This is such a great video. Not only as an analysis of this particular solo, but as an explanation of how to analyze solos in general! Great stuff in here man, I love that these solos are so prominent in the Mario Kart 8 soundtrack!
ahh yes, walking into a place and actually saying you were able to understand the inexplicable of a jazz musician. That didn't confuse me actually, but I can tell you this. There is no limit in jazz music theory, because it both embellishes and screws itself at the same time, in such a glorious manner that no one can understand what you are thinking musically, because you practiced so much that not even you know what you are doing anymore.
Utterly impossible. It takes an extraordinary musical mind to pull off a solo like this on the fly. I've been playing saxophone for over 20 years and I couldn't begin to even remotely play something this amazing.
Like mentioned in the video, anyone can and lots of people do learn the vocabulary and theory, and can get to this level. But from there you need to really find a way to navigate the changes and make a good sounding solo while also expressing yourself and playing artistically, which is always the game with bop. The soloist here and everyone involved with the soundtrack absolutely nailed this.
As an alto sax player of 5 years I can tell you that honestly lines like that are not very difficult to play the right notes. I learned this line after about 20 min of practice. Saxophone is probably the easiest instrument to learn how to play, the hard part is mastery of tone, vocabulary, and comfort during improvisation.
"It's called a blue note" *labels it RED* NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *world explodes* (I'm just kidding, I know you have a labelling scheme, and it's awesome!)
Incredibly cool video. Very EnjoyableThis guy Kazuki Katsuta sounds Exactly the same as Chris Hunter -an English Saxophone player who played with Gil Evans- I hear his EXACT sound, phrases, approaches, fall offs after notes, and altissimo- I think therefore Chris deserves a shout as he does not have much of a presence on the net! cheers
Ah, I recognize that name from a Katsumi Horii album. Sounding like Kazuki you say... th-cam.com/video/ab02fLiT29w/w-d-xo.html Yes, I was very confused when I first heard it.
"It still sounds a little cheesy" Cheese is delicious and used well is one of the best ways to make a tasty dish. Honestly, this applies just as much in music as in food.
Another thing creator didn’t mention about sax player, in addition to excellent harmonic language that he did mention, dude has FUCKING AMAZING TONE REALLLLLLLLLY GOOD TONE DUDE FUCK ITS SO GOOD
I've been teaching myself music theory and man this vid was actually really easy to follow! A few months ago and that would not have been possible but now im like "yes I understand exactly what you are saying." The only part that threw me were the blue notes. I read about them but i still dont fully understand them. Great vid as always tho!
Shinji Ikari notes are harmonic ratios, they are other harmonics than chromatic notes and they have great use as tensions. for example 6/5 is a minor third but 7/6 is just under it and it's a very distinct sound and you can surprise peoples with it'
Great video! Glad you posted this. After Khrys introduced me to this song last year I've been thinking of making a transcription video of this, myself. That altissimo note he hits at the end sounds like it wants to be a G instead of a Gb to me, though, based on the fingering it sounds like he's using to hit that; but to be fair, Gb works just as well to write if it's all the way up there. Haha. Keep educating the community, sir! -Patrick
I love that When you transition to the final lap, you get a looped version of the solo, which previously only played between the whirlpool and the starting line, and get the full version exclusively during replays!
mixmashgaming Actually it does matter because now according to the graph time is slowing down, speeding up, and reversing as the interest rises up and up. Flip the graph 90 degrees and that’s what it’s saying.
at 6:49 "enclosusures" lmao I. Love. This. this is by far your most well-made and understandable video, and in my opinion, the most enjoyable, that you have made. Thank you for all your great work! it really helps with my learning of theory!! :)
I think you're the first person I've ever heard say "I enjoy transcribing improvisations" since way back, when I started reading sheet music in earnest to learn how to play Cowboy Bebop songs. Glad you enjoy it, and I'm glad to observe the results of your hard work!
11:56, what's funny is I hear him hitting the C in my head even though he doesn't play it, which means his tendency to drop to the 6th got ingrained into the way I listen to him play, and it doesn't hurt that it's the third of the IVM7 it's (not) being played over.
Dude. This is one "recommended" video I am glad to have clicked on. This is fucking incredible. The small details you even added like the green line tracking with the music are great. You definitely have a new sub. Keep up the great work!
It's just saying that since music is subjective, at the middle of the song multiple people experience different levels of interest. Surprised you people didn't catch that.
Weridly, this might have maden this channel reserved to the "elite" of music theory, but I like the videos. I don't understand anytbhing, but I like them.
Probably a much simpler version, but right now after hearing this my mental jukebox just jumped straight to Precious Heart (Sakura's Theme), Strange Sunset (Guile's Theme) and Stronger (Garuda's Theme) from the Street Fighter EX series. Awesome breakdown.
Though I've played sax a bit a few years ago, I didn't understand most of what you said in the first few minutes. Instead of watching, I started reading comments while I was listening to you in the background. Your voice is so enjoyable to just hear
Wow.. this is one of the best videos I think I’ve ever seen on TH-cam! I play the tenor, but learning stuff like this is incredible. I came for mariokart, and stayed for the wealth on knowledge! Subbed!!!
