is stuck in that level for hours.

[@SuperSayinSolidSnek]

Make this song a hit and totally ignorable.

[@selenopheria]

Kondo would listen to his own music for hours just to make sure it wouldn't bore the player.

[@Guurzak]

My wife made up lyrics to this tune because she was here for so long. Ihatethisplace, Ihatethisplace Ihatethisplace, ihatethisplace Ihatethisplace, Ihatethisplace Thisfuckinplace

[@kevinerosa]

*Water temple music has entered chat.

[@trequor]

​@@kevinerosa That is the inverted opposite lol

[@simonn2045]

This is THE song I could listen to over and over and can find any excuse to just be in Gerudo Valley

[@sushilampa8287]

The music is just a plus but gerudo ladies are the reason IM there

[@GlyphicEnigma]

Here's the best excuse; play randomizer! :D

[@bluezaton]

Better excuse, make it your ringtone or alarm tone

[@ao1778]

For me, it's Song of Storms and then this one for #1 and #2, respectively.

[@johanneszollner9709]

Ur right love this song. Couldn't get enough. Tbh its a masterpiece and any gamer should know it cause its a big part of video game history and will ever be😍.

[@GigglebunsUV]

worth mentioning that i-bVII-bVI-V progression is also used heavily throughout Zelda's music, biggest one being the main theme. so the fact that it was used in this song as well as being the most common flamenco progression is definitely no coincidence

[@Tazerboy_10]

What's the i-bVII-bVI-V? (⬆️ - I'm not a musician nor an expert in sheet music...)

[@GigglebunsUV]

@@Tazerboy_10 its a minor chord progression, for instance in A minor the chords would be (A minor, G major, F major, E major)

[@radioactivejackal]

@Gigglebuns the progression you mention is not used in the OoT Gerudo Valley theme. Gerudo Valley: i - bVI - bVII - V Beginning fanfare to the main Legend of Zelda Overworld theme on the NES: I - bVII - bVI - V The first chord is implied to be the major tonic, I, rather than the minor tonic, i

[@GigglebunsUV]

@@radioactivejackal oh yeah! you're right, thank you

[@tovi3280]

Isn’t that a different chord progression?

[@erikhendrickson59]

Koji Kondo has written DOZENS of songs that I could listen to literally an infinite number of times. The man is a fucking genius.

[@MyUnquenchableThirst]

the whole soundtrack to OoT is my jam. I had it on my ipod when I was in highschool and would listen to it on the bus for days

[@Silver-qv2ow]

He was the master composer of almost every memorable Zelda and Mario song in the 90s and continued to lend his talents for the next decade or so. Now that he's only a mostly symbolic "advisor," I sadly feel like there aren't any catchy tunes in Zelda anymore. Nintendo will never find another Kondo.

[@ikersanchezcarmona9363]

As a Andalusian myself, more specifically as a "Granadino" I loved the way you explained our background history and how respectful you have been with Flamenco and our culture, you got a new subscriber for sure!

[@SaveDataTeam]

Thank you so much! 😁

[@Jiub_SN]

Are you Christian? Don't make me report you to the inquisition

[@settheory2219]

Le chien d'andalou was a great film

[@Ceridwyn82]

This song always makes me cry… it’s mesmerizingly, hauntingly, but upliftingly beautiful. It’s always struck me deeply, emotionally in ways I can’t put into words. 1000% my favorite. But there are so many amazing scores in the Zelda music universe.

[@MaxiGoethling]

Just a little info: Midi is not an audio format, it's a control protocol that only contains instructions. The way those instructions are interpreted determines how it sounds. Many modern orchestral soundtracks are written completely in midi with virtual instruments and often you don't even notice it.

[@terk-dawn]

I came for this, and was not disappointed.

[@yiurock4084]

@@terk-dawn that's what she said

[@BlackEpyon]

It leaves a lot of room for the sound device interpreting that control protocol, in determining how it sounds. That''s why sound cards like the Sound Blaster Awe-32 and Awe-64, and especially external MIDI devices like the Roland MT-32, are popular (and expensive) among retro-computer collectors. They can turn a (relatively) boring retro-game's MIDI soundtrack into an orchestral performance.

[@catfishvonbaron]

@@BlackEpyon With that said, can the games original soundtrack be turned into an orchestral masterpiece using the same method?

