Fan Video Delves Headfirst into the Musical Theory of Zelda Tunes
Posted on January 22 2021 by Alexandria Weber
The Zelda franchise is one that has truly stood the test of time. Various aspects from gameplay to story are still riveting and successful after thirty-five years of invigorating gameplay and fond memories. Music is another one of these aspects, with Koji Kondo having ingrained steady and strong roots as far as how Zelda games sound. Not only has his many contributions kept up with the spirit of the series no matter the incarnation, evoking within us a sense of an undergoing and pulsing adventure that isn’t without due sacrifices, but his musical motifs have also been deservedly reused and remixed for over three decades.
YouTube’s Shred looks into the musical theory behind this phenomenon in this recent video, analyzing “Overworld” from The Legend of Zelda, “The Goddess Appears” and “Secret” sound effect from A Link to the Past, and “Open Treasure Box” from Ocarina of Time. Shred pays close attention to intricacies of things like time signatures, keys, rhythms, notes, and compositional devices in order to present these themes as truly unique within the video game franchise, and furthermore explaining their iconic status. The video also features Shred and his guitar covers of the songs he analyzes, furthermore highlighting the versatility and longevity of those tunes.
You can support Shred on Patreon and Instagram, and you can check out his podcast here!
What do you think? What was your favorite informational tidbit from the video? What Zelda tune sounds best on guitar? Do you play an instrument? Let us know in the comments below!
Alexandria Weber is a Senior Editor and an aspiring creative writer. Her favorite food is apple pie and she loves her cat Galadriel. Ask her for pictures!