So glad that I discovered your channel, I have always had a keen interest in video game music, but never really looked into it. Your videos are very insightful, and informative. Sub earned.
Dude oomf this is a good video right here. OOMF dude. I used to be into music but never really got into the theory other than, ya know, reading sheet music(albeit basic sheet music). But recently I’ve been getting back into it all and music theory has peaked my interest. The complicated and yet understandable presentation of this video was phenomenal. You brought up difficult ideas and then explained them with not only words, but the music.
Don't know if anyone else has mentioned it, but I just wanted to compliment you on all the little touches you've added to your music sheet demonstrations (A piano playing the notes/chords out loud, Keeping the vertical line paced with the playing of the music, playing it again at 50% speed). It has made things way easier for me to understand. Thank you.
Actually, in programs like Sibelius, there is a bar that travels along the notes as they're played. It was probably just plugged into that and then recorded.
((this is such an amazing video and I absolutely adore all the work you put into it, but as a mathmusician I couldn't help but notice that the axis titles are reversed at around 3:34 hkjfdh)) Great job! You earned yourself another sub ^^ Keep going
I’m currently a saxophonist at Berklee right now, and I gotta say-this video is extremely well made. You’ve explained seemingly mundane terms (to people that normally don’t take an interest to the inner workings of jazz) and made them interesting to a wide audience. Well done!
Jazz improv is one of those kinds of music that, while I don't really enjoy listening to it, it still blows my mind, and I have immense respect for the people that can do this sort of thing in their brains on the spot.
Echocookie besides waiting in the middle of a race, you can save the footage for a race after it finishes by adding it to your favorites (the star icon). Then, go to Mario Kart TV and watch the replay. The music will play all the way, and you can even turn off the sound effects so that nothing gets in the way of that sweet, sweet sax.
MudkipMonkey due to the nature of the level suppressing the sax while you're underwater, you don't really hear much of this if you're really fast since the sections above water are so short
As someone who's not very knowledgeable about how music works, I understood about 10% of this video. But I'm just delighted to see you having so much fun talking about your passions in-depth like this.
I understood everything except that Bb13 sus4 b9 chord lol. This is such an awesome video! I tried transcribing this solo about 4 years ago and didn't get too far. A lot of it was because I didn't have the music knowledge or vocabulary to even look for these tools of improvisation or even understand sequencing. Thank you so much for this! Your videos are so awesome and it's great to see more people geeking out about theory in video games!
man this is amazing to watch especially after my piano teacher was just telling me about how in college he was doing this exact same thing with classical music and he wants me to start doing this
Amazing video and analysis, I never approached my improvisations in this way. Very educational, probably the best musical tutorial video I've seen on TH-cam ever
I do not know practically any of the terms you used here, but I was still able to intuitively follow along, feeling those progressions that you analyze. Awesome video and a vast wealth of knowledge. Keep it up.
What's the technique he uses at measures 46-47? I hear a lot of jazz solos that use it where they play a rhythm repeatedly with no space and it goes "out of time" (on purpose) before coming back on time when they end it. I always have liked it and just called it the "repeat", but I wonder if there is a more official name. Thanks for the video!
I guess hemiola? Maybe implied polyrhythmic phrasing? I don't know if it has an official name but it's super common and you nailed it right on. Basically taking a phrase that does not fit nicely into a bar and repeating it to create tension, and then releasing when the end of the phrase lines up with the end of a bar to release that tension.
Everybody answered well already, but just to chime in, this technique is also calling "playing over the barline." That's because the rhythm doesn't fit nicely into the time signature you're in, it usually takes a few bars of repeating to realign, so it's like playing over the barline instead of within it. The technical term is "hemiola," but just thought I'd offer an alternative word for this (it's the one my teacher used).
I’ve been out of school for a few years and this was spot on! It definitely shook some rust off my theory chops and has inspired to get to transcribing! You are great, bro!
Hey saxophonists! The solo written isn't transposed, as it's in the key of C. If you try to play it, it won't sound correct. Bring it up a sixth and you'll be golden (which means that "Gb" is actually an Eb). 8-bit, did you actually ever have to fix your transcriptions after writing them out in C?
