EDIT: IT'S THE THIRD GAME. UGH I don't know why I didn't think before my stupid mouth said that. Thanks for the correction! 1986 saw the release of The Legend of Zelda, quickly followed up in 1987 with The Adventure of Link. Totally blanked on that one.
Aw, stopped just shy of the Hyrule Castle theme...dang. That was the moment for me. That theme. That moment of little kid me feeling the eyes dilate, the goosebumps rise, and the long exhale...I knew I was in for a treat with this game then. Melody carried by the double basses I'm pretty sure.
I find it interesting how just by him figuring out the notes to a song from ALttP, Charles is accidentally playing other songs from across the Zelda franchise. 3:04 briefly becomes Zelda's lullaby. 3:43 begins exactly like the title theme of Ocarina of Time. And immediately afterwards at 3:48 he's playing all the correct notes for the beginning of the Song of Healing from Majora's Mask.
Zelda's Lullaby is from this game. I guess you didn't mean to imply it isn't, but many people don't seem to realise that (along with Fairy Fountain and lots of other themes reused in later games).
I wonder if he'll ever cover it. Admittedly I only know the Temple theme from Zelda 2 but it's so good man, fucking dark link in melee was rock'n that shit circa 2001.
Holy hidden leitmotif batman! Not only is the chord ascent in the opening story intro a precursor to Ganondorf's theme, but the chord you play at 3:47 is LITERALLY the exactly same chord and same key as the opening chords to the Ocarina of Time opening. Never realized that before until you played it just now
I've been playing this game off and on for thirty freaking years and I had the same epiphany, don't know how I missed it. You actually hear it in this game to right before the fight with Ganon.
Koji kondo is so good at leitmotifs - he works the melodies into jingles everywhere! I don’t know if he was just a “exec producer” type credit on Super Mario Odyssey, but that has a wonderful original theme referred to again and again
One really cool thing about the Great Fairy Fountain theme discussed around 11:40 is that it was very clearly based off of 70s-80s Japanese jazz fusion/city pop. Two good examples are Tatsuro Yamashita's "Morning Glory" and Maria Asahina's "Kokoro no Mamani". Super cool. A Link to the Past has such good music that still holds up today. The game was released 32 entire years ago, and its soundtrack still remains a favourite for me. The Great Fairy Fountain theme could easily put me to sleep. The music played during the ending credits makes me weep (and I'm in my thirties). A great game with a wonderful soundtrack.
That particular descending riff is far too common and predates the Japanese who probably took it from jazz. It goes as far back as the song 'the glow worm' by the mills brothers or even Chopin Fantasie Impromptuo. I did an analysis of the music of Zelda if you wanna check it out
6:16 - It's wild how Kondo had these incredibly rich chords in mind when he composed for a system in 1990. The guy really knew what he was doing. Charles illustrating it wonderfully here on his piano. I had no idea the opening piece was so simple/complex. I will ALWAYS get a kick out of CC going way back in time and pulling out the chord progressions in these games. I get to hear them in a whole new light! Keep going buddy!
those chords from the seconds after you time stamped are used literally in the order he played them, the way he played them, in botw and totk as mipha and sidons theme. wild
I LOVE that intro cutscene song. It's so nostalgic, and gives such a deep and somber sense of the depth of time in the lore. It fits perfectly with a story about ancient sages sealing off a great power.
3:45 this chord seems to come up a lot in Zelda when making depressing songs. First thing that comes to mind (because it’s in the same key) is the song of healing from Majora’s Mask
@@greenfox7657 That's something special about these tracks too, they're relatively short loops and there's not many of them, and yet they NEVER get boring
For me it's gotta be the final track that only gets played when you've won the game and the credits role. Such a satisfying and feel good track that brings back themes from earlier in the game, as little cut scenes play out with the relevant characters or places, just such a perfect wrap up to the best Zelda game ever.
First! Love your content Charles. The attention you gave streets of rage was awesome. Zelda has amazing music. The composers really used the SNES technology to push great music for Link to the past, Final Fantasy IV, chrono trigger, Super Castlevania, Act Raiser, Super Metroid, etc. My father loved playing Link to the past.
Seal of the Seven Maidens is literally one of my all time favorite Zelda songs, and nobody ever talks about it. I’m so glad you’ve given it the attention it deserves!
For some reason the dark world theme in a link to the past always stuck out to me as something special. It's a driving minor key heroic march that really drove home that you were in a wild dark place that you were just thrown in to without warning. You have to come out alive and master both the light and dark worlds to be the hero, and the music always amp'd me up
The introductory cutscene track, which I’ve seen referred to by several names but I always stuck with Seal of the Seven Maidens, might even be my favorite song in the game. Obviously it could be argued that this is the game with the most iconic soundtrack in the entire franchise, laying the foundation for the majority of the series’ recurring themes, but even still I absolutely love this track and I feel like it’s one of the less talked about ones.
