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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 ส.ค. 2021
- A look inside the music theory of Sonic 3's Sandopolis Zone.
Viewer rewards include getting your name in the credits, sheet music library, and vgm soundtrack of the week: / alexyard
Special Thanks: Randy Lee
Instagram: @randyleerock
Facebook: redrevealrock
TH-cam: / @randyredreveal
Special Thanks: ardklaw
Clips
2:52
Oil Ocean Gameplay by TH-cam user Anon7906
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (PC 4K) Retro Engine
• Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (...
3:13
Banjo Kazooie Gameplay by TH-cam user Retro Longplays
[Longplay] HD 60 FPS - Banjo-Kazooie 100% Maximum Completion No Damage
• HD N64 Walkthrough - B...
5:14
Platform Masters Gameplay by ulillillia / Ulillillia Archive
Platform Masters development (August 8, 2012) - Keveran Desert updates
• Platform Masters devel...
6:13
Sonic Long Jump by TH-cam user NintenU
Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games - All Characters Long Jump Gameplay
• Mario & Sonic at the R...
6:18
Aladdin Gameplay by TH-cam user xRavenXP
[LONGPLAY] SNES - Aladdin [100%] (4K, 60FPS)
• [Longplay] SNES - Alad...
6:25
Aladdin Gameplay by TH-cam user AL82 Retrogaming Longplays
Aladdin Longplay (Mega Drive/Genesis) [60 FPS]
• Aladdin Longplay (Mega...
8:07
Knuckles Chaotix Gameplay by TH-cam user arronmunroe
Knuckles' Chaotix Sega 32X 2 player 60fps
• Knuckles' Chaotix Sega...
Audio
0:01 & 2:44 & 3:29 & 6:29 & 7:10 & 8:17
Sandopolis Act 1, Composer: Sega
2:52
Oil Ocean (Sonic 2), Composer: Masato Nakamura
3:14
Gobi’s Valley (Banjo-Kazooie), Composer: Grant Kirkhope
5:14
Composition Written for Platform Masters’ Keveran Desert (Unused)
5:36 & 7:21 & 8:29
Sandopolis Act 2, Composer: Sega
6:18
Arabian Nights (Aladdin), Composer: Alan Menken
6:51 & 7:04
Marble Garden Acts 1 and 2, Composer: Miyoko Takaoka
8:02
Take a Nap (Knuckles Chaotix), Composer: Mariko Nanba
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Sheet Music Transcription Conventions:
docs.google.com/document/d/1n... - เกม
![Yoshi Rinrada - 'มาทำไม' [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/r41xbfRLkLs/mqdefault.jpg)
Ah it's been many years since I laid eyes on the beautiful sandy dunes of the Keveran Desert. Coming in clutch with the Platform Masters references lol.
Oh hello there, Loremaster.
Oh hello there, Loremaster.
Oh hello there, loremaster
Oh hello there, Loremaster
On a serious note, a collab on sonic 3's music could make for good content.
"Aeolian Sandopolis Zone doesn't exist, it can't hurt you"
Aeolian Sandopolis Zone: 0:53
It's kinda like a bad midi lol
Give me my Phrygian back, please? :’(
It's not the fact it's in Aeolian that's the problem, it's the instruments. Lots of game music uses regular old minor. It would sound fine if more somber if it was using the Genesis FM and PSG. In fact, a game could feature a more calm variant for indoor sections and switch between the major and minor seventh as you go in and out of the temple.
@@YourIdeologyIsDelusional Yee. I just think it sounds cursed after being so used to the leading tone being used there lmao
hahah
Bloody lovely. I love the icons you use to graphically demonstrate certain points, it shows thought and care.
The editing generally on these videos are just fantastic.
Hello ^^
The pyramid example really opened my eyes as he used the background and set the notes on the top of it to display the rise and fall.
Only two replys? Let me fix that
Act 2 is my alarm clock tone. That bass jolts me awake everytime.
That's funny, Diamond Dust Zone from Sonic 3D Blast has been my ringtone since I got my first phone four years ago.
@@Roboat06 yeah that one two punch will wake you up for sure lol
@@quinn562 No, I said I use it as my ringtone.
@@Roboat06 Ah whoops yes you are correct lol
it's terrible to do this to yourself, I did it with big shot from deltarune and that song gives me a fight or flight response now
This series has me appreciating Sonic 3 on a whole new level at this point.