Thank you so much for this. I got extremely confused when playing the gb on my sax and it not being nearly as high and I wondered if he was playing on a saprano or not. I have no clue how to go about even fingering an Eb on sax though sheesh. I can barely play a note like that on flute let alone sax
This was absolutely amazing! Your voice is so calming, first of all--and you definitely know how to deliver the analysis! There was a lot of help with terms I wasn't certain about--enclosures being one of them--and also some higher-level stuff that made me curious and wanting more. I think that accomplished what you set out to do with this video, and it was so fun to learn what you had to offer! On a side note, your b-roll and editing is AMAZING. It was so nice to watch, very easy on the eyes! :3
The part that you mentioned a "deep understanding of what makes a solo work" really resonated with me. I'm a dramatic improviser on a competitive team (so uh, no music) and yeah, it's true. Anyone can take a couple of improv classes and understand some basic concepts before throwing a scene together, just like (I assume) anyone who has studied them could construct a basic, functional jazz solo so long as they know how to play a saxophone. But there's a difference between functional and good. I wouldn't even say I'm that good of an improviser. I have my moments but I sometimes get caught in my head thinking too much about what the best move would be during a scene, which just kills it. I think it's pretty safe to say that a jazz improviser isn't thinking about the stuff you talk about while they improvise a solo. There just isn't enough time for your brain to work like that. You have to trust yourself, and just feel it. If you've done it enough times and you know what makes it work, your brain will default to what's best for your solo/scene... most of the time. Every once in a while you shit the bed, but that's bound to happen when it's unscripted and raw. Heck, knowing it's from a place of sincerity makes it all the more special, even when someone does make a mistake. You can perfect a piece of music, but you can't perfect people. And that's why when everything goes right in improv, it makes that moment all the more special.
One of the most amazing things about Music Theory to me is that I've watched dozens of videos on the topic, and literally every single one of them has had dozens of vocabulary words that are not present in any of the other videos I've seen. I sometimes wonder what it would be like to apply such a monumental amount of theory to other mediums. I'm a video editor by trade, and I think a lot of the rhythm of editing can be compared to the rhythm of music. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't just _feel it out_ most of the time. It all comes very naturally. As much as I'd love to get creative with music, every time I try my hand at it I find myself pouring hours of research and thought into what I'm doing, and it still comes out mediocre. Whereas I can fly by the seat of my pants on a video, and still churn out something intensely cathartic to watch. I don't know, music's very very interesting, but not interesting enough to justify the work I'd have to put in, to get good?
Steven Bowser It never plays during a race, only highlight reels if you keep watching past a minute. During a race, it switches back and forth between the underwater (not this) and above water versions.
That solo is no joke, great way to build up interest in the beginning, slowly rising to the climax, and falling with a sort of smooth jazz feel, great vid man
Hey. I’ve watched your videos because we have a common interest in music (obviously), and you honestly scare me. When I watch your videos, and the amount of theory you know, scares me. When I was young, I was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, which has affected the rate that I learn at. I love music, and I want to make it my career, but watching this is questioning my knowledge of music theory, and whether or not I can actually make this my dream and career. I try my hardest to be good at my theory, I want to make music my end goal in life, but this video is just too scary for me. This video is just pretty much questioning my whole existence lol. Side note: Me saying all of this isn’t meant to be a mean comment at all. Please don’t take this the wrong way anybody.
Well, how old are you? One of the issues with seeing a video like this is you're seeing someone after all the many hours/years of learning that they've undergone to get to this point. When he was learning, he just learned a little bit, one day at a time, like most people. Like most things prolonged over a period of time, it really adds up after a while! So, I wouldn't feel discouraged from making music just because someone else knows a lot. You can learn it, too! Just keep at it a little bit (and sometimes a lot a bit) every day and make a point of surrounding yourself with other musicians to encourage and lead you. You can go very far!
Thanks man. Means a lot. It really does. I’m 16, and I’m in year 10 (grade 10), at school, and in year 10, this is the part of our education where we start really thinking about what we want to do when we leave school. I want to be a music teacher at a school.
NathHD123 Shoot, you've got so much time! I knew so little before I went to college. A few years of dedicated study in the right environment can really make you improve by leaps and bounds. The biggest thing for me about music school was the environment. Being surrounded by so many musicians all the time really encourages you to learn (as long as you stay humble and they aren't jerks). Don't worry about your level right now. Just keep progressing a little each day and you'll be shocked where you are in a few years. If you can, record yourself playing. Then listen to it a year or two years from now. There's not much more definitive proof of progress than hearing a recording of yourself from the past.
Maybe. I can’t even do a simple chromatic scale up to a speed of a quarter note = 144 without my fingers going stupid! Maybe I do have time! Maybe I just need to practice and keep at it! Thanks man.
Well, musical knowledge is quite different from musical skill. Usually if your fingers are "going stupid," it's from excess tension. Check your shoulders and wrists as you play to make sure they're totally relaxed. Your teacher can help with that. I'm excited for your future! I wish you the best!
Music theory: is incredibly intricate and complex, while simultaneously constantly evolving with modern artists Me: hee hee hoo hoo "do re mi fa sol la ti do"
Thanks to you, I am beginning to understand MUCH more about music theory than I ever had previously thought possible, and can apply such concepts to my own solos in jazz. Such videos are so entertaining since I love video games, and learning much more about what makes pieces so interesting and unique is always a joy to find. Basically, without these videos, it would be difficult to completely understand these concepts. THANK YOU.
I think I found an erratum in your Time-Interest graph 3:28. The *"Time"* should be in the *X axis* , and the *"Interest"* should be placed in the *Y axis* By the way, awesome analysis.