This was my first game growing up. I remember replaying it as an adult and crying the first time I heard the music. The entire soundtrack is incredible, but you should definitely check out the Dark World theme and Battle with Ganon. The arpeggios in Battle with Ganon in particular are kind of insane.
@@_demitri honestly Zelda 2 is super underrated as a game. As a Zelda game it misses the mark because it tried to differentiate itself too far from Z1, but if you think of it as an NES sidescroller or Castlevania-type game, it's a great game. Definitely a bit undercooked, though, the progression is a bit too linear and there's clearly some stuff that they had to edit due to limitations on the NES, but it's a very fun game once you get the controls down.
Link to the Past music is a great example of music being the emotional lead in such a simple game. Falling rain with the story telling melody at the beginning of the game is a special kind of nostalgia for sure. My favorite part of the soundtrack has to be the intro of the dark world. To have the game blow open after a boss fight and leave you feeling both capable and anxious of what's to come. That and the cue to play is the music itself, once the music hits after the dialogue you know it's your moment and you go down the steps.
I still remember the day I got the game on release day. Plugging it in after school then hearing this intro song. The graphics, the music, the thunderstorm. It was magical.
Link to the Past’s intro music is some of the best in gaming and no one ever talks about it. The way the player boots up the game and is instantly thrust into a scene of terror and suspense and the music sets the tone. Unforgettable.
Link to the Past was my favourite game as a kid. The music made you feel like a hero going through foreign lands. Great Fairy Fountain was also one of the first songs I ever learned on the Guitar and was the entire reason I started to play it in the first place.
0:19 This reminds me of the castle theme in Super Mario Bros 3 in Super Mario All Stars for the SNES….the SNES would always have that cool reverby crunchy trumpet sound that made the mighty scary castle type sound. It’s amazing.
@@Elisio_ This is more a signature of the SNES's SPC 700 sound chip. It had very little RAM (64K) in which you had to store all the sound samples, the music sequence itself, _the program to play it_ , AND the buffer memory for the built-in delay DSP effects. So the "reverb" you could apply was more of a very short delay with feedback.
This was my first Zelda game. The song starts with Ganon’s theme, then morphs into the into song when you first boot the game and you get the story introduction cutscene.
Broooo~ This game has so many good tracks! The castle dungeon, the overworld, and the Dark World themes all are so good and I can totally see you making this kind of video for each!
Haven't finished the video yet, but I hope you'll cover other Link to the Past tracks, mainly Hyrule Castle and Dark World Theme! VG music is my favorite and I really dig your content. Cheers!
This is my all time favourite videogame. And I will always love the music in it. The Dark World theme is fantastic, the dungeon theme is great, the boss theme is great, the light overworld theme is great, the pre-mastersword Lost Woods theme is incredible...I love this game's music so much.
Love hearing the og vgm through Charles's ears - and then hearing it translated to piano. Explains how bands like The Consouls turn vgm into amazing jazz 💖
Best part of the intro theme kicks in at your 1:00 mark, and I still get those chills hearing that track. Such a great intro to setup and it's only the game intro theme. Game play hasn't even started!!!! Then you get that alt mode of the same song right as game play begins heading to Hyrule Castle. AND THEN, after you get your uncle's weapons, get into the castle and THAT castle track kicks in. Now that is a One-Two musical punch that had nothing to do thematically with the original LOZ theme, brand new stuff and I was hooked instantly. Kondo gave us game fans an iconic soundtrack. Great track to cover!!!
That prologue theme you broke down is one of my favorite themes in all of Zelda. So poignant; there's pain and loss and beauty and love in it. A great theme for the backstory of link to the past that makes you feel what was lost.
I’ll compromise and say SNES era was the golden era of vgm as it was the perfect blend of limitations to really push creativity and not just rely on samples just carrying the music. Good composition during this era was still mandatory, as it was integral to immersion and selling the game. Revisiting these classics lights a light in my soul as these are the games I grew up with. As an aspiring composer, Chrono Trigger, LttP, SMW, FFMQ-FF6, MMX, SoM, long list of others from this era all hold special meaning to me and “were the best” in their own ways - I look at the music in this era as the soul of the games they were in.
Little-me experiencing Link to the Past and Actraiser for the first time is what instilled in me the desire to tell stories through video games and music. Some of my foundational childhood memories.
If I could pick one game that I could play again "for the first time", this is always the one I pick. An absolute masterpiece in every single aspect, and such a huge part of my childhood.
You really found one of the best videogame soundtracks to analyze! There is so much in this game! My favourite songs in this game are: The intro (that you analyzed) The Castle theme The Dark Forest Theme The Ending theme (which is so epic that I used it as the walk-out song when I married my wife) You should do some more analyzing of music from this game. I would love that! :)
The sound font on this really reminds me of Milky Way Wishes from Kirby Superstar. But if you like the weirdness of LttP music, I highly recommend the remix "Fragments of Gold" by Beej. Try to guess where the beat is, and then enjoy being wrong when it falls into place.
