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What other Studio Ghibli would you like to see discussed?? Also, as you might have guessed, this video got claimed! Yay TH-cam copyright system!! So yeah, if you want to support what we do on the channel, consider checking out the Intro to Piano course and get 30% off with code MUSICTHEORY30 at checkout! cornellmusicacademy.com/
Hey! You should check out the soundtrack from the anime "nichijou, my ordinary life" it's an incredible soundtrack with everything from fantastic orchestral pieces to jazz, pop, and even EDM. It's really great and I think you would enjoy it
Studio Ghibli actually commissioned jazz albums of the music found in their movies, a lot of people are sleeping on this but there is some great stuff in there.
I just attended Joe Hisaishi in concert. At the end, he sat down at the piano and surprised us with one last song that wasn't in the program. When he played that first chord of "One Summer's Day," the audience collectively gasped. I started tearing up. The power that that song has is unbelievable!
I saw him a few weeks ago too, so incredible to finally be able to attend his concert that was postponed from 2020! Were you at the Toronto one, or a different venue?
I think I was at this same concert and I was so captivated that I didn’t move at all during the first half, which I could tell from how stiff I was when the intermission came around lol. And I definitely teared up multiple times over the course of it. I’m incredibly thankful that I got to go
@@mr.moviemafia @bread My replies aren't showing up with my main channel, for whatever reason, but you can check out a short preview of one of my pieces on the channel that made the original comment. I just launched the channel, so much more of my pieces will soon be uploaded - if you enjoy what you hear. :)
In short Ghibli's music in a sense is exactly like it's movies, they takes us to the unbelievable adventure before ultimately going to to the place we all long to be, home
@@pc-9826 That’s because generally in Ghibli movies, they’re targeting all ages while Disney is strictly targeting children. Not just through art and music but also the stories are much more simple and kind of lack emotion and feeling compared to Ghibli
this comment is a year old, but I just wanted to let you know I'm currently doing my music analysis essay on Hisaishi and you just summed it up with this one comment. well stated.
There are scenes in some Ghibli movies that get me to tears every single time, but this is the only one where the _opening title card_ does it. That pan up to the sky and that simple walk-down melody. It's just perfection.
"Sixth Station" has the same themes but sounds like an entirely different song, similar to how John Williams is known to reintroduce themes under different guises so you don't recognize them, except subliminally. Beautiful.
It was a song I first listened to as a kid, and I always remembered it, hence why it is my favourite piece. It's just something about the nostalgic, mysterious but all familiar tonality that makes it so beautiful.
Yes, its called Leitmotiv, Jhon williams is indeed the one that popularised its use in cinema and cinematic story telling. Its a very powerful tool to empower your stories !
@@giorgio7360 If I could hum them both to you I would. It's these 8th note patterns that feel at home in both songs. Its like if you took One Summer's Day and you saddened it and rearranged it.
What's great about Spirited away is that, if you explained the plot to someone who hasnt seen the film, and you told them it was your dream from last night, they would believe you
hearing spirited away's one summer day will always make me cry i swear. I always remember that one scene where Haku goes- "Now go, and don't look back."
It’s only been a year since I first watched Spirited Away, yet somehow, the music already makes me feel nostalgic. Idk why. But that’s how I can tell it’s an amazing soundtrack.
8:56 From here, my friends, is where I started to cry. Living has its downsides, but being here to experience works like Hisaishi's makes it all worthwhile.
I must confess: sometimes I don't understand a word that Charles says. I barely understand English, to tell you the truth. I am not a musician, so things like "Sharp Nine"; "C Major" mean nothing to me. But there is one thing I do understand: the love that Charles puts into these videos. That's exactly why I watch them. It transcends any cultural barrier, language barrier, social barrier, and so on. Thank you for doing what you do, man.
@@gustav0santos its easy- a sharp nine is just like a regular nine, but sharp. And similarly C-major would be like d-minor but C is the root and its bigger. If you imagine the intervals withing the C-Major in terms of space- you will generally find them to be larger than the d-minor equivalent. So if you just take the average the picture will be pretty clear cut. I hope this helped. :)
I seem to recall an explanation I found somewhere about how Joe Hisaishi builds stacked chords like a jazz musician would but along typically Japanese harmonic and modal structures, effectively fusing both musical languages. I sadly lack the music theory acumen I'd need to remember and explain the details. (Edited because my autocorrect feature thought that 'fisting' would fit better than 'fusing' in that sentence)
there's also an 8-bit music theory video where he talks about the usage of jazz chords with more classical rhythmic and instrumental construction and such
I absolutely love the amount of description Charles puts into these, they aren't boring at all. And honestly this makes music easier to understand, like a poetry teacher. But it's so amazing to see what music can really show behind it's notes.
You just opened my eyes! I didn't know what notes are played at the beginning of Yubaba's theme but after seeing it today in your video, it makes so much sense - two twin sisters with opposing characters just like the same notes played on opposite sides of the keyboard.
I LOL'ed at 1:13 the breakdown literally just started and you had to stop at the first chord!!! That's just a testament of how iconic Hisaishi's music is, just instantly recognizable!