This is an extremely well made video and channel, and is really interesting for somebody like me who has no idea about anything to do with music. You have earned yourself a new sub.
30 seconds in: "This is fun."
3 minutes in: "This is all going over my head."
8 minutes in: "I am become music."
What about 13 minutes in
@@GoesByJ we are all now music itself
@@jjocsings2885 after repeating the video, you've become Mario kart itself too
Shit, I turned into the music stand. Halp
Turned into a dolphin after this video. My life is now complete
The “Mario Kart” Lick video brought my curiosity and I here. I’m very pleased!
FYI: The "Mario Kart Lick" guy just released a new vid explaining how to play that.
same
I felt that
Same
Same
This is such a great video. Not only as an analysis of this particular solo, but as an explanation of how to analyze solos in general! Great stuff in here man, I love that these solos are so prominent in the Mario Kart 8 soundtrack!
insaneintherainmusic I love you!! U are the reason I started saxophone😭😭
insaneintherainmusic Bonjour
I think you commenting on this video put it on my recommended page. or im just crazy
razorclaw123 HD It's a flipping fantastic video!
Of course you're here insane in the rain hahahahaha
8:08 "Katzuta basically outlines a B flat 13 sus flat 9 chord"
Me: "Excuse me, a *what*?"
a Bb13susb9 chord
Lol I like that the trying to bold the what didn’t work xD
@@ernestogarcia3193 how are you supposed to bold a what
*what* -what- +what+ •what• |what| [what] _what_ #what#
ahh yes, walking into a place and actually saying you were able to understand the inexplicable of a jazz musician.
That didn't confuse me actually, but I can tell you this. There is no limit in jazz music theory, because it both embellishes and screws itself at the same time, in such a glorious manner that no one can understand what you are thinking musically, because you practiced so much that not even you know what you are doing anymore.
Time and interest are on the wrong axis.
I am so, so dumb
Also, you should be using axis, not axes, you violent SOB. ;)
8-bit Music Theory heh, I think most people just assumed time was on the X axis. At least I did.
Nathan Riddle Thanks! I've never known the plural of axis. English is not my native language.
Nathan Riddle & Manuel Bonet Not to be a grammar nazi, but: "Axes, when pronounced with a long e, is the plural form of the word axis" -grammarist.com
4:15 It's the Mario Kart Lick!
Dude you are a volcano of knowledge, thank you so much for this great video! \o/
I hope one day I could have the honor of being called a volcano of knowledge.
Hey Mr.Shezmen :D Cool seeing you here :3
cool to see you too my dude
Matthew Shezmen Tell me why your profile pic looked like a Suezo for a sec lol
that's kinda weird b
Utterly impossible. It takes an extraordinary musical mind to pull off a solo like this on the fly. I've been playing saxophone for over 20 years and I couldn't begin to even remotely play something this amazing.
Like mentioned in the video, anyone can and lots of people do learn the vocabulary and theory, and can get to this level. But from there you need to really find a way to navigate the changes and make a good sounding solo while also expressing yourself and playing artistically, which is always the game with bop. The soloist here and everyone involved with the soundtrack absolutely nailed this.
Clearly there were lots of takes of him playing this solo and a lot of mistakes too, because this solo is just to perfect to be created on a go.
@@ArcaneWaveAudio Yes.
@@ArcaneWaveAudio A lot of these licks can be found in earlier performances of his
I don't understand anything he's saying but I still love it
Cool guy 49 You know what, You're a Cool guy ;)
It’s Greek to me, but I love it.
I don't understand anything he's saying and I hate it
Cool guy 49 no need to my guy, Jazz is free
Ur just a worse version of cool guy 49
I should be sleeping, why am I learning
LOL me as a music major
Because, for once, learning is fun.
Said no one ever
...actually same what is happening to me
My god, when you're only in high school band and you see 32nd notes. 3:48
*laughs in piano*
Jakob s *laughs in drum line*
As an alto sax player of 5 years I can tell you that honestly lines like that are not very difficult to play the right notes. I learned this line after about 20 min of practice. Saxophone is probably the easiest instrument to learn how to play, the hard part is mastery of tone, vocabulary, and comfort during improvisation.
those are 16th notes
@@birthdaydinosaur he means the two 32nds in the Bb7(sus4) chord..
"It's called a blue note"
*labels it RED*
NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *world explodes*
(I'm just kidding, I know you have a labelling scheme, and it's awesome!)
"It's called a blue shell"
labels it red
Me: Wait, that's illegal.
3:30
virgin bell interest curve vs. chad sideways chin interest curve.
Damn this is easily my favorite youtube page right now. 11/10 patreon recommend
Incredibly cool video. Very EnjoyableThis guy Kazuki Katsuta sounds Exactly the same as Chris Hunter -an English Saxophone player who played with Gil Evans- I hear his EXACT sound, phrases, approaches, fall offs after notes, and altissimo- I think therefore Chris deserves a shout as he does not have much of a presence on the net! cheers
Great vids yo!