I have exactly zero idea what you're talking about with the music, I'm just here for the enthusiasm and love for the craft. (And the video games. PLEASE DO MORE CHRONO TRIGGER.)
I love watching you hear for the first time a piece I've heard literally hundreds of times, and anticipating the parts that are gonna make you lose your mind 😄
I feel like you can kinda hear the foundation for the song of healing! So cool to try and imagine how the composer thought to bring that section and repurpose it with some changes!
Something I always found iconic about this cutscene theme is it plays during the opening cutscene talking about the sages and the actions of the wizard Agahnim and as it shows you what has transpired, the music goes through its progression depending on the images and scene. When it talks about the King of Hryule being killed, the music gets really somber and you can feel the real oppression of the events. While Link to the Past lacks in dialogue, it makes up for in environmental storytelling and musical scores that show a series of events that lead Link to rescuing the Princess early on, but his journey is just beginning and he has the weight of the world on his shoulders as he is now fugitive. Its no wonder its a SNES classic.
There are SO many details that made the sound so immersive in that game. Wasn't just the music, but notice how the rain sounded so loud when you were outside, but when inside you can here it more muffled? I grew up gaming in the 80s/90s and I remember that being the first time I'd ever witnessed a game doing anything like that.
Link to the Past was my first Zelda game and still my absolute favorite. A lot of people don't realize is that it was the game that established not only the bulk of the music from the newer games, but also a lot of the core gameplay. My favorite track though is the Hyrule Castle Theme, it's ominous yet triumphant.
amazing how just playing those 1991 songs on the piano automaticaly makes them sound like Breath of the wild / Tears of the Kingdom. These games has roots.
This has and will likely always been my favorite Zelda game. I have played so much of this game and never really thought about the music before. Fun to watch you break it down.
For me it's the intro that always get's me, that rundown and buildup is so epic.... the main reason i started playing piano is zelda and nintendo music in general. There's one specific video that made me want to play 'Zelda piano Medley, by the channel gluecks'.
I love Zelda, I love Charles, and I love this analysis! I also especially loved that there was video footage of Zelda being played on half the screen, with Charles evoking his usual amazement on the other half. Wonderful editing!
One of my favorite Zelda pieces is the temple boss music from Majora's Mask, which has an A section that alternates 3/4 and 4/4, a B section mostly in 4/4 but wrapping up with three bars of 11/8 and one of 7/8, and a C section that has the alternating 3/4 + 4/4 baseline from the A section but a pattern of held chords above it that alternate six beats and four beats.
The SNES has so much good music from so many games it is just silly. The sound chip on that console was so good for it's time. It was also sample based, no more square waves, noise channels, etc. Even a lot of games that weren't that great had some incredible music. What a rabbit hole to go down, tell Alice I said "hi"
Let's gooo, A Link to the Past!! One of my favourites Zelda games and the Dark World theme is also one of my favourite overworld themes of all time ❤️. I hope you make more videos of this game in the future.
The song accompanying the end sequence is my favorite. This also may be my favorite video game, with Chrono Trigger a close second; both featuring highly evocative scores.
Always been my favorite Zelda game since it came out! As a composer myself I’ve always been inspired by Kondo’s work on this, especially the Dark World overworld theme - still to this day can listen to that on an endless loop. It has everything to rise and fall and keep my heart in its hands!
Hi Charles, thank you for reminding me that I have loved Johnny Costa for more than 51 years ! I agree he was the most prolific Jazz pianist in modern history . What you do on youtube is so important to the Musicians Musician.
this game really laid the ground work for not only how the franchise would continue, but how the music would sound. there are so many references and leitmotifs through out the music in the series that all come back to this game. and one would think it would become over used of over referenced, but the composures have really figured out the art of subtly referencing this game in ways that are refreshing and interesting, if you ever did a video series as a continuation of this one, i would be very happy! i love hearing musicians break down the music in this series.
Charles, there's a better way to resolve the sus2 chord! In your example at 2:41, the suspension here, being between the C and D, the C is the suspended note in this case and needs to resolve to B which resolves to the (V) of C (with the 3rd in the bass or a 6 chord in figured bass ) which resolves to C again!
Your enthusiasm is infectious and made me smile. I'd like you to do a video about another song from the same game, the Castle Theme which I think is just amazing.
If you get a chance, you should definitely do a break down of the Hyrule Castle theme. It's first iteration is in A Link to the Past, but you can hear it in several other newer Zelda games. In fact, a lot of the recurring theme songs start here with this game.
@CharlesCornellStudios I'm a lifelong gamer and taught myself how to play the piano when I was a kid and mostly play by ear. Never formally trained so I had no idea what some of these techniques, keys, and chords are actually called, but I completely understand everything you are saying in these videos (if that makes sense haha). Now I can actually understand what I've already known how to play all these years. Thanks for these videos!