Hisaishi can create amazing worlds with his music. He's incredible! Also anyone interested, learning to play these songs is so much fun! Definitely recommend
@@Santialid not sure, I got all of mine from my piano teacher. Videos that are piano versions of Ghibli music usually have the sheet music linked in the description
I don't know what it is about Japanese composers, but I can't get enough of their music. The eastern music tradition lends to their pieces such delicacy, nuance, and a contemplative sound. I can always tell when a piece was written by a Japanese composer, love it.
That initial chord spacing reminds me immediately of the music in Breath of the Wild! Talk about hauntingly beautiful... There are some amazing pieces of music in BotW and I think you would really appreciate it, Charles!
I was just about to comment this! I swear that same chord is used somewhere in BOTW’s ambient score. Also I believe he has already done a video on BOTW’s music if you haven’t checked it out!
BotW takes some pretty obvious inspirations from different Ghibli films, and the aesthetics are very similar too, so it makes sense that the composers for Nintendo would take inspiration from the Japanese national icon that is Joe Hisaishi
Spirted Away is one of the best movies of all time. Everything that is placed in this movie is sublime. The music, story, animation, lore, pacing, etc. It’s just a perfect tale for all ages.
Sixth Station is probably my favorite track from the movie it creates character development through a scene that literally no one speaks. And clearly shows how far Chihiro has gone through.
The train scene is a masterpiece!! It looks like nothing is happening at all but it let you breathless and your brain don't know why but your heart do.
17:34 I've found that lots of Japanese music has this. Tatsuro Yamashita is a great example of someone who's music is harmonically usually fairly straightforward but does sometimes challenge your ear with interesting non-diatonic chords and harmony
I'm so glad to be seeing a video dedicated to Joe Hisaishi. Literally one of my major influences in my piano playing. The soundscapes he creates are just amazing, at this point, I couldn't picture any other composer creating music for the Ghibli movies.
1:13 That's also the beginning note to one of the ambient songs that plays in Breath of the Wild, truly shows just how much inspiration really came from Ghibli to give Breath of the Wild it's sense of wonder and life.
Since very early on i've made the connection in my head between Ghibli music (namely Spirited Away) and Breath of the Wild's. More so in it's dreamy ambient piano like The Temple of Time ambient music, feels like it would fit perfectly within a Ghibli movie. But there's many other examples aswell.
exaaaaaactly also pretty much a rip off of princess mononoke. Especially now that we have tears of the kingdom Though it could be seen more as a tribute
One Summer's Day is one of those pieces that just completely overwhelms my emotions and I start to cry with shortened breath. It's one of those most utterly beautiful pieces of music ever created. The tingling sensation it gives me is unlike any other piece of music, and the only way my body seems to know how to handle the influx of pure emotion is by setting off the floodgates in my eyes lol
5:02 Literally me this entire video lol. Music theory is so fascinating but it I know so little about it. These videos are always exciting and I love how you break apart music and figure out why they sound so cool.
I've known this movie for so long now, and it always gets me when I listen to the soundtrack. I have to tell myself to just listen and feel the music sometimes, because I tend to automatically hum along. Reprise always makes me cry. It is such a gorgeous song filled with emotion. Joe Hisaishi is a brilliant composer. I'm thankful for his and Miyazaki-san's wonderful works.
With all this anime, I'd love to see a score explaination of "Your Name". It's surprisingly simple, yet the melodies have really cool contrast with very few notes and harmonies
Went to France from the US to watch him the first time. The trip was worth it. Then he had a concert within an hour if my home at San Jose a few years later. What a blessing.
There's just something about One Summer Day that's just so beautiful. It's the first song that I really put all my heart and soul into. There's no better way to describe it other than a magical fantasy.
This is phenomenal. It's like a language - when you started showing the first three chords and explaining them, I could see a story: - Come with me to a far away place, where things are similar to what you know, but somewhat different - To reach it, you need to find a doorway, and cross through (the second and third chords are mirrored on the keyboard) extraordinary
Love this video! But the whole time I was watching, I couldn't help but think about how he's analyzing it from a completely Western viewpoint. I watched a video a while back talking about the music of Joe Hisaishi, and especially "One Summer's Day." In that video, they talked about how a lot of the melodies and harmonies Hisaishi uses in his Ghibli film scores - especially those with very uniquely Japanese story elements and beats - are built on traditional Japanese scales. There's four I believe, and they're a mix/match of the two primary tetrachords, if I'm remembering correctly. I totally get that, as a Westerner, it's weird to think of harmonic functions outside of the modes of the major and melodic minor scales, but I think it'd make a video like this even better!
I'm learning One Summer's Day right now from the sheet music, great to see a deep dive on some of the theory here! I'd love to see an in depth discussion of Ashitaka Sekki, the "Legend of Ashitaka" from Princess Mononoke, another of Joe Hisaishi's great works.
One thing I've really come to appreciate in your videos is that you leave the "mistakes" in. Reminds me of Bob Ross' "happy accidents". There's no reason to pretend mistakes don't happen and it makes your videos feel more organic and real instead of sterile and so rehearsed that you're a robot. Thanks for being human and showing humans it's okay to not be perfect. You obviously know what you're doing and are a professional for making a mistake and moving on.