I like the how you explain and make it possible to understand what you’re talking about. I like 8 bit music theory, but sometimes he completely loses me because what he talks about is so complicated. I really like learning from these, they also help me with remixing them
I agree, I find these much easier to follow - wonder if it's in part because it's Sonic though haha
Are you a mind reader cause I was thinking the same thing
classic sonic the hedgehog is 16 bit though
@@jaywarudo it’s the channel’s name, not it’s exact profession
my bad, i read that wrong
i thought you were taking about the music itself, not a TH-camr
Found it very interesting that you made the whole analysis without speaking of arabic scales, specially when you pointed out the 3 semitone jump, which is one of the defining characteristics of the scales.
Love your videos and your channel, and this was another great one!
was also surprised by this - talking about this and oil ocean without delving into at least some discussion of the faux-exotic 12-tet-bound versions of some of these scales used as cartoonish shorthand seems like such a missed opportunity.
Eh I don't think a history lesson is necessary to totally understand what's going on with this tune
@@nthgth Not needed, but certainly interesting.
also not one mention of the word phrygian, which is the minor scale with a minor second. The raised 7th would make it a harmonic minor or something.
I'm sure theorists could figure that out, but not everyone is a theorist.
Man, I LOVED this zone when I was a kid. You gotta understand, the Stargate movie came out around the time of Sonic 3 and I remember getting to the boss thinking I was fighting one of Ra's personal guards. Also, as I got better at the game I stopped hitting the lights so I could see the ghosts go full beastmode! Great memories.
those ghosts used to scare me as a kid.
The sheer audaciousness of 1:04-1:10. "And this melody outlines their majestic peaks." Fucking magic 👏🏻
composers sometimes might choose to outline the shape of a melody before writing it.
As someone who greatly appreciates Sonic music, I never thought you could actually go this deep into why it's so good.
Always nice to see people give Sandopolis some attention. I remember when I was little the rising sand sections gave me a lot of anxiety, maybe because it triggered the same response as rising water from Sonic 2's small section from Chemical Plant and Sonic 1's boss of Labyrinth Zone. It was a really hard roadblock for me at that time.
The entire Act 2 was an anxiety run if you think about it. Timed gates, crushing sand, timed creepy ghosts, a lot of things to keep track of, you can't just chill and explore as comfortably as in other zones.
@@roddbroward9876 It's also a fairly difficult level to finish including the boss before time out
Your visual representations of the music are *cheff's kiss*
The part at 1:05 blew my mind. I love when you use the notes as a visual representation of a theme from the stage, like in the balloon park video
Seeing people saying mean things about Sandopolis hurts my heart :(
Act 2 hurts everyone's heart.
@@mikesannitti6042 Truuue
Sandopolis is one of my favorite S3&K zones. This video is the first time I've ever heard anyone say there's something unlikable about its gameplay, and I have no idea why they might think that.
@@thajocoth It's all act 2. The ghosts are annoying along with the lightswitch mechanic. Also the timed push-switches sonetimes feel cheap or confusing, especially with the threat of being crushed on occasion. There's a confusing endless falling loop in there somewhere too that isn't as clear as ice cap's one. And then the level takes long enough to make time over a worry as well. Sandopolis act 2 is one of the most anxiety-inducing levels in 2d sonic.
@@mikesannitti6042 It's a haunted pyramid. It's supposed to feel anxious. That means the level's design is spot on for the feeling it was meant to convey.
The lightswitch mechanic pushes you to go fast, like so many Sonic game mechanics do, so I don't really see the issue there. The ghosts add a tiny bit of challenge if you're not fast enough, forcing you to stay in ball form as much as possible until you find the next light switch, but jumping as you move is pretty easy, so they didn't add very much challenge.
As someone that tries to explore every corner of game levels, I found the exit to the endless fall loop by trying not to find it, trying instead to find every corner it let me get to without exiting that loop. I'd think the simple process of elimination would make it pretty easy though, even for those not playing the same way I did.
I especially liked the rising sand segments. They were good little mini-challenges, each with stuff to try to grab along your way. It lets you add a little extra risk of going a little out of your way in a timed area for an increased reward.
Any time I ever timed out there, I gained more lives along the way than I lost, and I certainly didn't mind playing the level some more.
I still think it's a good, fun, well designed, and atmospheric level.