Being a musician myself I gravitated towards many Nintendo games. The way it was perfectly integrated with the context of the worlds and gameplay. It was a very important element invoking an emotion and emersion into a resemblance of a world that in the early nineties where hardware limitations couldn't create real world environments . The brilliant music achieved equally an escapism collaboratively with the basic visuals . Not to forget the gameplay was the equivalent of playing cards or chess. The puzzles are next level. Beautiful melancholic music of Koji Kondo. Having said this on the music front, there's major credit to the artists that created the amazing artwork for the environments. Like the emoji if world building so to speak. Thank you for your knowledge and we really enjoyed you sharing your experience and knowledge.
EDIT: IT'S THE THIRD GAME. UGH I don't know why I didn't think before my stupid mouth said that. Thanks for the correction! 1986 saw the release of The Legend of Zelda, quickly followed up in 1987 with The Adventure of Link. Totally blanked on that one.
Please cover Transformers victory's theme song.
Those chords still remind me of my childhood. I guess this game is firmly ingrained in my memories.
for some reason my brain goes to Vince Guaraldi / Peanuts (sounds way jazzier when played on the piano vs the game sounds)
The opening almost reminds me of Song For All Seasons (by Rennaisance) I know they're not the same chords, but it gives me the same vibes
Those chords are the same that's played when you pick up an item!
The goated Zelda game for a reason
I’m surprised to see you here joey
its up there with twilight princess but tp clears cuz midna 🥵 😩💦
bro is a sub
Omg it’s Ikurru
Definitely the 🐐. The soundtrack is a big part of it.
Aw, stopped just shy of the Hyrule Castle theme...dang. That was the moment for me. That theme. That moment of little kid me feeling the eyes dilate, the goosebumps rise, and the long exhale...I knew I was in for a treat with this game then. Melody carried by the double basses I'm pretty sure.
Yeah I hope he gets around to that one. Insane composition.
Same here, I really felt left hanging that he stopped there!
Agreed 👋🏻
The dark world theme is awesome too!!!
There's sooo much good music in that game! The fortune teller music always was stuck in my head
I find it interesting how just by him figuring out the notes to a song from ALttP, Charles is accidentally playing other songs from across the Zelda franchise.
3:04 briefly becomes Zelda's lullaby.
3:43 begins exactly like the title theme of Ocarina of Time.
And immediately afterwards at 3:48 he's playing all the correct notes for the beginning of the Song of Healing from Majora's Mask.
And when he introduces the 6 a little after 3:04 you can hear the chord sound like Nocturne of Shadow. It's wild how interwoven it is.
All of these themes play so well together as a suite- if you can play an instrument I recommend it!
DUDE 7:50 IS BASICALLY SONG OF HEALING
let's not forget the bassline for the first few chords is "Priest of the Dark Order" aka Ganon's theme for most of the franchise
Zelda's Lullaby is from this game. I guess you didn't mean to imply it isn't, but many people don't seem to realise that (along with Fairy Fountain and lots of other themes reused in later games).
Koji Kondo is a god damn genius. What a composer.
„Zelda II: The Adventure of Link“ (1987) for the NES was the second Zelda game. „A Link to the Past“ is the third.
And yet, a lot of people forget about Zelda 2 lol (me included)
I wonder if he'll ever cover it. Admittedly I only know the Temple theme from Zelda 2 but it's so good man, fucking dark link in melee was rock'n that shit circa 2001.
Correct!
its okay, zelda 2 is very forgettable
we don't talk about Zelda II
Holy hidden leitmotif batman!
Not only is the chord ascent in the opening story intro a precursor to Ganondorf's theme, but the chord you play at 3:47 is LITERALLY the exactly same chord and same key as the opening chords to the Ocarina of Time opening. Never realized that before until you played it just now
I've been playing this game off and on for thirty freaking years and I had the same epiphany, don't know how I missed it. You actually hear it in this game to right before the fight with Ganon.
It sounds like Lake Hylia from Twilight Princess as well!
and its funny because when he plays the B♮ on top my mind goes straight to majora's mask's song of healing
Koji kondo is so good at leitmotifs - he works the melodies into jingles everywhere! I don’t know if he was just a “exec producer” type credit on Super Mario Odyssey, but that has a wonderful original theme referred to again and again
The leitmotifs are extremely ingrained, as well. Take a listen to Zelda Music Theory if you want a deep dive into that side of it.
One really cool thing about the Great Fairy Fountain theme discussed around 11:40 is that it was very clearly based off of 70s-80s Japanese jazz fusion/city pop. Two good examples are Tatsuro Yamashita's "Morning Glory" and Maria Asahina's "Kokoro no Mamani". Super cool.
A Link to the Past has such good music that still holds up today. The game was released 32 entire years ago, and its soundtrack still remains a favourite for me. The Great Fairy Fountain theme could easily put me to sleep. The music played during the ending credits makes me weep (and I'm in my thirties). A great game with a wonderful soundtrack.
That particular descending riff is far too common and predates the Japanese who probably took it from jazz. It goes as far back as the song 'the glow worm' by the mills brothers or even Chopin Fantasie Impromptuo.