[@BlackEpyon]

@@catfishvonbaron 90's game MIDIs sound REALLY good on a Roland, but if you're looking for an orchestra, you'd probably need more than 9 channels.

[@dsramsey]

Aside from everything that comes with the song itself, I think that part of what makes it so amazing is its in the context in the game: after the gameplay slog of the Water Temple and the darkness of the Shadow Temple, here comes this unique, upbeat song that's unlike anything else in the game. Add to that the fact that you're entering the final area of the game, so there is also a sense of building momentum towards the end, which the uptempo song captures perfectly.

[@cullenlatham2366]

well, that is assuming you save spirit for last, and that you didnt get it spoiled by completionist urges as a kid (with a bean spot, 2 heart pieces, and 2 g. skultulas) or adult (you dont even need the bow to clear the fortress, though it is helpful. heck, with enough skill, you dont even need the hookshot. On top of all that, the biggoron sword quest will take you to the gorge, and it is one that is more beneficial to do early). With all the chances to have the music spoiled, it can seem impossible to save spirit temple for last, as the music will unconsciously attract players to the area the moment it is available. Then comes a case to be made that spirit is intended before shadow, as there is evidence for both.

[@sanoichiro]

Agreed for sure. It is very good to have such fresh energy at that point in the game. It reminds me of the Dark World theme in Link to the Past as that song serves a similar role in reinvigorating you while at the same time giving the game a more mature feel. It's hard to put into words.

[@Ryleeman54number2]

@@cullenlatham2366 I always goto Gerudo Valley last because its so far out of the damn way, and honestly I think the area is a bit annoying

[@rinbin9772]

It's wild to me some people consider the spirit temple the last one instead of shadow. Looking at the crest for medallions in the UI even hints at shadow being the final destination as it's the last medallion clockwise from the light medallion with forest being the first (where you're encouraged and expected to go first once you begin exploring temples).

[@cullenlatham2366]

@@rinbin9772 there is evidence for both. The medallion wheel is the go-to for the shadow argument, but Navi says spirit last, prelude warping away straight to light arrows, the dungeon being the most mechanically complex in the game, the eye of truth is needed to reach spirit and is more a shadow item, hover boots help with deep sand mobility, and finalizing young link's story before the final boss are all suggest spirit is intended as last.

[@piousthepious]

As someone interested in European catholic churches and Gregorian chanting, I would definitely LOVE a video analyzing the temple of time no matter how long. Literally it was what I first looked for in the playlist and I’m glad you at least mentioned the reason why you haven’t done so yet!

[@sacredyveltal4688]

OMG Same! I'm leaving this comment here just in case the uploader replies! Oh and if I see anything I'll post a _link_ in a separate reply or something

[@piousthepious]

@@sacredyveltal4688 Thanks so much haha!

[@sacredyveltal4688]

@@piousthepious You are welcome, fellow history nerd! 📚📜

[@sacredyveltal4688]

@engineer gaming I noticed it! How cool is that! ^^ Maybe that means we will get a video related to that topic soon :0

[@VultureSausage]

One year later and Zak delivers. kzbin.info/www/bejne/i3eQf4qhptKif80

[@samgould8567]

My mom never cared about my video games when I was a kid. However, one day when she came to my room to check on me, I had Ocarina of Time paused while in the Gerudo Valley. We were talking and then out of the blue, she remarked how much she liked the music and asked where it was coming from. I unpaused my N64 and showed her. That was 20-some years ago but I still remember it because it seemed to be the only time we bonded over a video game.

[@finalbreath15]

The culture mashing in LoZ is just so well done and nothing ever feels out of place.

[@fuarkstyle]

Similar to what Oda does with OP

[@Jiub_SN]

@@fuarkstylewho? Oh wait you mean the guy writing the never ending story manga right?

[@aesuradracaheorte3585]

"spirit temple and it's boss, twinmold" how did twinmold move from termina to hyrule, and turn from giant flying worms into witches? and where did twinrova go?

[@TigerTabCat1]

Lol I paused the video at this point to search for a comment like this

[@22pepperjack]

@@TigerTabCat1 just did the exact same thing lol

[@grasshopper29]

@@TigerTabCat1 same here

[@Yxiomel]

The only other one of this guys videos that I've seen is his Majoras Mask one in which he calls Twinmold 'Twinrova'...