Ah, I recognize that name from a Katsumi Horii album. Sounding like Kazuki you say...
th-cam.com/video/ab02fLiT29w/w-d-xo.html
Yes, I was very confused when I first heard it.
Sweet video! You could do a video on how Koji Kondo was influenced by Japanese band T-Square for the Mario music
5MadMovieMakers Why do you not have any likes or replies?
There is now, thank you!
wait kondo was influenced by t-square??! I need to research this for sure
@@janiceannesley1633 yes he mentions them in this translated article! shmuplations.com/kojikondo/
We need more Koji Kondo related videos period.
3:55 Kazuki has done that lick before in a Dimension song. 29 albums with dimension, one solo album, multiple features , Kazuki is amazing
finally someone that can explain the function of a particular chord/note/cadence without just stating that it has one.
"It still sounds a little cheesy" Cheese is delicious and used well is one of the best ways to make a tasty dish. Honestly, this applies just as much in music as in food.
I agree, I mean like, hello, 12 bar blues? It's been done a million and 1 times and that's OK as long as you're playing with passion.
yeah, no need to reinvent the wheel,. If it works, it works.
I think there's a time and place to painstakingly strangle and moderate every single molecule of cheese, it's just not Mario.
you should give lessons, I would sign up immediately
House Meister Honestly
6:48 Ah yes I love Chromatic *Enclosusures*
Wow, didn’t notice that
I will never get enough of your videos.
Another thing creator didn’t mention about sax player, in addition to excellent harmonic language that he did mention, dude has FUCKING AMAZING TONE REALLLLLLLLLY GOOD TONE DUDE FUCK ITS SO GOOD
I've been teaching myself music theory and man this vid was actually really easy to follow! A few months ago and that would not have been possible but now im like "yes I understand exactly what you are saying." The only part that threw me were the blue notes. I read about them but i still dont fully understand them. Great vid as always tho!
Shinji Ikari notes are harmonic ratios, they are other harmonics than chromatic notes and they have great use as tensions.
for example 6/5 is a minor third but 7/6 is just under it and it's a very distinct sound and you can surprise peoples with it'
Great video! Glad you posted this. After Khrys introduced me to this song last year I've been thinking of making a transcription video of this, myself. That altissimo note he hits at the end sounds like it wants to be a G instead of a Gb to me, though, based on the fingering it sounds like he's using to hit that; but to be fair, Gb works just as well to write if it's all the way up there. Haha. Keep educating the community, sir!
-Patrick
I think it's because it's practcally impossible to go higher than the Gb on alto saxophone.
4:02 is a M A X N U T M O M E N T for jazz enthusiasts like me!
I love that When you transition to the final lap, you get a looped version of the solo, which previously only played between the whirlpool and the starting line, and get the full version exclusively during replays!
your graph does not pass the vertical line test
im mad
ihavetoshutthewindow he totally doesent know how to build a graph
The x and y axes are flipped
(Time should be bottom line not on the left)
mixmashgaming
Actually it does matter because now according to the graph time is slowing down, speeding up, and reversing as the interest rises up and up.
Flip the graph 90 degrees and that’s what it’s saying.
ihavetoshutthewindow I was just thinking that like I’m in algebra this year and I looked at it and it made me mad lol
@@-Burb Who knows, maybe time is shifting to accommodate this banger of a solo.
@@homailot2378 The graph is correct with what he is saying if only the labels are switched.
6:50 "Chromatic Enclosusures"
Admit it, you missed that double "susu" in "Enclosure"
Oh my gosh this is great! Can you analyze Mario Kart 8 Big Blue's Sax Solo??
Seconded.
Thirded
fourthed
Fifthed
Seventhed.
at 6:49 "enclosusures" lmao
I. Love. This. this is by far your most well-made and understandable video, and in my opinion, the most enjoyable, that you have made. Thank you for all your great work! it really helps with my learning of theory!! :)
I have no clue what you're talking about but I like it!
I think you're the first person I've ever heard say "I enjoy transcribing improvisations" since way back, when I started reading sheet music in earnest to learn how to play Cowboy Bebop songs. Glad you enjoy it, and I'm glad to observe the results of your hard work!
11:56, what's funny is I hear him hitting the C in my head even though he doesn't play it, which means his tendency to drop to the 6th got ingrained into the way I listen to him play, and it doesn't hurt that it's the third of the IVM7 it's (not) being played over.
would love to see you analyze some stuff from cuphead. the solos are absolutely NUTS
YES
Already done, eh
In case anyone wants to hear more of Kazuki Katsuta , look up the band Dimension, pretty damn good jazz fusion
How did I not find your channel before?!? This video is GOLD. Please keep doing these, you're a treasure!
"If we chart out the interest curve of this section, we get Jay Leno lying down for a nap."
Dark Charizard only comment here that deserves likes
Great example of musicians edging their listeners.
I love music theory.