I did an analysis of the music of Zelda if you wanna check it out
Is your name “radiodread” inspired from Radiohead? 😅
@@i_DONT_get_IT Radiodread is a dope album by the Easy Star All Stars that covered a bunch of Radiohead tracks in reggae and dub. Worth checking out.
@@i_DONT_get_IT Yes 😌
Best game ever made
6:16 - It's wild how Kondo had these incredibly rich chords in mind when he composed for a system in 1990. The guy really knew what he was doing. Charles illustrating it wonderfully here on his piano. I had no idea the opening piece was so simple/complex. I will ALWAYS get a kick out of CC going way back in time and pulling out the chord progressions in these games. I get to hear them in a whole new light! Keep going buddy!
those chords from the seconds after you time stamped are used literally in the order he played them, the way he played them, in botw and totk as mipha and sidons theme. wild
I LOVE that intro cutscene song. It's so nostalgic, and gives such a deep and somber sense of the depth of time in the lore. It fits perfectly with a story about ancient sages sealing off a great power.
I couldn't think of anything better than that song to start off the game running off your house into a storm.
So much atmosphere right off the bat!
Such a haunting song. It immediately captured my imagination as a kid
3:45 this chord seems to come up a lot in Zelda when making depressing songs. First thing that comes to mind (because it’s in the same key) is the song of healing from Majora’s Mask
Also very close to the intro of Ocarina
It reminds a bit of Zelda's Lullaby, too
those are literally the first notes of OoT's title theme
Also heard the Song of Healing in that chord
Koji Kondo loves lydian
I hope you do more LTTP music! The Dark World theme and the Light World Dungeon theme are great too!
Those two and Dark World Dungeon are my favorites, incredible soundtrack.
@@Gnurklesquimp2this is my #1 game OST of all time. And #1 game overall too. No matter how many times I beat it, it has infinite replayability.
@@greenfox7657 That's something special about these tracks too, they're relatively short loops and there's not many of them, and yet they NEVER get boring
@@Gnurklesquimp2 koji kondo is a musical genius. Every Kondo OST is god-tier
The Eastern Temple. Mm. 🤌
For me it's gotta be the final track that only gets played when you've won the game and the credits role. Such a satisfying and feel good track that brings back themes from earlier in the game, as little cut scenes play out with the relevant characters or places, just such a perfect wrap up to the best Zelda game ever.
agreed! Also the dark world theme is a very close second
Back when games rewarded the player with the best song for finishing the game lol
I get chills to this day hearing the song during credits just after Master Sword is returned.
First! Love your content Charles. The attention you gave streets of rage was awesome.
Zelda has amazing music. The composers really used the SNES technology to push great music for Link to the past, Final Fantasy IV, chrono trigger, Super Castlevania, Act Raiser, Super Metroid, etc.
My father loved playing Link to the past.
Koji Kondo is so amazing. He could do so much with so little and has such a huge breadth of range. May the way of the hero lead to the Triforce.
Seal of the Seven Maidens is literally one of my all time favorite Zelda songs, and nobody ever talks about it. I’m so glad you’ve given it the attention it deserves!
Agreed!
Amen
For some reason the dark world theme in a link to the past always stuck out to me as something special. It's a driving minor key heroic march that really drove home that you were in a wild dark place that you were just thrown in to without warning. You have to come out alive and master both the light and dark worlds to be the hero, and the music always amp'd me up
ua-cam.com/video/YsJ9d3rNgHM/v-deo.htmlsi=oyq_EEwpRJcZDnnK
The introductory cutscene track, which I’ve seen referred to by several names but I always stuck with Seal of the Seven Maidens, might even be my favorite song in the game. Obviously it could be argued that this is the game with the most iconic soundtrack in the entire franchise, laying the foundation for the majority of the series’ recurring themes, but even still I absolutely love this track and I feel like it’s one of the less talked about ones.
Also, just noticed during Charles’ breakdown that the chord progression is the same, or at least very similar, to Ganon’s theme. Neat.
“Seal of the Seven Maidens”! I love that nickname.
This was my first game growing up. I remember replaying it as an adult and crying the first time I heard the music. The entire soundtrack is incredible, but you should definitely check out the Dark World theme and Battle with Ganon. The arpeggios in Battle with Ganon in particular are kind of insane.
It’s not surprising you forgot about Zelda 2, but I bet you didn’t forget about the Temple theme from that game. One of the best NES songs ever
Oh man. The palace theme from that game. Talk about a love-hate relationship!
No game has ever matched this one in my book. Everything just comes together so perfectly, not least the music.
It's the 3rd Zelda game, I believe. Zelda 1 & 2 both on NES.
Zelda 2 was such a disappointment. Speedruns now look sort of fun, but at the time it was so frustrating.
We dont talk about Zelda 2
@@_demitri honestly Zelda 2 is super underrated as a game. As a Zelda game it misses the mark because it tried to differentiate itself too far from Z1, but if you think of it as an NES sidescroller or Castlevania-type game, it's a great game.