[@kurisutirando-sama]

@@TigerTabCat1 I thought I was the only one that did this!

[@Staarfelis]

So I Just binged the whole series you've made for an hour. And I love listening to the history and architecture of the different Temples and the way the music was created and put together. Really puts a cool perspective and makes me have even more respect for the series. Now I'm waiting for this one amazing!!! :DD

[@ACelestialSerenity]

Me too!!!

[@echothebm]

[@Tazerboy_10]

Same, but I did that awhile back...

[@tremblence]

You gloss over the muslim invasion of Spain.... don't mention the massacres The Christians reclaimed that was STOLEN from them which you basically slandered and tried to demonize This video tries to demonize Christians, in reality it was muslims who invaded and massacred them.... the Spanish had EVERY RIGHT to reclaim their land with force We should respect all cultures, not constantly try to demonize Europeans and Christianity... if Zelda OOT was made today, I guarantee they would try to demonize Europeans with it

[@ChubCoder]

@@tremblence what are you on about? It's a video showing certain references, that's it. STFU and enjoy or leave.

[@ddddavyy8383]

For me, this song always signified that you where heading toward the end of your quest, and was an accompanying track to spur you on, as if to say "this is it, keep going you're almost done". It really helps get you into the last long treck of your journey

[@valsevenav]

This is a really great take, I had the exact same experience with it!

[@MyHam-os4bq]

Upbeat, but mournful and tense is such a great way to describe this song. The sound completely drowns you in nostalgia. I recently started replaying ocarina of time. I hadn’t heard this song in over 20 years but soon as I heard this in Gerudo Valley I was instantly transported back to my childhood. Suddenly, it was the only part of the map I ACTUALLY remembered. Awesome video.

[@jaehaalexander1172]

God I love this song. I love all of the content of your channel but I do have to say as someone who grew up with Zelda and LOVES music this series is my absolute favorite! I love how you break down all the cultural references and history and then just the music itself is just *chef's kiss* don't worry about the time it took! For the quality these videos are I'm sure many of us are willing to wait! What are you thinking of covering next? What is your next favorite Zelda song that you would like to break down?

[@SaveDataTeam]

I might look into deku palace next before hopping into another game. I wanted to do a general vid covering ocarina songs, but 8 bit music theory kind of covered that, and I love his stuff. So maybe that or the clocktown music from Majora’s.

[@jaehaalexander1172]

@@SaveDataTeam ohhhhh!! That music SLAPS! I look forward to your next musical analysis!

[@JeffreydeKogel]

I really like how you link real world history to ingame aspects; it's like taking a theoretical peek into the minds of the creators and their possible inspiration.

[@paranoid_moose]

It’s almost like hidden world building, much like the journals you’d find in Breath of the Wild

[@masterbasura1]

I met you with your "Ace Attorney with an Actual Lawyer" videos, because I'm spanish and I wanted learn more english (and I like Ace Attorney), but I love these videos too! I love how you explained the cultural references from the Gerudo Valley Theme, I was with a smile in my face when you started talking about the spanish guitar and the moor influence, this last because I remember studied it a years ago. Our culture is a beautiful thing, and I love it reaches so many people, thank you

[@SaveDataTeam]

Thank you so much!! (And your English is great! I wouldn’t have known you are still learning! 😁)

[@masterbasura1]

[@xenorayy]

The way you explain how the instruments play different melodies makes me imagine this whole song as a dance, this track is immortal at this point, we'll be hearing for years to come

[@ero_bernal1767]

As an andalucian, I am very impressed by your explanation of the flamenco elements in the song. Well done :)

[@KathrynBurke713]

I missed seeing these videos on analyzing the LoZ music! I'm so happy that your doing another video on it again! Can't wait to watch this!

[@isaac3127]

Literally watched all the temple music videos again a couple days ago and I’m so glad this is finally coming out

[@Matthew-zs8nm]

And more than 20 years later, I'm still learning more and more about how much of a true masterpiece this game really was. This video is incredible. Thanks so much!

[@Telverston]

agreed. Try also, Ocarina of Time - A Masterclass in Subtext, if you haven't already.