4:21 me when my mom reminds me there’s school tomorrow
I wanted you to know that my band director showed us this video in class
As soon as I saw Mario Kart 8 and 8-bit music theory I dropped what I was doing immediately
Dude. This is one "recommended" video I am glad to have clicked on. This is fucking incredible. The small details you even added like the green line tracking with the music are great. You definitely have a new sub. Keep up the great work!
(hey pretty sure the graph's axis' are mislabled)
qwertyuiopekul came here to post this
Oxycominum Oh dang
It's just saying that since music is subjective, at the middle of the song multiple people experience different levels of interest. Surprised you people didn't catch that.
as interest increases, time goes *completely whack*
Alonso Mancini he means time js your x axis and interest is your y. he flipped the labels.
I always climax early in my solos :/
premature climax
quickshot.
HOLY SHIT a VGM channel that doesn't assume its audience is completely ignorant of music theoryyyyyyyy
*Subs 15 times *
Weridly, this might have maden this channel reserved to the "elite" of music theory, but I like the videos. I don't understand anytbhing, but I like them.
To be honest he could also try to approach it from a more abstract direction.
Probably a much simpler version, but right now after hearing this my mental jukebox just jumped straight to Precious Heart (Sakura's Theme), Strange Sunset (Guile's Theme) and Stronger (Garuda's Theme) from the Street Fighter EX series.
Awesome breakdown.
My God, someone else in this Earth feels the exact same way!!!! That Precious Heart solo is outta this world!!
Never thought twice about this track, I guess it just fit in so well with the level. That's a crazy solo!
Though I've played sax a bit a few years ago, I didn't understand most of what you said in the first few minutes. Instead of watching, I started reading comments while I was listening to you in the background. Your voice is so enjoyable to just hear
Me that doesnt own a sax: "yeah, I can do that"
Wow.. this is one of the best videos I think I’ve ever seen on TH-cam! I play the tenor, but learning stuff like this is incredible. I came for mariokart, and stayed for the wealth on knowledge! Subbed!!!
This video rocks. Probably will end up watching it multiple times to help improve my own solos.
So glad that I discovered your channel, I have always had a keen interest in video game music, but never really looked into it. Your videos are very insightful, and informative. Sub earned.
Perfect timing as I'm taking Jazz History in my university for my music minor, even though I can't seem to write melodies that develop in Sonata form.
Dude oomf this is a good video right here. OOMF dude. I used to be into music but never really got into the theory other than, ya know, reading sheet music(albeit basic sheet music). But recently I’ve been getting back into it all and music theory has peaked my interest. The complicated and yet understandable presentation of this video was phenomenal. You brought up difficult ideas and then explained them with not only words, but the music.
Don't know if anyone else has mentioned it, but I just wanted to compliment you on all the little touches you've added to your music sheet demonstrations (A piano playing the notes/chords out loud, Keeping the vertical line paced with the playing of the music, playing it again at 50% speed).
It has made things way easier for me to understand. Thank you.
It must have taken ages to edit this video
Actually, in programs like Sibelius, there is a bar that travels along the notes as they're played. It was probably just plugged into that and then recorded.
NO! That solo was faaaaar more sex than Kenny G and you know it hahaha.
Jackson Woods Thats because kenny g lost his touch
N/A agreed kenny g isn't interesting anymore he should try blues sax instead of jazz maybe that'll help him
Thought it was weird al
He should try real jazz instead of smooth jazz
((this is such an amazing video and I absolutely adore all the work you put into it, but as a mathmusician I couldn't help but notice that the axis titles are reversed at around 3:34 hkjfdh)) Great job! You earned yourself another sub ^^ Keep going
How to solo: Play shit that sounds good probably
Okay, sorry.
If only it were that simple
Well, as a guy who played around a lot, sometimes it's basically just that
Indeed.
That's the goal of where you get to in my opinion. After a point the theory fades aways and you just... Play.
That's definitely true. It's really hard to get to that point though. At least if you're trying to get really good at it.
8:29 fucking just made my day happy
Saaaamme
I’m currently a saxophonist at Berklee right now, and I gotta say-this video is extremely well made. You’ve explained seemingly mundane terms (to people that normally don’t take an interest to the inner workings of jazz) and made them interesting to a wide audience. Well done!
Jazz improv is one of those kinds of music that, while I don't really enjoy listening to it, it still blows my mind, and I have immense respect for the people that can do this sort of thing in their brains on the spot.
I've never heard this solo in the game. How do you get it to trigger?
Echocookie besides waiting in the middle of a race, you can save the footage for a race after it finishes by adding it to your favorites (the star icon). Then, go to Mario Kart TV and watch the replay. The music will play all the way, and you can even turn off the sound effects so that nothing gets in the way of that sweet, sweet sax.
On 150cc it usually starts up right as you emerge after the eel part
Yeah I've played this like 50 times total and I can't remember ever hearing it, which is a shame because it sounds so cool.
MudkipMonkey due to the nature of the level suppressing the sax while you're underwater, you don't really hear much of this if you're really fast since the sections above water are so short
Hit the highlight reel button after the race. That's the only time this is heard.