Everyone hate this zone.....for some reason cause personally it's up there with one of my favorites in the series not because I enjoy the brutal enemies and the claustrophobic platforming but because I enjoy the themeing of it all the fact that in the era of the Genesis they were able to make an ancient desert tomb feel so perfect to the way the real world looked at them in such a way for me it's unheard of Sega really were a master class in capturing not just fun and passion in the games they made but just raw feeling in a wordless story for a blue Hedgehog his 2 tailed fox friend and his red echidna adversary on an adventure to piece together a misinterpreted story like most zones in S3&K are inconsequential to the over all narrative the game is trying to tell yet the still manage to tell a deeper story through the background visuals and the music in those zones making them feel like way more than just levels to be blasted through in a 2d platformer game they feel real they feel important and the feel lived in and significant to sonic world as a whole
Don't believe me and feel like I'm reading way to far into it then just read the sonic universe comics where these zones make an appearance and they go deeper into what these zones are SUPPOSED TO BE and they are so perfectly 1 to 1 that you can tell it's exactly what the Devs of S3&K were truly going for from the very beginning
This game is absolutely stunning
The same reason people hate Marble zone, Labyrinth zone it's the gameplay side but besides that the zone isn't that bad as you described i just hate spending 9 minutes in this zone but I don't hate it, only marble garden but that's a different zone
*We love to hate it. It's a meme zone.
**It's a good level for those of you who are unaware of Sonic 3 and Knuckles.
Same
This zone is special to me beacuse back in the day, on the mega collection, I hadn't unlocked S3&K yet, so I was stuck with both games seperate... it's a very interesting experience you can't get anywhere else. Sonic and Knuckles on it's own has only four proper zones before endgame, and Sandopolis was just a domineering third zone. Many lives were lost on those hills.
Really, Sonic and Knuckles alone almost feels like a Lost Levels version of Sonic 3... there's no tails, no sympathy, no mercy, and you only have four zones to get the chaos emeralds. Since Knuckles doesn't get that many Knuckles only sections in S&K... for some reason... he really just feels like a harder version of Sonic. It's very odd. Now I almost want to do a writeup on S&K alone.
A lot of us were kids when we first played this. Sandopolis changes compared to the previous zones because there is a lot more pressure, especially in Act 2, add in the ghosts and creepy undertones and it really was that zone everyone just wanted to get through as fast as possible. Act 2 made my heart race back then, and reaching the boss at the end was actually a relief if anything because the music and the pressure stopped lol, in other zones reaching the boss is usually the most tense part.
If you think about it they pretty much threw EVERYTHING they could get in terms of pressure into a single zone. Timed gates, ghosts with timed lighting, timed sand that could crush you on the ceiling, and a lot of opportunity to get you stuck in a loop and lose more time and mess up those other things to keep track of. Act 2 in particular is pretty much as tense as a game like this can get. Act 1 wasn't as bad though.
I hate sand, it's coarse and rough and gets everywhere.
The best part of Sandopolis is when Sonic gets the high ground against the Guardian miniboss.
Edit: forgot a word xD
Dang, this wasn’t the hedgehog I’m looking for
So you wipe your ass, with sand?!
I love how you use the gameplay features of the level when visualising the sheet music and chords
This video has elevated my appreciation for this tune (or, these two tunes). Always loved the music in S3&K, never saw how great and catchy these were
Thank you, Sandopolis has got to be my favorite song, it's definitely up there, gets me pumped every time
Yep
The zone may be bad but it's music is a banger
Best desert-themed level ever
Great video! Phrygian dominant (the scale the other games’ desert music is from) is definitely easy mode musical shorthand for “middle eastern” lol Also, slaaaay Randy!!!
Thank you!
Holy crap the editing is so good! Took me a second to realize you used the Sandopolis levers when discussing the chord structure but that's so clever!
EDIT: not a lever really but the thing you push to open the doors
I believe those are called sliders, but I'm not sure either
Man I love these analyses and how you manage to link the melodies to the level theme, helps a ton with ideas for compositions...
Best game music theory channel hands down!
Wee Alex is come back with other music theories, i love these videos!
I love how you can explain music theory and stuff in a way that people love like me who don't know anything about music (besides how to listen to it) could understand.
I've waited for this for so long. Hopefully we can see a Hydrocity music theory next!
Amazing video as always! Although it has one of my favorite tracks of any sonic game, this zone is just so irritating to play, especially that looping section of act 2 that I always end up getting stuck at which inevitably results in a time over during the robotnik fight. The Phrygian dominant scale is what I think of whenever I hear a desert theme in a game so maybe it’s similar to this, but I’m not enough of a musician to say if that’s true or not 😅
This is one of my favorite songs in SK3. Great video as always!
That caught me off guard when the bass lined up with the lights dimming (7:31) Nice editing!
This series is AWESOME, I'm struggling with motivation learning music theory but this is absolutely reinvigorating my interest, thanks
2:24 "i feel like chicken tonight!" that part always reminded me of that commercial jingle!
great video as always. it really helps me understand and appreciate the level designs in how they are crafted. gameplay is fun but i've always loved exploring the "story" of the levels themselves in the early sonic games.