[@fuarkstyle]

IS*

[@LuzByT]

hi an andaluz here. Just wanna say that I freaking love this video and that thanks to u I realise that Gan is a ruman, a hot ruman, Hyrule is like Spain, France and some other parts of the world mixed and that Zelda could be an Austria's family member. Nice.

[@TruePartyKing]

Wow, learning about the complexities of the song legit made me cry tears of beautiful admiration. You have earned a sub good sir!

[@Jjydvfgcmsr]

Spaniard here and I can only say: Wow. Thoroughly researched. Amazing video

[@kmratliff6592]

I love that you slipped in the theme from the Aztec level from DK64. Both of these tracks slap and bring back so many memories for me.

[@oachkatzl7737]

same, i was like: 'wait ist that..? it is! i love it!'

[@LosLibrosNosHacenLibres]

Hi! As an Andalusian I have to say that everything you say is just perfect. About the trumpets, the way they are played reminds me of 'Semana Santa', or Easter, a Christian holiday in where trumpets are the one or maybe the main instrument. It may make sense with the idea of mixed culture, islamic and christian, that you say in the video. Great work!

[@SingingSealRiana]

muslim ruled andalusian is one of the best examples in human history for religions peacefuly coexisting. like it was not perfect, nothing ever is, but it was way better then when chritianity took over, outlawed other religions and invented the inquisition to hunt jews . . .

[@marcusbrown307]

You are the man simply for the accuracy of history you tell. Good on you man. 1 thing I will add though is that the clapping is also of a Arab flare where the rhythm of clapping to an Oud is still done in southern Saharan music today.

[@anatomicallymodernhuman5175]

Fascinating analysis. Enlightening and fun. One little music theory point - raising the leading tone, a.k.a. “sharp 7,” is quite normal in minor keys, particularly in the V chord, and when the melody ascends to the tonic. Has been ever since Western music devolved from a modal to a tonal basis around 500 years ago. It’s called harmonic minor.

[@TriforceLiz]

Thank you so much for continuing this series! This is truly the most interesting Zelda series that exists on youtube that I've found so far. I LOVE how you go into depth on the historical references and influences before you go into more detail on the music composition. It enhances my appreciation for the music and makes the lore behind Zelda even richer! I've turned my dad into a Zelda music fan thanks to your videos!

[@SaveDataTeam]

Aw thank you! 😅 I’m glad you and your dad enjoy it!

[@Gboysonic]

Gerudo valley has always been my favorite song from the zelda series. I even listen to the smash bros remix of it for the extra flare they put into it. I hope you do zora's domain theme next. Ocarina of time as well as the updated version they did in twilight princess

[@eve_the_human]

I did that too with Smash Bros!!😅

[@cuterpooter]

The Smash remix is one of the few times I'd say a remix is better than an original. There's a 15 minute loop version of it on KZbin that is my go-to "time to tackle some mentally taxing project" theme music 🎶

[@jordicorfont]

Hi, I just want to add that the G# in the melody is a passing note. It's the most common note out chord in melodies. So it's no strange the strong use of it. Good video!

[@monoverantus]

I was gonna say the same. A passing note that stays within the implied scale is probably the least unexpected part of the song.

[@h3o635]

Yeah this was the only thing in the vid that kind of had me scratching my head… like every melody out there has passing notes, music would be boring without them. That and saying the trumpet part was harmony, when it is unison at first. Loved the vid regardless.

[@Mrjcowman]

Also, when playing the chord and emphasizing the note to show its dissonance, you played a G natural instead of a G sharp. The G sharp is waaaay less dissonant in that chord, especially when it's up the octave.

[@oneilmw]

Yes, the history lesson was much more enlightening than the music theory lesson, and I'm not generally a fan of history, and I am generally a fan of music, so that's saying something.

[@lon8005]

@@Mrjcowman thank you i was looking for this comment for so long

[@phosphophyllite4591]

As an Andalussian myself its really interesting hearing foreigners talk about all this: Its, pun intended, music to my ears.

[@rupen42]

I've never seen anyone be this excited over passing tones. A melody that doesn't only use the 3 notes in the chord? How innovative!! Similarly, a major 5 chord isn't playing with expectations, it's pretty much the default outside of pop music (and still super common in pop). Definitely the most common chord "outside the scale" (well, it's just from a different scale, the harmonic minor).