As someone who's not very knowledgeable about how music works, I understood about 10% of this video. But I'm just delighted to see you having so much fun talking about your passions in-depth like this.
Me:I know what a Eb scale is
This guy: So this Bb sus4 is the greatest part of this solo
Me: *Excuse me a what?*
My god. How did I not find your channel sooner?? This is brilliant! Looks like I'm binging all of your videos tonight.
This is my favorite legend of Zelda game
I understood everything except that Bb13 sus4 b9 chord lol. This is such an awesome video! I tried transcribing this solo about 4 years ago and didn't get too far. A lot of it was because I didn't have the music knowledge or vocabulary to even look for these tools of improvisation or even understand sequencing. Thank you so much for this! Your videos are so awesome and it's great to see more people geeking out about theory in video games!
3:09 On your graph I think you mixed up time and interest
How did he not notice?
man this is amazing to watch especially after my piano teacher was just telling me about how in college he was doing this exact same thing with classical music and he wants me to start doing this
I have no idea what you're talking about but I still watched
Amazing video and analysis, I never approached my improvisations in this way. Very educational, probably the best musical tutorial video I've seen on TH-cam ever
5:52 man the drummer is feeling it :D
I do not know practically any of the terms you used here, but I was still able to intuitively follow along, feeling those progressions that you analyze. Awesome video and a vast wealth of knowledge. Keep it up.
What's the technique he uses at measures 46-47? I hear a lot of jazz solos that use it where they play a rhythm repeatedly with no space and it goes "out of time" (on purpose) before coming back on time when they end it. I always have liked it and just called it the "repeat", but I wonder if there is a more official name. Thanks for the video!
I guess hemiola? Maybe implied polyrhythmic phrasing? I don't know if it has an official name but it's super common and you nailed it right on. Basically taking a phrase that does not fit nicely into a bar and repeating it to create tension, and then releasing when the end of the phrase lines up with the end of a bar to release that tension.
Thanks for the reply! You've definitely earned a patreon sub. :) Keep the videos coming!
Everybody answered well already, but just to chime in, this technique is also calling "playing over the barline." That's because the rhythm doesn't fit nicely into the time signature you're in, it usually takes a few bars of repeating to realign, so it's like playing over the barline instead of within it. The technical term is "hemiola," but just thought I'd offer an alternative word for this (it's the one my teacher used).
Damn.. I wish I could have answered
You still can! The day is young, still!
I’ve been out of school for a few years and this was spot on! It definitely shook some rust off my theory chops and has inspired to get to transcribing! You are great, bro!
Thank you so much for this amazing video
i find it amazing that you have music in the background *perfectly* in line with when you actually show a part of the music. great job dude!
Hey saxophonists! The solo written isn't transposed, as it's in the key of C. If you try to play it, it won't sound correct. Bring it up a sixth and you'll be golden (which means that "Gb" is actually an Eb). 8-bit, did you actually ever have to fix your transcriptions after writing them out in C?
I play tenor so I'll just take it up a whole step
Or a ninth if you want to keep the octave.
Thank you!
Thank you so much for this. I got extremely confused when playing the gb on my sax and it not being nearly as high and I wondered if he was playing on a saprano or not. I have no clue how to go about even fingering an Eb on sax though sheesh. I can barely play a note like that on flute let alone sax
La Lunaaa An eb on an alto sax is the pointer, middle, and ring fingers on each hand, plus the top pinkie button on your right hand
This was absolutely amazing! Your voice is so calming, first of all--and you definitely know how to deliver the analysis! There was a lot of help with terms I wasn't certain about--enclosures being one of them--and also some higher-level stuff that made me curious and wanting more. I think that accomplished what you set out to do with this video, and it was so fun to learn what you had to offer!
On a side note, your b-roll and editing is AMAZING. It was so nice to watch, very easy on the eyes! :3
What makes a song sound comfy? i.e, Harvest Moon/Rune Factory soundtrack
The part that you mentioned a "deep understanding of what makes a solo work" really resonated with me. I'm a dramatic improviser on a competitive team (so uh, no music) and yeah, it's true. Anyone can take a couple of improv classes and understand some basic concepts before throwing a scene together, just like (I assume) anyone who has studied them could construct a basic, functional jazz solo so long as they know how to play a saxophone. But there's a difference between functional and good.
I wouldn't even say I'm that good of an improviser. I have my moments but I sometimes get caught in my head thinking too much about what the best move would be during a scene, which just kills it. I think it's pretty safe to say that a jazz improviser isn't thinking about the stuff you talk about while they improvise a solo. There just isn't enough time for your brain to work like that.
You have to trust yourself, and just feel it. If you've done it enough times and you know what makes it work, your brain will default to what's best for your solo/scene... most of the time. Every once in a while you shit the bed, but that's bound to happen when it's unscripted and raw. Heck, knowing it's from a place of sincerity makes it all the more special, even when someone does make a mistake.
You can perfect a piece of music, but you can't perfect people. And that's why when everything goes right in improv, it makes that moment all the more special.