The only other song from any soundtrack that makes me tear up like this is Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence by Ryuichi Sakamoto. It's similar but its just as masterful. It has a very similar structure as well.
Here to make the Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence comparison. It's a different melody and yet somehow the same. I completely lack the language or training to explain myself.
Really appreciate the keyboard facing the screen. I've always been curious about how you voice the chords while you analyze the music. Thanks for the quality content :)
Oh my god, the part at 10:33 is the most beautiful piano I have ever heard in my life. God and when it plays in the movie with the rice ball scene... just wow! Great video, I love these breakdowns.
I'm literally staring at the music watching this (just started playing this piece) and when I tell you I kept staring at the left hand on the first page like they were foreign shapes, and not an easy walk.... This video is truly like being guided on a beautiful walking tour... you are best!
I'd love for Charles to go over music from Kingdom Hearts. It is not only some of the best video game music ever composed, but some of the best compositions in general. Dearly Beloved alone blew my mind as a kid and I'd love to see a breakdown of why!
Yeah Kingdom Hearts has amazing music, probably on-par with some of Joe Hisaishi's work. The Hollow Bastion theme is absolutely stunning. Hollow Knight and Hades show the indie side of VGM brilliance.
@@collinbeal You might like to check out The Consouls - their cover of Hollow Bastion is phenomenal (they’ve also done Hollow Knight and Hades) th-cam.com/video/1O1Cf62P_X8/w-d-xo.html
Man, your enthusiasm for each song you review is what makes me love this channel so much. I am a music theory enjoyer but I don't know much about it. Your passion is contagious!
I just wanted to share that I'm not someone who understands music or music theory (like at all), but I do genuinely and thoroughly enjoy it. Your videos never make me feel talked down to or like you're purposefully using complicated wording or phrasing that I can't follow just because I'm not in the know already. I love the way you're sharing music in a new way that allows people like me to participate in this discussion without feeling like we don't belong here or shouldn't try to enter. You are a wonderful person and, to me, the truest form of musician. Sharing the passion and allowing others to have fun with you.
Charles, I have been waiting for this video from you for forever. This song hits a really deep spot for me. It’s one of the songs my partner and I met over, and I can’t help but cry every single time I hear this song and watch this movie. My partner and I have been together for 6 years now, and this song never fails to take me back to the first time we met. Thank you for blessing us with your knowledge and passion for music. ❤
I love all the talk about harmony, but it'd be cool to show how jazz pianists are just as serious about melodic development, rhythmic phenomena like syncopation, and even instrumentation/orchestration. Bill Evans' harmonies were cool, but honestly the thing I aspire to the most was his rhythmic phrasing, voicings, and snese of lyrical melody in melodic improvisation. Art Tatum's harmonies were cool (and sometimes about 20 years early), but his scaler and arpeggiate runs were astounding. The end of the melodic gesture at the beginning of "One Summer Day" ending in syncopation after a series of eighth notes gives it a sense of more modern musical language, I'd argue contributing just as much as the ambiguous quartile harmonies. Harmony is important in jazz, and in tonal music, but there's so much more.
I'm just deep diving Studio Ghibli and falling in love with it for the first time (I've seen like 7 or 8 of their movies in two weeks) and this movie, with its nostalgic and melancholy soundtrack, has absolutely changed my life
Joe is my hero - the musical decisions he makes are always the ones I want to hear. I was hoping you'd talk about The Sixth Station! But I'm just happy to see Joe's music represented here. Truly a stunning artist. Great video.
MAN! Love how you talk about music in it's different styles without any preconception. Open minded to listen anything and getting something of it. Such good vybes ~~
This is one of my favorite channels. Many times I don’t quite like/know the music enough and by the end of the video I end up loving. Thanks for the gift of musical energy you provide us. If I had a piano I would definitely purchase your course.
ive been in love with piano/classial music with very little theory knowledge. and hearing a soundtrack like this one broken down gives me alot more insight. loved every second of it
The Yubaba theme always reminded me of Ligeti's Musica Ricercata II movement, the one in Eyes Wide Shut scene. Also uses both ends on the piano and a similar theme with only two alternating notes with long fermata. It gives me same vibes.
I literally cannot listen to One Summer's Day without going 1:14 . I mean this is such a beautiful piece. It really creates the atmosphere of having lost your normal state safety & being stuck in a very foreign place surrounded by strange and frightening environments and people. But there's also a tinge of hope - some characters are nice to you and want to help you, but you don't know if you'll make it through the obstacals ahead and finally reunite with your parents.
Great video!! There's another piece in the movie called the Sixth Station that is incredible and not so much well-known. I totally recommend to hear that piece
Your channel is one if my go-to channels for when I need time to empty my head. Calming, fun, but challenging enough to occupy my thoughts completely. And thank you for reacting to and processing Joe Hisaishi's music!
I love these type of videos. making one about The Karate Kid would be amazing and I think it would sum up most of the 80's movie sountracks. I bet we can learn a lot from that.