Definitely a bit undercooked, though, the progression is a bit too linear and there's clearly some stuff that they had to edit due to limitations on the NES, but it's a very fun game once you get the controls down.
Dark World theme has to be epic for me, that first time I heard it, from when the wizard teleports you to the Pyramid was crazy.
I actually like the light world theme better.
@@Dewdrop0-6I actually dont care
Link to the Past music is a great example of music being the emotional lead in such a simple game. Falling rain with the story telling melody at the beginning of the game is a special kind of nostalgia for sure. My favorite part of the soundtrack has to be the intro of the dark world. To have the game blow open after a boss fight and leave you feeling both capable and anxious of what's to come. That and the cue to play is the music itself, once the music hits after the dialogue you know it's your moment and you go down the steps.
I remember setting up my cassette recorder to record the credit roll song of this game. One of the great soundtracks of that generation.
100%. I would use my microcassette to record the music from this game as well-an epic soundtrack for an epic game.
Thanks!
I still remember the day I got the game on release day. Plugging it in after school then hearing this intro song. The graphics, the music, the thunderstorm. It was magical.
omg totally same memories
Link to the Past’s intro music is some of the best in gaming and no one ever talks about it. The way the player boots up the game and is instantly thrust into a scene of terror and suspense and the music sets the tone. Unforgettable.
Link to the Past was my favourite game as a kid. The music made you feel like a hero going through foreign lands. Great Fairy Fountain was also one of the first songs I ever learned on the Guitar and was the entire reason I started to play it in the first place.
2:41 is the beginning of the Tristar Pictures intro.
0:19 This reminds me of the castle theme in Super Mario Bros 3 in Super Mario All Stars for the SNES….the SNES would always have that cool reverby crunchy trumpet sound that made the mighty scary castle type sound. It’s amazing.
pretty sure Koji Kondo composed those too :)
@@Elisio_ This is more a signature of the SNES's SPC 700 sound chip. It had very little RAM (64K) in which you had to store all the sound samples, the music sequence itself, _the program to play it_ , AND the buffer memory for the built-in delay DSP effects. So the "reverb" you could apply was more of a very short delay with feedback.
@@nickwallette6201 Thanks for the info!! but i already know all this bc i've composed songs with the limitations of the snes if that makes sense?
best Zelda game ever
...Fun fact: you can drop the name Zelda and you'd still be correct!
@@FantasticExplorers hhahahhahahahahahahhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahhahhahahhahahahahahh best joke ever 😅🤣😂
This was my first Zelda game. The song starts with Ganon’s theme, then morphs into the into song when you first boot the game and you get the story introduction cutscene.
Broooo~ This game has so many good tracks! The castle dungeon, the overworld, and the Dark World themes all are so good and I can totally see you making this kind of video for each!
Haven't finished the video yet, but I hope you'll cover other Link to the Past tracks, mainly Hyrule Castle and Dark World Theme! VG music is my favorite and I really dig your content. Cheers!
This is my all time favourite videogame. And I will always love the music in it. The Dark World theme is fantastic, the dungeon theme is great, the boss theme is great, the light overworld theme is great, the pre-mastersword Lost Woods theme is incredible...I love this game's music so much.
10:55 is the same chromatic progression as recurring ganon/ganondorf tnemes throughout the series
🤘
A link to the past is a great game, and has amazing music. So many childhood memories with this game.
I just love the passion you have for music.
Love hearing the og vgm through Charles's ears - and then hearing it translated to piano. Explains how bands like The Consouls turn vgm into amazing jazz 💖
Check out Contraband Reloaded and J-MUSIC Ensemble if you haven't already
Lots of the early Japanese game composers were inspired by jazz subgenres so it makes sense their compositions work in that context.
@@Phil_529 love J-Music (Pat's a beast as are all his musicians) and I'll definitely check out Contraband Reloaded. Thx for recommending!
You should totaly have a look at Ech0 onslaught from Splatoon 3. That key change is one of the most awesome ones I have seen
Best game EVER
Best part of the intro theme kicks in at your 1:00 mark, and I still get those chills hearing that track. Such a great intro to setup and it's only the game intro theme. Game play hasn't even started!!!! Then you get that alt mode of the same song right as game play begins heading to Hyrule Castle. AND THEN, after you get your uncle's weapons, get into the castle and THAT castle track kicks in. Now that is a One-Two musical punch that had nothing to do thematically with the original LOZ theme, brand new stuff and I was hooked instantly. Kondo gave us game fans an iconic soundtrack.
Great track to cover!!!
One of the all-time best Zelda games ever made. So excited about this breakdown of the music!
That prologue theme you broke down is one of my favorite themes in all of Zelda. So poignant; there's pain and loss and beauty and love in it. A great theme for the backstory of link to the past that makes you feel what was lost.
This game has, dare I say, the best music of the SNES era.
Super Metroid is right up there with LttP.