Dude your editing and attention to details that will thrill and delight longtime sonic fans really gets me. Also as a musician, the core conceit of sonic from a theory perspective is just so 😙👌
I love how the major seventh in this piece really helps give it the "authenticity" (for lack of a better term) of a desert. It's slower speed also helps it stand out from most other Sonic tunes. Great vid!
I gotta admit, 1,100 likes and no dislikes (at the moment) is a huge achievement.
I really enjoy your videos; I never got the chance to learn music theory, so when I learn about it through the songs of my favorite games, it helps a lot. It also helps my remixes, I feel like I'm not shooting in the dark when I try to make this masterpieces better! So thank you Alex!
Well done, sir. I remember looking for those elusive minor 2nds myself.
Alex, your channel is criminally underrated
that performance you had put on for us was truly magnificent. You couldn't have ended the video a better way... infact you seem to have a knack for knowing how to end videos. Bravo
Love that guitar solo at the end!
This song has always made me nervous and uncomfortable listening to, haven been in part of what gave me nightmares as a kid.
A testament on the vibe and atmosphere this song creates.
since it's not something Alex focuses on as much, I think this has a lot to do with the tonal/timbre choices. The brooding bass sound in particular, but also the lead instrument has a sinister quality - it's clearly meant to emulate on some level the Arghul and other egyptian/middle eastern instruments, but could you reliably say for example if it's a wind or a string instrument? FM often has a reputation for being "harsh" but also emulating the characteristics of "real" instruments better than substractive synths, and this sound plays with that a bit, sounding like a lost, distorted instrument of an era gone by poorly restored.
Unironically one of my fave zones and the music is in large part why as it helps sell its atmosphere. LOVE your stuff dude.
that is an amazing guitar.
Excellent video, I love that the melody goes up and down like a pyramid. It seems very common to use the harmonic minor scale when it is music from the desert or the Middle East, but it added a lot in your analysis on how the minor 2nd is used, very interesting. As a boy I loved the music of this zone, but I also had a hard time passing act 2 haha
Thank you for another very interesting video. I appreciate your hard work that go into these.
Glad to see more videos from you
7:27 gave me chills wow, this is brilliant
I clicked on the video page 7min after it went live and it already had 50 likes lol Congrats man, these series are a huge well deserved success!
This is amazing, i like how you use the actual level to show how the notes are placed, well done!
Hey man! I've been binging your videos. Because even though I'm 20, I grew up on my dad's Genesis and retro games. So to understand why I felt the way I felt as a kid is a beautiful thing. Please never stop making these videos. The insight is incredible!
I never knew I wanted this channel so much
As usual, excellent analysis. I like how you visualized the melody with the pyramids. Also good to point out here is how that long jump you described is the natural result of the harmonic minor scale, when the 7th is raised to create a leading tone to 1. That weird jump corresponds to a chord commonly found in Middle Eastern music, and is the whole reason the harmonic minor scale was born, raising the 6th to fill that gap.
I’m not sure it’s exactly what the composers were intending, but I like how you compared certain phenomena happening musically to phenomena happening in gameplay, like the disappearing ghosts playing tricks and the harsh arid-like quality of the music to the arid heat and harshness of the enemies.
For me, the dyad back and forth in the bass of the 2nd act always evoked the back and forth of a cobra emerging from a basket, or the movements of a weird Arabic dance. Whereas outside the pyramid the bass and the percussion was always kinda western and hip, the first section seems to have a more pseudo-Egyptian dance feel to it. The 2nd act has this “sh*t’s getting real” feel to it.
Anyway, again, excellent analyses, I think I’ve binge-watched all of them already. Was excited to see another one. 👍
Edit: I was just thinking; you know how in the first i V i V section the bass is relentless, it then as you say, it cuts out a lot in the V V V V section? The whole lights on, lights out aspect of act 2 comes to mind.
I liked this stage at time and I still really like it now. The second act is amazing.
These video are high quality. Good job.
What I like about Sandopolis's soundtrack is when Act 2 hits, and the music starts feeling like you're stuck in the pyramid, and you're not trying to defeat Eggman now, but trying to escape the pyramid, lest you be entombed in it.
I love how you so smoothly just shifted into a really great explanation of modes.
I never even realized that part of the melody is literally a little note drawing of pyramids but it works so well. Makes you wonder how many other composers do this.