I just listened to One Summer Day when your video popped up. Spirited Away features my all time favorite anime music. It’s so incredibly well written and fits the movie perfectly.
spirited away left me in a sort of awe and gave me a trauma at the same time it opened my 3d eye it made me understand the endlessness of the world and creativity i was confused the whole time but at the same time it made me feel some type of way i was like 8 tho when i saw it where i am from back then cartoons where for kids
Anyone ever recommended the song Deference for Darkness from the Halo 3: ODST soundtrack? I played that game as a kid growing up, and that song always had me feeling some kind of way. The simple - but highly effective - piano chords and overall musicality of the song is haunting. In the context of the dark, depressing, hopeless story and setting of the game, it's a masterpiece. Would LOVE to see you dive into it. Thanks for doing what you do!
excuse me, lol I meant to write "YES" but I was excited I love that film. And as one of the first Ghibli films (the first?), and second ever collab between Joe Hisaishi and Miyasaki it would be super cool to hear how things have developed sonically from those beautiful beginnings til now
This was a movie I watched over and over growing up, and it wouldn’t have stuck with me as strongly if it weren’t for the score. The visuals and music are inseparable, and they really do Spirit me Away 😌
I adore this video so much, Joe Hisaishi is one of the greatest composers of our time. I looked up your other videos and was shocked to see you haven't talked about Ryuichi Sakamoto before! He's such a personality and so musically intelligent. I'd love if you talked about any of his work, though Merry Christmas, Mister Lawrence is probably his best known! Again, amazing stuff as always :)
I was in band and played clarinet for 12 years(a little bit of orchestra but mostly marching). I don't even play anymore but I love watching music theory content.
I'd love to see you break down/react to Interstellar's score! It's become increasingly popular thanks to modern day social media and I think it would be an awesome video!
I'd LOVE for Charles to analyze the soundtracks of the Final Fantasy games 9, 10, and 15. (FFIX, FFX, FFXV) They're masterful, and there's a very specific emotion the composer has infused into them to elicit that response from the player. Not going to give any of it away 😉
What other Studio Ghibli would you like to see discussed?? Also, as you might have guessed, this video got claimed! Yay TH-cam copyright system!! So yeah, if you want to support what we do on the channel, consider checking out the Intro to Piano course and get 30% off with code MUSICTHEORY30 at checkout! cornellmusicacademy.com/
Let’s gooooo
Princess Mononoke
Hey! You should check out the soundtrack from the anime "nichijou, my ordinary life" it's an incredible soundtrack with everything from fantastic orchestral pieces to jazz, pop, and even EDM. It's really great and I think you would enjoy it
Princess mononoke or howls moving castle pls! I got here early too!
Studio Ghibli actually commissioned jazz albums of the music found in their movies, a lot of people are sleeping on this but there is some great stuff in there.
I just attended Joe Hisaishi in concert. At the end, he sat down at the piano and surprised us with one last song that wasn't in the program. When he played that first chord of "One Summer's Day," the audience collectively gasped. I started tearing up. The power that that song has is unbelievable!
I saw him a few weeks ago too, so incredible to finally be able to attend his concert that was postponed from 2020! Were you at the Toronto one, or a different venue?
It will get you every time.
I will see him in concert this Saturday, I can't wait !!!
I think I was at this same concert and I was so captivated that I didn’t move at all during the first half, which I could tell from how stiff I was when the intermission came around lol. And I definitely teared up multiple times over the course of it. I’m incredibly thankful that I got to go
Happened to me in Vancouver!
Spirited Away's soundtrack is absolutely stunning. Joe Hisaishi's music has definitely impacted how I compose.
you compose? i would love to hear some of your music where can i find you?
@@bread5340 Same here!
@@mr.moviemafia @bread My replies aren't showing up with my main channel, for whatever reason, but you can check out a short preview of one of my pieces on the channel that made the original comment. I just launched the channel, so much more of my pieces will soon be uploaded - if you enjoy what you hear. :)
@@beng1862 thank you! your music is amazing, keep up the good work 👍
@@bread5340 Thank you! :)
In short Ghibli's music in a sense is exactly like it's movies, they takes us to the unbelievable adventure before ultimately going to to the place we all long to be, home
Bruh, you phrased that beautifully!
somehow I love ghibli more than disney. maybe they are just less commercial.
@@pc-9826 That’s because generally in Ghibli movies, they’re targeting all ages while Disney is strictly targeting children. Not just through art and music but also the stories are much more simple and kind of lack emotion and feeling compared to Ghibli
Beautifully said
this comment is a year old, but I just wanted to let you know I'm currently doing my music analysis essay on Hisaishi and you just summed it up with this one comment. well stated.
I instantly teared up at 0:08.
You know the music is good and is a core memory when the waterworks start
Me too.
it's so nostalgic :(
Turns me to rubble, every time
oh shit me too!
There are scenes in some Ghibli movies that get me to tears every single time, but this is the only one where the _opening title card_ does it. That pan up to the sky and that simple walk-down melody. It's just perfection.
"Sixth Station" has the same themes but sounds like an entirely different song, similar to how John Williams is known to reintroduce themes under different guises so you don't recognize them, except subliminally. Beautiful.