[@silentspirit8923]

Gerudo Valley was my childhood! The music was so upbeat and gave a sense of mystery. The desert is a mysterious place, who know what secrets lay deep beneath the sands. And I agree, IT ABSOLUTELY SLAPS!

[@SaveDataTeam]

🙌

[@Jay_Ira]

I didn't need another reason to love this amazing song. But thank you so much for enlightening me with the history lesson and cultural significance! What a true masterpiece and artist we were blessed with. Take care my friend, looking forward to the next one!

[@OGBuddah]

It feels good to know I am not alone in feeling this song is special in some way, but to think someone actually did the work to answer that question is absolutely awesome! Thank you for the hard work good Sir. This is very much appreciated. Side note: Years ago I found an OC remix of this song and somehow they turned what was already amazing into something beyond greatness. Again, simply my opinion and I hold no vested interest nor know the artist, but it deserves to be known. If someone is curious, a quick search for "Mamacitas in My Valley" by Diggi Dis will answer any questions.

[@GhibliNova]

coolest video game analysis I've ever seen. I love history, so seeing all this tied together... *chefs kiss*

[@tossingturnips]

The Gerudo Valley theme has always been my favorite OoT song and I love how deep you went into the cultural influences as well as history of those influences that helped Kondo create this banger. As you mentioned in your video going over all the ocarina tracks in the game, the limitations definitely helped foster creativity.

[@jbeckwith4097]

Having a V chord in a minor key with a sharp 3rd isn't that crazy, particularly given that the next chord is a i. It makes a very basic and common cadential figure. It would probably stand out more to a Western listener if the 3rd weren't made sharp, (A minor v chord) giving it a more modal sound.

[@fernandogiongo]

I also found that statement misleading. The major V chord in the minor mode is absolutely conventional. Also when he calls out a passing tone as something unusual.

[@Whatismusic123]

Videos like this only exist to make the people that like the music to feel like they are superior for liking it

[@McLovin201]

@@fernandogiongo especially since it shares most notes with an F diminished. Leads perfectly into the F#m

[@nloc1929]

Yeah, he didn't really analyse what was going on musically very well. All of the things he mentioned were very surface level observations and didn't explain why the piece is so well constructed. Aside from the points already mentioned about passing tones and using a raised seventh being so common it's basically irrelevant, he ignored the entire B section and just called it "continuing the melody", he didn't mention the structure of the melody and the use of repetition through systems, the subtle changes in the ends of each phrase to create interest, etc. It was a good video, but the musical analysis was effectively pointless.

[@Whatismusic123]

@@nloc1929 no it was absolutely a bad videp, he has absolutely no clue what he is talking about and most of his argument is likely second-hand

[@dwarch186]

I'd say that the Gerudo Fortress was inspired more by the Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde. It even has the cliff overhang above. Thanks for another great video!

[@LazyNVersions]

I’ve always loved the Gerudo, when I was younger I didn’t notice Ganon was a Gerudo himself but it never diminished even after learning he was. Tall red haired all woman tribe? Well as an average height red haired woman I love the Gerudo, and the song always catches me off guard but it’s probably the main reason I keep staying in that area. I’m glad you made this video, it’s a cool one :D

[@NibNibNib]

Not only are they incredibly cool, but the Gerudo swordswomen being the only thing in the game that comes off as more skilled in combat than link is awesome. They flip, block and actually feel pretty smart compared to regular enemies

[@DanielWelchMusic]

At 11:35, a G natural is played instead of a G#, which makes the chord sound much more dissonant than it is. Adding a 9th, particularly a passing one like in Gerudo, isn’t dissonant and gives a passing sense of resolution as it acts as a suspension that usually moves up or down to fit the triad. (Surely enough, this G# serves as a passing suspension here: F# -> G# -> A) Still appreciated the coverage on this song, particularly the lesser known historical influences

[@ModelsAtWar]

I absolutely love that you used DK64 Angry Aztec ost as background music for a part of the video. Now it makes me want some more music analysis from other games like DK (and Banjo) possibly with commentary included by Grant Kirkhope and/or David Wise.