Nah, that's Chrono Trigger
There is a ton of competition but I think Chrono Trigger clears
I’ll compromise and say SNES era was the golden era of vgm as it was the perfect blend of limitations to really push creativity and not just rely on samples just carrying the music. Good composition during this era was still mandatory, as it was integral to immersion and selling the game.
Revisiting these classics lights a light in my soul as these are the games I grew up with. As an aspiring composer, Chrono Trigger, LttP, SMW, FFMQ-FF6, MMX, SoM, long list of others from this era all hold special meaning to me and “were the best” in their own ways - I look at the music in this era as the soul of the games they were in.
@@joecwik super Castlevania 4 is also a really great soundtrack for SNES
Little-me experiencing Link to the Past and Actraiser for the first time is what instilled in me the desire to tell stories through video games and music. Some of my foundational childhood memories.
You know how looooong I've been waitin for dis?
This music is sick. So glad you finally were introduced to it
The very next track is what is awe inspiring for me. Great breakdown.
If I could pick one game that I could play again "for the first time", this is always the one I pick. An absolute masterpiece in every single aspect, and such a huge part of my childhood.
sooo much good music in this game. hope you break down some more
ua-cam.com/video/YsJ9d3rNgHM/v-deo.htmlsi=oyq_EEwpRJcZDnnK
you know about these guys?
You really found one of the best videogame soundtracks to analyze! There is so much in this game!
My favourite songs in this game are:
The intro (that you analyzed)
The Castle theme
The Dark Forest Theme
The Ending theme (which is so epic that I used it as the walk-out song when I married my wife)
You should do some more analyzing of music from this game. I would love that! :)
Perfect game, perfect soundtrack
The sound font on this really reminds me of Milky Way Wishes from Kirby Superstar. But if you like the weirdness of LttP music, I highly recommend the remix "Fragments of Gold" by Beej. Try to guess where the beat is, and then enjoy being wrong when it falls into place.
I have exactly zero idea what you're talking about with the music, I'm just here for the enthusiasm and love for the craft. (And the video games. PLEASE DO MORE CHRONO TRIGGER.)
100% more chrono!!
@@lepterfirefall Seriously. I’ve watched the first one three times. I NEED MORE.
This is my favorite game. It defined my childhood for a time.
Anyways this OST is wild. The Dark World theme might be my favorite Zelda song.
Analyzes the soundtrack of the SNES game DEMON'S CREST. Incredible compositions
Yes.
Seconded.
Chrono trigger part 2 , and "i am setsuna" is what im waiting for.
But zelda will have to get a part 2 , just so much depth in these games.
You almost got to the majestic hyrule castle theme in the playthrough. That piece is hands down one of the best in zelda soundtrack.
👍 I also recommend the jazz cover by The Consouls
These old game soundtracks feel like the story is being told through the melodies. Truly an art form in itself
I'm like "GET TO THE HYRULE CASTLE MUSIC, GET TO THE HYRULE CASTLE MUSIC!!!" LOL
I love watching you hear for the first time a piece I've heard literally hundreds of times, and anticipating the parts that are gonna make you lose your mind 😄
Third Zelda, not second. There was Zelda II: The Adventure of Link on the NES.
The Hyrule castle theme is my absolute favorite from this game, it's so good.
So many iconic themes got their start in this game. Hyrule Castle, Zelda’s Lullaby, Gannon’s Theme. . .
I feel like you can kinda hear the foundation for the song of healing! So cool to try and imagine how the composer thought to bring that section and repurpose it with some changes!
Something I always found iconic about this cutscene theme is it plays during the opening cutscene talking about the sages and the actions of the wizard Agahnim and as it shows you what has transpired, the music goes through its progression depending on the images and scene. When it talks about the King of Hryule being killed, the music gets really somber and you can feel the real oppression of the events.
While Link to the Past lacks in dialogue, it makes up for in environmental storytelling and musical scores that show a series of events that lead Link to rescuing the Princess early on, but his journey is just beginning and he has the weight of the world on his shoulders as he is now fugitive. Its no wonder its a SNES classic.
I love that you made this man. Game changed my life forever as a kid
That's right, this is the SECOND Zelda game. There's no game between this and the first one. There's. No. Game.
Zelda 2 is incredible, stop ignoring it.
Yea... and that awesome music in the Zelda Smash stage came from nowhere.
There are SO many details that made the sound so immersive in that game. Wasn't just the music, but notice how the rain sounded so loud when you were outside, but when inside you can here it more muffled? I grew up gaming in the 80s/90s and I remember that being the first time I'd ever witnessed a game doing anything like that.
I never realized it until 13:22...when played in a row quickly, it is the Treasure Chest opening sound!
This was one of my favourite songs that I've ever covered. Coolest song in the entire Zelda franchise
Link to the Past was my first Zelda game and still my absolute favorite. A lot of people don't realize is that it was the game that established not only the bulk of the music from the newer games, but also a lot of the core gameplay. My favorite track though is the Hyrule Castle Theme, it's ominous yet triumphant.
amazing how just playing those 1991 songs on the piano automaticaly makes them sound like Breath of the wild / Tears of the Kingdom. These games has roots.