I love that piece!! And I'm listening it right now to find the themes, but they are really hard to detect
My Hero Academia does something like that as well
It was a song I first listened to as a kid, and I always remembered it, hence why it is my favourite piece. It's just something about the nostalgic, mysterious but all familiar tonality that makes it so beautiful.
Yes, its called Leitmotiv, Jhon williams is indeed the one that popularised its use in cinema and cinematic story telling. Its a very powerful tool to empower your stories !
@@giorgio7360 If I could hum them both to you I would. It's these 8th note patterns that feel at home in both songs. Its like if you took One Summer's Day and you saddened it and rearranged it.
What's great about Spirited away is that, if you explained the plot to someone who hasnt seen the film, and you told them it was your dream from last night, they would believe you
ngl if this movie was in my dream
i would be crying that i might never experience it again
hearing spirited away's one summer day will always make me cry i swear. I always remember that one scene where Haku goes- "Now go, and don't look back."
It’s only been a year since I first watched Spirited Away, yet somehow, the music already makes me feel nostalgic. Idk why. But that’s how I can tell it’s an amazing soundtrack.
8:56 From here, my friends, is where I started to cry.
Living has its downsides, but being here to experience works like Hisaishi's makes it all worthwhile.
I must confess: sometimes I don't understand a word that Charles says. I barely understand English, to tell you the truth. I am not a musician, so things like "Sharp Nine"; "C Major" mean nothing to me. But there is one thing I do understand: the love that Charles puts into these videos. That's exactly why I watch them. It transcends any cultural barrier, language barrier, social barrier, and so on.
Thank you for doing what you do, man.
@@gustav0santos its easy- a sharp nine is just like a regular nine, but sharp. And similarly C-major would be like d-minor but C is the root and its bigger. If you imagine the intervals withing the C-Major in terms of space- you will generally find them to be larger than the d-minor equivalent. So if you just take the average the picture will be pretty clear cut. I hope this helped. :)
Gregor, to a non piano player that's just gibberish. And it's true that you (I) can still love the video without understanding it.
I seem to recall an explanation I found somewhere about how Joe Hisaishi builds stacked chords like a jazz musician would but along typically Japanese harmonic and modal structures, effectively fusing both musical languages. I sadly lack the music theory acumen I'd need to remember and explain the details.
(Edited because my autocorrect feature thought that 'fisting' would fit better than 'fusing' in that sentence)
I think that was on the Sideways channel.
I can absolutely hear that.
@@carlalevy2269 I have no idea if this will work but here is the link to the Sideways Video
th-cam.com/video/hQ9wt3sxpwk/w-d-xo.html
there's also an 8-bit music theory video where he talks about the usage of jazz chords with more classical rhythmic and instrumental construction and such
I absolutely love the amount of description Charles puts into these, they aren't boring at all. And honestly this makes music easier to understand, like a poetry teacher. But it's so amazing to see what music can really show behind it's notes.
You just opened my eyes! I didn't know what notes are played at the beginning of Yubaba's theme but after seeing it today in your video, it makes so much sense - two twin sisters with opposing characters just like the same notes played on opposite sides of the keyboard.
EXACTLY!!
That's brilliant
Oh my god.
Ka boom. 😂 Mind blown. I've listened to this soundtrack a million times but that never crossed my mind.
I LOL'ed at 1:13 the breakdown literally just started and you had to stop at the first chord!!! That's just a testament of how iconic Hisaishi's music is, just instantly recognizable!
Hisaishi can create amazing worlds with his music. He's incredible!
Also anyone interested, learning to play these songs is so much fun! Definitely recommend
Do you know where I could get some sheet music for these songs?
@@Santialid not sure, I got all of mine from my piano teacher. Videos that are piano versions of Ghibli music usually have the sheet music linked in the description
Yes I could play the credits song from Mononoke Hime once (when it came out in the theatres) on piano :)
@@Santialid musescore
@@Santialid google it tbh thez are very famous pieces so it wont be hard.
I don't know what it is about Japanese composers, but I can't get enough of their music. The eastern music tradition lends to their pieces such delicacy, nuance, and a contemplative sound. I can always tell when a piece was written by a Japanese composer, love it.
That initial chord spacing reminds me immediately of the music in Breath of the Wild! Talk about hauntingly beautiful... There are some amazing pieces of music in BotW and I think you would really appreciate it, Charles!
I was just about to comment this! I swear that same chord is used somewhere in BOTW’s ambient score.
Also I believe he has already done a video on BOTW’s music if you haven’t checked it out!
How is it haunting 👻
BotW takes some pretty obvious inspirations from different Ghibli films, and the aesthetics are very similar too, so it makes sense that the composers for Nintendo would take inspiration from the Japanese national icon that is Joe Hisaishi
Charles video about BOTW: th-cam.com/video/rRRSWmZrJGs/w-d-xo.html
i think it's the first chord in mipha's theme
Spirted Away is one of the best movies of all time. Everything that is placed in this movie is sublime. The music, story, animation, lore, pacing, etc. It’s just a perfect tale for all ages.
Sixth Station is probably my favorite track from the movie it creates character development through a scene that literally no one speaks. And clearly shows how far Chihiro has gone through.