[@sdw-hv5ko]

damn the historical and cultural analysis provided in this video is amazing, adds so much depth to the world-building of the game

[@MrJdcirbo]

One of the strumming techniques common in flamenco (and showcased in the live recreation shown in the video) is called a "rasgueado" and it's performed by sequentially strumming the strings with all of the fingers of the right hand.

[@soulfullyginger.9804]

This song brings back memories of riding the bluffs in a four banger with a burned CD of video game music. This one was on repeat. Great job, quality content.

[@_korepsyche_]

I love this video so much, it is very well done. I had an inkling growing up that Gerudo Valley was inspired by flamenco, but now I am like "Wow Koji Kondo really thought of everything," and I feel like my culture is very much represented. I feel like Gerudo Valley will always have a special place in my heart.

[@Brittow]

Koji Kondo is an absolute master. Definitely my favorite Zelda song

[@ModelsAtWar]

Man, if KZbin existed when I was a kid, and I had these videos. I actually probably would’ve went down an entirely different life path and went into Music. Great work!

[@KBBeats]

Such a nostalgic and unforgettable piece.

[@graham9125]

It's a very common practice to play the Dominant (V) chord as a major when playing in a minor key because the 3rd and b7th notes of the Major V7 chord both (use chromatic motion to) "lead" into the 1st and the 5th notes of the Tonic (I/i) Chord. This is why even though the Major V isn't technically a diatonic chord in minor, it still sees plenty of practical use, especially when used in the 4th barre of a measure, followed by a I.

[@vinh_em]

Exactly. Save Data said that that leading tone is subverting expectations because it is an altered note of the scale, but I actually believe that most people expect a dominant V chord in any flamenco/flamenco-adjacent songs. Think about the Andalusian cadence for example. i-VII-VI-V sounds more natural than i-VII-VI-v

[@Whatismusic123]

Because the guy who made this video has no clue what he is talking about

[@boahnowers]

10:43, this isn’t a thing he did this is just what you do in minor keys when building chords on scale degree V or VII, you use the leading tone to build the chords, so it’s E# and not E

[@phrog_underscore]

10:40 Correction: normally in a minor key, the V chord is major; it creates a leading tone to the tonic, very commonly used across different musical styles around the world. Not trying to burst your bubble, though! The thing that’s neat about that harmonic progression is the movement from bVII to V - normally chord progressions move in either 5ths or 2nds, with 3rds commonly seen as “extensions” of the original - the neat exception here being the fact that chromatic mediants make for pretty damn strong movements, and it really shakes up a listener’s expectations (or at least mine) in a way that doesn’t compromise the strength of the progression!

[@GlyphicEnigma]

When you think about the great musical geniuses of history, you may think Mozart, Bach, etc. I think Koji Kondo. Guy really has a way with sounds.

[@Plepsfoko]

It may sound like over praising but I really think it’s true. He’s influenced and inspired thousands, if not millions of people and has written multiple songs that cut straight to my core and make me cry like nothing else. He’s my favorite composer by far

[@JustMarty]

Can't forget Nobuo Uematsu.

[@Ryleeman54number2]

I kind of agree. I more place him with the likes of John Williams and Danny Elfman

[@Whatismusic123]

LMAO absolutely not

[@Whatismusic123]

@@Plepsfoko your emotions don't matter and do not impact the quality of his music

[@willardlarkinsnow5622]

This song alone made me love the Gerudo Valley portion of the game. It sounds like pure adventure

[@n3loangelo]

I love the breakdown of history that goes into this. Thank you for another awesome video!

[@SaveDataTeam]

Happy that folks are enjoying it!

[@RSquaredOnline]

This may just be the best made video I've ever watched on KZbin in the last 10 years. The breakdown and reintroduction of the instruments gave me chills.

[@fortissears5388]

I kinda waited for you to mention the bass line and how it lays groundwork for the whole composition. Literally, if you disable the bass line, the song sounds... hollow. And it's such an easy bass line!

[@mathewmcgee8029]

Right around 5:59 you call Twin Rova Twin Mold on accident. Great video, I look forward to the Temple of Time deep dive on cathedrals, gregorian chant & the sages.

[@andresgarciadecortazarbaez1512]

The best part is the fact that in the stone tower temple video, he called Twinmold Twinrova lmao

[@RickyBBlessed]

I think its a running joke

[@mathewmcgee8029]

@@RickyBBlessed I'd love that.