One of the most amazing things about Music Theory to me is that I've watched dozens of videos on the topic, and literally every single one of them has had dozens of vocabulary words that are not present in any of the other videos I've seen.
I sometimes wonder what it would be like to apply such a monumental amount of theory to other mediums. I'm a video editor by trade, and I think a lot of the rhythm of editing can be compared to the rhythm of music. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't just _feel it out_ most of the time. It all comes very naturally.
As much as I'd love to get creative with music, every time I try my hand at it I find myself pouring hours of research and thought into what I'm doing, and it still comes out mediocre. Whereas I can fly by the seat of my pants on a video, and still churn out something intensely cathartic to watch.
I don't know, music's very very interesting, but not interesting enough to justify the work I'd have to put in, to get good?
Dude I didn't even know I wanted a video like this till now; I love this song so much. Thanks man!
I don't even know any theory. Why am I here?
I love how different parts of THE LICK are foreshadowed at different points in the solo and then it's all put together right into the climax.
4:15 iykyk
I'm usually not a fan of jazz solos as they usually sound too random and thoughtless to me, but i really love this one. Great vid!
I've never heard this in the game. Maybe I win too fast??
Steven Bowser It never plays during a race, only highlight reels if you keep watching past a minute. During a race, it switches back and forth between the underwater (not this) and above water versions.
Well Bowser IS one of the fastest racers...
It's the above water version, and final lap.
Gotta go fast!
Oh shit wrong franchise
Frank Thomas it plays on the the wiiU as well...
That solo is no joke, great way to build up interest in the beginning, slowly rising to the climax, and falling with a sort of smooth jazz feel, great vid man
Hey. I’ve watched your videos because we have a common interest in music (obviously), and you honestly scare me. When I watch your videos, and the amount of theory you know, scares me. When I was young, I was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, which has affected the rate that I learn at. I love music, and I want to make it my career, but watching this is questioning my knowledge of music theory, and whether or not I can actually make this my dream and career. I try my hardest to be good at my theory, I want to make music my end goal in life, but this video is just too scary for me. This video is just pretty much questioning my whole existence lol.
Side note: Me saying all of this isn’t meant to be a mean comment at all. Please don’t take this the wrong way anybody.
Well, how old are you? One of the issues with seeing a video like this is you're seeing someone after all the many hours/years of learning that they've undergone to get to this point. When he was learning, he just learned a little bit, one day at a time, like most people. Like most things prolonged over a period of time, it really adds up after a while!
So, I wouldn't feel discouraged from making music just because someone else knows a lot. You can learn it, too! Just keep at it a little bit (and sometimes a lot a bit) every day and make a point of surrounding yourself with other musicians to encourage and lead you. You can go very far!
Thanks man. Means a lot. It really does. I’m 16, and I’m in year 10 (grade 10), at school, and in year 10, this is the part of our education where we start really thinking about what we want to do when we leave school. I want to be a music teacher at a school.
NathHD123 Shoot, you've got so much time! I knew so little before I went to college. A few years of dedicated study in the right environment can really make you improve by leaps and bounds.
The biggest thing for me about music school was the environment. Being surrounded by so many musicians all the time really encourages you to learn (as long as you stay humble and they aren't jerks). Don't worry about your level right now. Just keep progressing a little each day and you'll be shocked where you are in a few years.
If you can, record yourself playing. Then listen to it a year or two years from now. There's not much more definitive proof of progress than hearing a recording of yourself from the past.
Maybe. I can’t even do a simple chromatic scale up to a speed of a quarter note = 144 without my fingers going stupid! Maybe I do have time! Maybe I just need to practice and keep at it! Thanks man.
Well, musical knowledge is quite different from musical skill. Usually if your fingers are "going stupid," it's from excess tension. Check your shoulders and wrists as you play to make sure they're totally relaxed. Your teacher can help with that.
I'm excited for your future! I wish you the best!
Super awesome job, not just on the information but the way of explaining it and the visuals that go along with it super effective!
oh fuck it's free for all by art blakey
i love you
Great tuuuuuuuune
I always loved the soundtrack to this course and you beautifully deconstructed it. Super informational, great work!
Music theory: is incredibly intricate and complex, while simultaneously constantly evolving with modern artists
Me: hee hee hoo hoo "do re mi fa sol la ti do"
Thanks to you, I am beginning to understand MUCH more about music theory than I ever had previously thought possible, and can apply such concepts to my own solos in jazz. Such videos are so entertaining since I love video games, and learning much more about what makes pieces so interesting and unique is always a joy to find. Basically, without these videos, it would be difficult to completely understand these concepts. THANK YOU.
I think I found an erratum in your Time-Interest graph 3:28. The *"Time"* should be in the *X axis* , and the *"Interest"* should be placed in the *Y axis*
By the way, awesome analysis.
This is an extremely well made video and channel, and is really interesting for somebody like me who has no idea about anything to do with music. You have earned yourself a new sub.
Where did you go to college at dude?
I think it might be Berklee. Based on the way that he analyses harmony
I am so very grateful to this channel