The train scene is a masterpiece!! It looks like nothing is happening at all but it let you breathless and your brain don't know why but your heart do.
17:34
I've found that lots of Japanese music has this. Tatsuro Yamashita is a great example of someone who's music is harmonically usually fairly straightforward but does sometimes challenge your ear with interesting non-diatonic chords and harmony
This
🤝 exactly
Tatsuro Yamashita = king 🫡
I'm so glad to be seeing a video dedicated to Joe Hisaishi. Literally one of my major influences in my piano playing. The soundscapes he creates are just amazing, at this point, I couldn't picture any other composer creating music for the Ghibli movies.
1:13 That's also the beginning note to one of the ambient songs that plays in Breath of the Wild, truly shows just how much inspiration really came from Ghibli to give Breath of the Wild it's sense of wonder and life.
Explaining the Spirited Away soundtrack in this way made me realize that Breath of the Wild music takes a lot of inspiration from Ghibli
Since very early on i've made the connection in my head between Ghibli music (namely Spirited Away) and Breath of the Wild's.
More so in it's dreamy ambient piano like The Temple of Time ambient music, feels like it would fit perfectly within a Ghibli movie.
But there's many other examples aswell.
Right? Those first few chords especially
exaaaaaactly
also pretty much a rip off of princess mononoke. Especially now that we have tears of the kingdom
Though it could be seen more as a tribute
I'd love to see some analysis on Howl's Moving Castle!! Particularly Merry-Go-Round of Life 😱
He already did
Done
Sucks to see it so overplayed, even in the movie itself. Do y’all have thoughts on howls moving castle? I think it’s overrated as hell
@@jackoyster1270Visually stunning, amazing soundtrack, but super overrated in every other aspect
It’s amazing how I never have any idea what he’s saying but always understand everything he’s saying
One Summer's Day is one of those pieces that just completely overwhelms my emotions and I start to cry with shortened breath. It's one of those most utterly beautiful pieces of music ever created. The tingling sensation it gives me is unlike any other piece of music, and the only way my body seems to know how to handle the influx of pure emotion is by setting off the floodgates in my eyes lol
This melody gives me chills everytime. Even better with the vocals
5:02 Literally me this entire video lol. Music theory is so fascinating but it I know so little about it. These videos are always exciting and I love how you break apart music and figure out why they sound so cool.
i really appreciate being able to see the keys on the bottom
100% digging the keyboard screen at the bottom. Props for added visualization and accessibility for piano players!
I've known this movie for so long now, and it always gets me when I listen to the soundtrack. I have to tell myself to just listen and feel the music sometimes, because I tend to automatically hum along. Reprise always makes me cry. It is such a gorgeous song filled with emotion. Joe Hisaishi is a brilliant composer. I'm thankful for his and Miyazaki-san's wonderful works.
With all this anime, I'd love to see a score explaination of "Your Name". It's surprisingly simple, yet the melodies have really cool contrast with very few notes and harmonies
YES
Omgg YES PLEASEE :))
your name's ost is brilliantly composed
I second that!
When I first saw spirited away I immediately fell in love with the music. The way each musical score fits into every scene is amazing
Went to France from the US to watch him the first time. The trip was worth it. Then he had a concert within an hour if my home at San Jose a few years later. What a blessing.
There's just something about One Summer Day that's just so beautiful. It's the first song that I really put all my heart and soul into. There's no better way to describe it other than a magical fantasy.
This is phenomenal. It's like a language - when you started showing the first three chords and explaining them, I could see a story:
- Come with me to a far away place, where things are similar to what you know, but somewhat different
- To reach it, you need to find a doorway, and cross through (the second and third chords are mirrored on the keyboard)
extraordinary
Just watched spirited away yesterday for the first time yesterday and have been listening to the soundtrack all day. This is great timing
Love this video! But the whole time I was watching, I couldn't help but think about how he's analyzing it from a completely Western viewpoint. I watched a video a while back talking about the music of Joe Hisaishi, and especially "One Summer's Day." In that video, they talked about how a lot of the melodies and harmonies Hisaishi uses in his Ghibli film scores - especially those with very uniquely Japanese story elements and beats - are built on traditional Japanese scales. There's four I believe, and they're a mix/match of the two primary tetrachords, if I'm remembering correctly. I totally get that, as a Westerner, it's weird to think of harmonic functions outside of the modes of the major and melodic minor scales, but I think it'd make a video like this even better!
I'm learning One Summer's Day right now from the sheet music, great to see a deep dive on some of the theory here! I'd love to see an in depth discussion of Ashitaka Sekki, the "Legend of Ashitaka" from Princess Mononoke, another of Joe Hisaishi's great works.
One thing I've really come to appreciate in your videos is that you leave the "mistakes" in. Reminds me of Bob Ross' "happy accidents". There's no reason to pretend mistakes don't happen and it makes your videos feel more organic and real instead of sterile and so rehearsed that you're a robot. Thanks for being human and showing humans it's okay to not be perfect. You obviously know what you're doing and are a professional for making a mistake and moving on.