[@SaveDataTeam]

Yeah, after I got inundated with comments on the stone tower video correcting me, I wanted to see how many people would notice if I said it wrong here too 😅

[@ArcticMoon1982]

This was the first song I ever learned to play on my guitar, I was so in love with this song and all the others from OoT and MM that I learned the guitar just to play these melodies. I never realized just how rich the history of this song was, it makes me ecstatic to be playing a song with such interesting lore.

[@scratchedaviators1254]

Dope I loved your coverage on the 64 bit era Zelda osts. Awesome to see the series still alive.

[@LuizFRdeO]

I parachuted into this video upon searching for content discussing the music in Zelda. this is great. fantastic work man. thank you for your channel.

[@alignthestars]

This is one of those songs that, no matter how many times I've heard it (and no matter the iteration) - it just makes me emotional because of how GOOD it is. Thank you so much for the history behind the song - it makes me love it even more!

[@tellmeaboutyourgame314]

Brought an actual tear to my eye . Your analysis is doing my nostalgia justice

[@damiansaucedo9951]

I learned this song on guitar and now I'm learning the song on piano 10 years later, Why? Because it indeed freakin slaps.

[@joeo3377]

As a note, the Shakespeare play "Othello" is pronounced with the "th" sound (as in "the" or "with"; θ). The Verdi opera "Otello," which is based on the Shakespeare play, is pronounced with the hard "t".

[@SaveDataTeam]

Yeah, it’s the weird thing, where my degree is actually in acting, but I was surrounded by so many opera people who all said “Otello” growing up, that it has stuck with me for so long 😰

[@joeo3377]

@@SaveDataTeam It took me a while to realize that the two different pronunciations refer to two different works! No worries, just trying to be helpful.

[@WilliamAhlert]

I LOVE OTELLO. LOVE IT. SO GOOD. AH.

[@emebent]

As a note, you provided an incorrect example 😂 the voiced th in “the” is not the same as the unvoiced th in “Othello.”

[@joeo3377]

@@emebent They sound the same to my ears, so does that make us both wrong?

[@kallistikaleid]

Damn. How am I just now finding this channel?!?! I have adored LoZ for more than 20 years, and the music is sacred for me. Garudo Valley is of course a top favorite to me. I once saw a KZbin video that showed how any pop song could be better by mixing Garudo Valley into the background. It was true. Aaaaaaaaaand.....subscribed.

[@dennisgallaher3640]

I still fondly remember the first time I entered Gerudo valley and heard this amazing theme for the first time. Great video.

[@NachoCheeseDorito-Kun]

Man this song was so influential to me and my sisters. My sis arranged this for her senior orchestra song, and I used to have this memorized on piano lol

[@elgato9o]

OMG HOW I'VE WAITED FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS AGAIN. BEST MUSIC SERIES ON ALL OF KZbin

[@NoahNCopeland]

Absolutely excellent information and video! I must be THAT guy for second. at 10:06, it's important to make that the distinction that midi is not an audio format per say, as midi itself contains no audio or sound. Midi is just instructions. The limitations in this case are going to come more from the level (or lack there of) of sophistication of the samples and their implementation. Which, on the N64, was bottlenecked by cartridge space.

[@thenewms5333]

By the way... G# is not "at odds" with the F# minor triad. The chords themselves imply a certain type of scale from which you can pick to build your melody and still be "in key." Ie the F# minor (or f# minor pentatonic) scale itself has that g# note in it

[@gfyGoogle]

This is such an outstanding video. Musical terminology is something that I often struggle with, but you really break things down in a concise and easily understood manner. And the best part of all is that you’ve given me a completely newfound love of this game. I had no idea how deep and thoughtful the cultural inspirations were. 10/10 video. Keep it up!

[@sweetmisslaura]

I read a article when I was younger that Koji Kondo said this was influenced by flamenco music. My dad does not play video games but playing this as a kid my dad loved the music always said reminded him of home

[@jackmyowl]

The acapella version of this song is really awesome as well. Smooth McGoove did a cover, it's even better with the captions on 🤣

[@Al-cp2kg]

Butter it up, up

[@jackmyowl]

@@Al-cp2kg you got the reference!

