Check Out This Thrilling Erhu Cover of Tears of the Kingdom’s Main Theme
Posted on August 17 2023 by Sean Gadus
One things that has made the Zelda series stand out among its peers and competitors is the series’ spectacular soundtracks. Very few of the Zelda soundtracks sound the same, and almost every new game has themes that end up being fan-favorited. Even when songs like “Zelda’s Lullaby” or “Main Theme” are used over and over again, the combination of instruments is almost always different from game to game; this makes every game feel distinct from its predecessors within the series.
Tears of the Kingdom is the newest game in the series, and its main theme is already becoming a fan-favorite. This erhu cover of the Tears of the Kingdom‘s main theme by Kanae Nozawa is a wonderful arrangement of the new song. The erhu, also known as the Chinese violin, is an instrument that has a history that stretches back thousands of years. If the erhu sounds familiar to you, it may because the instrument is also featured heavily in the dragon theme from Breath of the Wild. If you are interested in how the use of the erhu in both songs contributes to the Tears of the Kingdom‘s story and themes, I recommend this article previously published on Zelda Dungeon.
In contrast to western stringed instruments like the violin and viola, the erhu is played vertically, and the erhu often rests on the musician’s lap. When a musician wants to play the instrument, they place the bow in between the two strings, and the bow hair is pushed forward or backward to produce sound. Unlike guitars and violins, the erhu does not have a fingerboard engraved on the wood. To play the erhu, the player must hold or vibrate the strings by pressing their fingers against the strings themselves. The erhu is a very expressive instrument, and its versatility means that it can be used to capture a variety of moods.
If you enjoyed this video, Kanae Nozawa has a collection of video game covers on YouTube. This includes covers of “Song of Healing” from Majora’s Mask and “Ballad of the Goddess” from Skyward Sword.
What do you think of this erhu cover of Tears of the Kingdom‘s main theme by Kanae Nozawa? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Source: Kanae Nozawa
Sean Gadus is a Senior Editor at Zelda Dungeon. His first Zelda game was Ocarina of Time, and he loves all of the 3D Zelda games from 1998-2011. He is currently playing Witcher 3: Wild Hunt for the first time (what an amazing game!). He wants to help build a kinder, more compassionate world. You can check out his other written work at The-Artifice.com.