The only other song from any soundtrack that makes me tear up like this is Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence by Ryuichi Sakamoto. It's similar but its just as masterful. It has a very similar structure as well.
breaks my hearttt
Wasn't Sakamoto in Yellow Magic Orchestra?
@@yunarukami14 Yup
Here to make the Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence comparison. It's a different melody and yet somehow the same. I completely lack the language or training to explain myself.
now spirited away and the boy and the heron share the honor of getting the best animated feature award
Really appreciate the keyboard facing the screen. I've always been curious about how you voice the chords while you analyze the music. Thanks for the quality content :)
those opening chords give me shivers every. single. time.
First How To Train Your Dragon which has a special place in my heart, then Spirited Away my FAVORITE movie of all time... I feel blessed
Thank you SO MUCH for adding the keyboard visualization!!! It's so much better!
Oh my god, the part at 10:33 is the most beautiful piano I have ever heard in my life. God and when it plays in the movie with the rice ball scene... just wow! Great video, I love these breakdowns.
Thank you for the timestamp. It´s my most favourite part. Can only agree with you on it. Have a great day~
One Summers Day and Sixth Station can almost always get a tear out of me. Magical stuff.
I'm literally staring at the music watching this (just started playing this piece) and when I tell you I kept staring at the left hand on the first page like they were foreign shapes, and not an easy walk.... This video is truly like being guided on a beautiful walking tour... you are best!
I know you describing the harmony of his music, but also you describing the movie as well. This reminds me some scenes of those movies and emotions.
I'd love for Charles to go over music from Kingdom Hearts. It is not only some of the best video game music ever composed, but some of the best compositions in general. Dearly Beloved alone blew my mind as a kid and I'd love to see a breakdown of why!
Yeah Kingdom Hearts has amazing music, probably on-par with some of Joe Hisaishi's work. The Hollow Bastion theme is absolutely stunning. Hollow Knight and Hades show the indie side of VGM brilliance.
Yes pleaseee lol
Hard agree. Yoko Shimomura’s work on Kingdom Hearts is probably the most impactful work out there for my own composition. She’s a genius at composing.
That would be great and you might enjoy The Consouls arrangement of Dearly Beloved th-cam.com/video/uGn-r_ofoko/w-d-xo.html
@@collinbeal You might like to check out The Consouls - their cover of Hollow Bastion is phenomenal (they’ve also done Hollow Knight and Hades) th-cam.com/video/1O1Cf62P_X8/w-d-xo.html
THIS IS LITERALLY THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SONG BY JOE HISAISHI, SO MEMORABLE SONG
Man, your enthusiasm for each song you review is what makes me love this channel so much. I am a music theory enjoyer but I don't know much about it. Your passion is contagious!
I just wanted to share that I'm not someone who understands music or music theory (like at all), but I do genuinely and thoroughly enjoy it. Your videos never make me feel talked down to or like you're purposefully using complicated wording or phrasing that I can't follow just because I'm not in the know already. I love the way you're sharing music in a new way that allows people like me to participate in this discussion without feeling like we don't belong here or shouldn't try to enter. You are a wonderful person and, to me, the truest form of musician. Sharing the passion and allowing others to have fun with you.
Charles, I have been waiting for this video from you for forever. This song hits a really deep spot for me. It’s one of the songs my partner and I met over, and I can’t help but cry every single time I hear this song and watch this movie. My partner and I have been together for 6 years now, and this song never fails to take me back to the first time we met. Thank you for blessing us with your knowledge and passion for music. ❤
I love all the talk about harmony, but it'd be cool to show how jazz pianists are just as serious about melodic development, rhythmic phenomena like syncopation, and even instrumentation/orchestration. Bill Evans' harmonies were cool, but honestly the thing I aspire to the most was his rhythmic phrasing, voicings, and snese of lyrical melody in melodic improvisation. Art Tatum's harmonies were cool (and sometimes about 20 years early), but his scaler and arpeggiate runs were astounding.
The end of the melodic gesture at the beginning of "One Summer Day" ending in syncopation after a series of eighth notes gives it a sense of more modern musical language, I'd argue contributing just as much as the ambiguous quartile harmonies.
Harmony is important in jazz, and in tonal music, but there's so much more.
This song is just incredibly amazing. When I hear it, I have literally no words to describe it. Tysm for this video
0:08 this just literally made me tear up, just shows how much off a masterpiece this soundtrack is
absolutely love your analyses of studio ghibli’s music. teared up multiple times during this video.
Thanks!
I just don't understand how geniuses like Hisaishi exist. Those people are literally the only thing that keeps me going, beautiful music
That chord you played around 8:20 has always been my favorite
wow already at the start, i';m getting memories of watching this film and being invested in it.
I'm just deep diving Studio Ghibli and falling in love with it for the first time (I've seen like 7 or 8 of their movies in two weeks) and this movie, with its nostalgic and melancholy soundtrack, has absolutely changed my life
Joe is my hero - the musical decisions he makes are always the ones I want to hear. I was hoping you'd talk about The Sixth Station! But I'm just happy to see Joe's music represented here. Truly a stunning artist. Great video.