[@mookkss1381]

You are criminally underrated! The production value of these videos is so good it baffles me you don't have at least 100k subs if not more

[@Professor_Wisteria_]

having lived in Spain, i can safely say this song embodies the spirit of flamenco perfectly. it's incredible

[@clank4442]

Dude, this video literally just made me grow as a person to try and understand things for a deeper meaning. Thank you.

[@ketanhein]

Yes!!! I've been waiting for new content like this!! Please keep doing these videos

[@superluigi2965]

Love the Gerudo Valley theme! It always gets me pumped when I hear it!

[@SaveDataTeam]

It is a certified banger!

[@fredrickgamer9128]

Wow. I didn't know that there was this much history behind game music. This was a very entertaining and educational video.

[@riakez]

At 5:59 you say the boss is Twinmold, but you meant to say Twinrova ;) Great video as always, thank you for the time you put into them

[@tako-sensei6072]

XD

[@SaveDataTeam]

Thank you! (And Twinmold was an intentional joke after my accidental mistake in the stone tower video 👀)

[@tako-sensei6072]

@@SaveDataTeam oh of course. i doubt anyone could make a mistake like that after the amount of times you had people remind you about it.

[@aligacrystenia]

I don't know why I love this kind of breakdown so much. I'm not any kind of musician or anything, but it's really interesting :)

[@Dakenir]

I'm from Jerez de la Frontera in Spain, one of the cities who gave birth to Flamenco and I must say I'm really impressed with your research, never considered the relationship between the Gerudo and the Hylians as a reference to the christians and the moors but definitely sounds reasonable. Great work!

[@wasosky1000]

Hey man, this is a great video! I just wanted to point out that you played a G at 11:35 instead of a G#

[@BlueMeeple]

Needed to browse this far down in the comments to see that I wasn't imagining things.

[@cactusowo1835]

@@BlueMeeple same

[@robertadamsx2]

God, Koji Kondo is such a genius music writer. One of the greatest in, not just video game music composition, but music as a whole.

[@PhantomKING113]

Just a quick note: though you said the theme is in F# minor, I think it would probably be more accurate to think of it in C# phrygian. This way, instead of F# D E Cmaj being i VI VII V, which is kinda hard to untagle, you get the much nicer iv II III I. It must be noted that in flamenco the second degree (and in this case also the third) often take on the role of the dominant, even if they aren't really the dominant in the sense that they aren't the fifth degree; this is achieved because of the "contradiction" and dissonance that they produce when the I chord is played after them; this also creates a pretty strong driving force to restart the chord progression if you had one (usually starting from the 4rth degree or something like that), since really the dissonance comes from the home chord being a major one (which uses a 3#, outside of the phrygian tonality). Anyway, this was a great video! Very entertaining to watch. ¡Saludos desde España! TL;DR: flamenco can be interpreted as phrygian, and has its own progressions. Edit (6 momths later sry): unclear wording and 1 wrong roman numeral.

[@ncsupi]

I came into this expecting a digression on phrygian.

[@WarneD1]

5:59 The boss of the Spirit Temple is Kotake, and Koume who merge together to become Twinrova, not Twinmold. Twinmold is the boss of the Stone Temple in Majora's Mask.

[@EpicEIF]

I remember as a kid just sitting at that entrance to Gerudo Valley as young Link, just listening to the song and, before becoming an adult, wondering about what was across that bridge. I lived in/near South America so I noticed the different inspirations for the music and architecture but never really linked the Spanish music to the Islamic themes using the moors, thank you for teaching me more about the game I loved and the cultures that inspired it!

[@zeldaenby224]

I've missed this series

[@FireRupee]

0:42 "And uses instruments much more common to the Middle East" *shows South Asian Sikh man playing the esraj, an instrument from South Asia*

[@atherahmed6397]

I caught that too. Super ignorant.

[@TheDJman248]

excellent video. Found the cultural aspect of it all very interesting! Just one simple little goof I noticed: 5:59 Pretty sure the boss' name is Twinrova, with Twinmold being a boss in Majora's Mask. That's all!

[@DDRMAX300]

Noticed that too, Koume and Kotake, their fusion or whatever it was (the younger looking boss with both ice and fire powers) is the one called Twinrova

[@DenghisDONG]

This is the first time in a long time where seeing a new video has gotten me so excited.