13:39 Thats what makes SNES music so iconic and memorable even years after they came out
This has and will likely always been my favorite Zelda game. I have played so much of this game and never really thought about the music before. Fun to watch you break it down.
For me it's the intro that always get's me, that rundown and buildup is so epic.... the main reason i started playing piano is zelda and nintendo music in general. There's one specific video that made me want to play 'Zelda piano Medley, by the channel gluecks'.
I love Zelda, I love Charles, and I love this analysis! I also especially loved that there was video footage of Zelda being played on half the screen, with Charles evoking his usual amazement on the other half. Wonderful editing!
This is one the first games I played and the songs are embedded deep within my soul
I've never noticed this, but the opening more dissonant chords are the same as Ganon's theme in most of the games. That's super cool!
Would love to see more Link to the Past. Some absolutely incredible music throughout.
Loved how jazzy you played this theme.
One of my favorite Zelda pieces is the temple boss music from Majora's Mask, which has an A section that alternates 3/4 and 4/4, a B section mostly in 4/4 but wrapping up with three bars of 11/8 and one of 7/8, and a C section that has the alternating 3/4 + 4/4 baseline from the A section but a pattern of held chords above it that alternate six beats and four beats.
ua-cam.com/video/YsJ9d3rNgHM/v-deo.htmlsi=oyq_EEwpRJcZDnnK
please go through the whole soundtrack, it's amazing.
i love the shop music that sounds like it's played on vibes/marimba
the intro theme is my favorite of the soundtrack, glad you covered it
The SNES has so much good music from so many games it is just silly. The sound chip on that console was so good for it's time. It was also sample based, no more square waves, noise channels, etc. Even a lot of games that weren't that great had some incredible music. What a rabbit hole to go down, tell Alice I said "hi"
Let's gooo, A Link to the Past!! One of my favourites Zelda games and the Dark World theme is also one of my favourite overworld themes of all time ❤️.
I hope you make more videos of this game in the future.
8:00 sounds familiar, right ? this sounds like majora's mask "song of healing" 🤌🏻
The song accompanying the end sequence is my favorite. This also may be my favorite video game, with Chrono Trigger a close second; both featuring highly evocative scores.
Always been my favorite Zelda game since it came out! As a composer myself I’ve always been inspired by Kondo’s work on this, especially the Dark World overworld theme - still to this day can listen to that on an endless loop. It has everything to rise and fall and keep my heart in its hands!
Hi Charles, thank you for reminding me that I have loved Johnny Costa for more than 51 years ! I agree he was the most prolific Jazz pianist in modern history . What you do on youtube is so important to the Musicians Musician.
this game really laid the ground work for not only how the franchise would continue, but how the music would sound.
there are so many references and leitmotifs through out the music in the series that all come back to this game.
and one would think it would become over used of over referenced, but the composures have really figured out the art of subtly referencing this game in ways that are refreshing and interesting,
if you ever did a video series as a continuation of this one, i would be very happy! i love hearing musicians break down the music in this series.
It's a very jazzy sound. It can also be used for pop. I would know. It's awesome for pop.
Charles, there's a better way to resolve the sus2 chord! In your example at 2:41, the suspension here, being between the C and D, the C is the suspended note in this case and needs to resolve to B which resolves to the (V) of C (with the 3rd in the bass or a 6 chord in figured bass ) which resolves to C again!
Your enthusiasm is infectious and made me smile. I'd like you to do a video about another song from the same game, the Castle Theme which I think is just amazing.
My personal favorite Zelda game, thanks so much for the video! Would love more deep dives into this soundtrack.
If you get a chance, you should definitely do a break down of the Hyrule Castle theme. It's first iteration is in A Link to the Past, but you can hear it in several other newer Zelda games. In fact, a lot of the recurring theme songs start here with this game.
@CharlesCornellStudios I'm a lifelong gamer and taught myself how to play the piano when I was a kid and mostly play by ear. Never formally trained so I had no idea what some of these techniques, keys, and chords are actually called, but I completely understand everything you are saying in these videos (if that makes sense haha). Now I can actually understand what I've already known how to play all these years. Thanks for these videos!
Being a musician myself I gravitated towards many Nintendo games. The way it was perfectly integrated with the context of the worlds and gameplay. It was a very important element invoking an emotion and emersion into a resemblance of a world that in the early nineties where hardware limitations couldn't create real world environments .
The brilliant music achieved equally an escapism collaboratively with the basic visuals . Not to forget the gameplay was the equivalent of playing cards or chess. The puzzles are next level. Beautiful melancholic music of Koji Kondo. Having said this on the music front, there's major credit to the artists that created the amazing artwork for the environments. Like the emoji if world building so to speak.
Thank you for your knowledge and we really enjoyed you sharing your experience and knowledge.