MAN! Love how you talk about music in it's different styles without any preconception. Open minded to listen anything and getting something of it. Such good vybes ~~
This is one of my favorite channels. Many times I don’t quite like/know the music enough and by the end of the video I end up loving. Thanks for the gift of musical energy you provide us. If I had a piano I would definitely purchase your course.
Just that 1st chord of One Summer Day makes my eyes water, every time
Why is this the one musical piece I've been waiting for from him?
Thank you for the analysis of why I absolutely love it❤️
ive been in love with piano/classial music with very little theory knowledge. and hearing a soundtrack like this one broken down gives me alot more insight. loved every second of it
The Yubaba theme always reminded me of Ligeti's Musica Ricercata II movement, the one in Eyes Wide Shut scene. Also uses both ends on the piano and a similar theme with only two alternating notes with long fermata. It gives me same vibes.
Ok but how is he able to recognize all these individuals sounds and project them into the keyboard so effortlessly
I literally cannot listen to One Summer's Day without going 1:14 . I mean this is such a beautiful piece. It really creates the atmosphere of having lost your normal state safety & being stuck in a very foreign place surrounded by strange and frightening environments and people. But there's also a tinge of hope - some characters are nice to you and want to help you, but you don't know if you'll make it through the obstacals ahead and finally reunite with your parents.
The way you can just pick up and play any sound is incredible. Really talent!
Great video!! There's another piece in the movie called the Sixth Station that is incredible and not so much well-known. I totally recommend to hear that piece
Your channel is one if my go-to channels for when I need time to empty my head. Calming, fun, but challenging enough to occupy my thoughts completely. And thank you for reacting to and processing Joe Hisaishi's music!
I love these type of videos. making one about The Karate Kid would be amazing and I think it would sum up most of the 80's movie sountracks. I bet we can learn a lot from that.
love this video thank you. One summers day makes me cry.
Dude…huge fan…love your energy…love your enthusiasm…I know next to nothing about music theory…but I enjoy your videos anyway
i really love the way you use your perfect pitch! it’s the first video i’ve seen of you but not the last
YES LETS GO
I was so scared Charles was getting tired to cover anime stuff
Idk if he genuinely enjoys them, but I hope he continues giving it a go
I have always loved the music of Spirited Away.
I just listened to One Summer Day when your video popped up. Spirited Away features my all time favorite anime music. It’s so incredibly well written and fits the movie perfectly.
spirited away left me in a sort of awe and gave me a trauma at the same time it opened my 3d eye it made me understand the endlessness of the world and creativity i was confused the whole time but at the same time it made me feel some type of way i was like 8 tho when i saw it where i am from back then cartoons where for kids
Anyone ever recommended the song Deference for Darkness from the Halo 3: ODST soundtrack? I played that game as a kid growing up, and that song always had me feeling some kind of way. The simple - but highly effective - piano chords and overall musicality of the song is haunting. In the context of the dark, depressing, hopeless story and setting of the game, it's a masterpiece.
Would LOVE to see you dive into it. Thanks for doing what you do!
Shocked that you didn't include sixth station in this video because it was amazingly well done in my opinion
Please PLEASE do castle in the sky sometime. I absolutely adore the music,the fantasy, and the visuals everything ties so nicely together.
YWA
excuse me, lol I meant to write "YES" but I was excited I love that film. And as one of the first Ghibli films (the first?), and second ever collab between Joe Hisaishi and Miyasaki it would be super cool to hear how things have developed sonically from those beautiful beginnings til now
@@oliviamurphy9482 YES! It’s ok!! And I totally agree
As well, as Howl moving castle. It's soundtrack is also amazing
This was a movie I watched over and over growing up, and it wouldn’t have stuck with me as strongly if it weren’t for the score. The visuals and music are inseparable, and they really do Spirit me Away 😌
One of the pieces that got me into really playing the piano!❤️
12:23 I never known that!!! Wow I can't believe you caught on to that immediately
I adore this video so much, Joe Hisaishi is one of the greatest composers of our time. I looked up your other videos and was shocked to see you haven't talked about Ryuichi Sakamoto before! He's such a personality and so musically intelligent. I'd love if you talked about any of his work, though Merry Christmas, Mister Lawrence is probably his best known! Again, amazing stuff as always :)
The castle in the sky has a nice soundtrack and had been my favorite for years!
The fact that people can take literally nothing (just freaking air) and turn it into something that sounds this good is insane to me
IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS CHARLES
Me: *opens a chest in Legend of Zelda*
The game: 3:36
I was in band and played clarinet for 12 years(a little bit of orchestra but mostly marching). I don't even play anymore but I love watching music theory content.
I'd love to see you break down/react to Interstellar's score! It's become increasingly popular thanks to modern day social media and I think it would be an awesome video!
I absolutely ADORE Spirited Away! ❤️ Loved your reaction to the beautiful music. 😊 Thanks for the interesting analysis!
I'd LOVE for Charles to analyze the soundtracks of the Final Fantasy games 9, 10, and 15. (FFIX, FFX, FFXV) They're masterful, and there's a very specific emotion the composer has infused into them to elicit that response from the player. Not going to give any of it away 😉
What’s cool is, in describing the themes of the song, you described the themes of the movie.