Always a blessing to see these songs explored and explained in such interesting detail and analysis. Thank you for these, Alex! Always an inspiration.
Nothing wrong with Sandopolis gameplay!
Nice guitar solo, at the end!
The graphical relationship you establish between music and game elements is mind-blowing, Alex. What a fantastic channel you have. Keep up the brilliant job!
the harmonic minor over the V chord gives you a Phyrgian Dominant mode, i love it!
Oh yes, hell music analysis.
Can You Do A Music Theory of Sonic The Hedgehog 3's Chrome Gadget Zone?
Something tells me it’s coming…
Little known fact, this highlights the Harmonic Minor, which my old violin teacher dubbed "The Jewish Minor." I remember playing Sandopolis as a kid and my dad telling me the game's level sounded Jewish...He wasn't wrong. Blue's Scale to Jazz is what the Harmonic Minor is to Klezmer music. I love it!
after repeatedly watching all of your other music theory videos, it's very nice to finally be somewhat early to a new one
very much enjoying the content, keep it up!
These videos are too good. Thank you for the hard work you put in these. So fun to watch and I know almost nothing about music.
I'm really glad I found this channel when I did, had to wait a while for the new video (this one) nut not too long. Especially after binging the other videos
I just finished watching this entire series so far and boy is it helpful! Most other music theory lessons would confuse me since I wouldn't be able to understand them very well, but your explanations are always really easy to follow along with. Plus, your editing is great! Thank you!
Another masterclass lesson in music theory! I especially love it when you equate the traveling of the notes to literal aspects of the level, that always blows my mind.
As always, I'm looking forward to whatever you cover next!
Fantastic video. It was only recently playing the game through again that I noticed how much I actually really like Sandopolis Zone’s music. I’m surprised this video didn’t go more into detail about the melody’s awesome counterpoint in the second voice. The syncopation is just spot on.
Amazing editing and informative analysis. Great videos that deserve way more views 👍👍
I really love the work done in this video's! It's creative, fun and informative. So much possible with even changing small patterns!
Awesome video! I’ve always loved this song and I feel like it’s very underrated. Now that I know so much more about it I can really appreciate the song and the people who made it so much more. Thank you for doing one of my favorite Sonic songs!
The intersection of the music with the visuals and movement. Design and nomenclature. The fact that the notes form a triangle referencing a pyramid 🤯
Holy smoke I was just wondering if you had done this track yet! Love the channel. Always loved these tunes but you really do a great job showing and telling how they really work!
Sandopolis Zone was the first area where I started getting a lot of game overs as a kid but while I did get frustrated, I loved the music here.
I love your Videos!
They are very informative and I always learn a lot from them ^ -^
Wow. Your visual metaphors are on point. Wish you were my music theory teacher. It would have made it a lot less boring!
I am amazed by your video editing skills and musical knowledge
This is my favorite zone in Sonic 3 + K. Thank you for covering it!
I just discovered your channel yesterday and now you make a new video? Perfect!
Your videos not only fill gap in my musical knowledge but also in Sonic levels. Most levels you looked into (including this) I never heard of. (I was growing up with 8 & 16 bit Sonics 1 & 2)
Great video, thank you very much for big production.
Goodness gracious that absolute shred at the end.
coming upon this channel was one of the best things to happen to me this year.
The Sandopolis track is outstanding. I love it so much! Really enjoyed your analysis of it!
Yes!!! I love these videos!
So, honestly
I never minded Sandopolis
Idk why, the concept was just really cool to me. (Yes, even the ghosts)
Discovered your Channel Today. even though im not relly a lot into Music theory your Videos and explanations are great and understandable to everyone.
Keep it up
I just found this series yesterday and binged them all, then lo - a new vid today! HELL YEAH.
Superb editing and insight. Keep it up!
And killer guitar!
I love your explanations, they help me understand music a little better
I unironically really like playing Sandopolis
When your so early there's only one like
Thanks for this i was really looking forward to it.Thank you.
KEEP IT GOING THIS CHANNEL IS AMAZING!
I've always interpreted this as Phrigian Dominant as opposed to the Minor with a Raised seventh. It's an interesting look at it. Great content though, grown to love this channel.
Sandopolis is my favorite s3&k zone, thanks for this video
9:35
Caught me off guard
Who the hell is turning up on SANDOPOLIS! GODDAMN!
These videos you make on music theory are incredibly fun to watch and informative! I've always been interested in music composition and your explanations are clear enough for even a novice to understand, I wish I had found this channel sooner. I hope you get to Hydrocity sometime in the near future, as that's one of my favorites from Sonic 3, but even still, amazing work!