Halloween 2k19 Update

[Libera]

Levi - Castlevania II - Bloody Tears
-I think the bass line (bar 5 onwards) could do with looking through for note lengths / staccatos.  Some of the quavers sound long while others sound short and I think some staccatos could go a long way in making them more clear.

Maelstrom - Cave Story - Running Hell
-In the left hand of bars 18 and 22.  The note that changes is A -> G (compared to the previous bar) rather than D -> C, which is what you've written in.
-I'm struggling to follow the left hand that well in 33 onwards.  I'm guessing the first note in each half bar is a bass note followed by something like the middle voice?  I think there's definitely some inconsistencies going on, like bar 33 should look like bar 37 I think and bar 35 should look like 39.  Also in the final bar, it might make more sense to continue the arpeggio on beat 2 rather than swapping to the bass there.
-I think perhaps the layers could be used more consistently to bring across the melody in bars 33-37.  Bars like 34 work well, but 33, 36 and 37 are kind of confusing.

[LeviR.star]

Levi - Dragon Quest - Dragonlord
- This is a weird piece, isn't it? It's mostly based around diminished chords and major 3rds... This would look much better if you rewrote mostly everything with flats and ditched the keysig altogether - just make it keyless. When you get to m12, the top voice should be harmonized a major 3rd above the lower voice, even if it clashes with the LH. It's kind of hard to explain what I mean, so here are some images that will hopefully help:

Spoiler

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I think doing this also helps to show the melodic contour better (what resolves down to what, etc.).
- The copyright info text seems a bit too small.

- okay; your explanation makes sense, so I'll go with those spellings
- I can edit the margins and increase the page size to 90%. Is that better?

Levi - Castlevania II - Bloody Tears
-I think the bass line (bar 5 onwards) could do with looking through for note lengths / staccatos.  Some of the quavers sound long while others sound short and I think some staccatos could go a long way in making them more clear.

- you're right; the LH articulations are definitely present, and I must've forgotten to add them in my first draft. Added.

Files updated for "Dragonlord" and "Bloody Tears".

Libera

(I accidentally modified this post but I think I've managed to recreate it exactly as it was originally, just in case anyone is wondering why the post says it was edited by me.)

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[LeviR.star]

Just added a new sheet, [ARCADE] Haunted Castle - "Basement Melodies" , to my Dropbox Halloween folder. Probably my last.

[Yug_Guy]

I had no idea if I was going to be able to get this arrangement done before the deadline. But, lo and behold, I somehow managed to pull it all together a couple of days before:

Super Castlevania IV [SNES]

"Simon Belmont's Theme"

MUS

MUSX

MIDI

PDF

Original

Man, this song is pretty crazy ngl, but I love it to death. Lots of moving parts & a heavily syncopated bass & drum line.

Gee, if only there was a way I could show you guys the different parts of this song to see all the madness. Hmmmmm.....

Also, if another updater could please take a look at my other Halloween song, that'd be great. I know it's long, but it's also highly repetitive, so it shouldn't be that bad.

[LeviR.star]

Levi - Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon - Catching Ghosts 1
- You have this titled as "Catching Ghosts 1", but this is the third theme that plays in the medley video you linked. Could you explain your reasoning for this? I can't find any other information about this soundtrack.
- All these "Catching Ghosts" themes are very similar to each other and the same length. It might be a good idea to consider combining them all into one sheet (including the ghost captured jingle at the end).

Okay, I did some research. In this "Catching Ghosts Medley" (a collection of songs used for normal ghosts) I found here, there are 3 separate themes that all follow the same chord progression, but with distinct melodic lines. In addition, there are also separate "catching" themes for most of the Possessors (Overset Possessor apparently does not have one, as he uses Grouchy Possessor's), all of which share the same melody. To top it all off, King Boo has his own catching theme, which is completely unique. So, with this said, there are 8 total "Catching Ghosts" themes, some more derivative than others (not to mention the "Ghost Captured" jingle, which isn't entirely pianistic.)

So the way I see it, I have 3 different options to go with:

1. Arrange the three original themes from the "Catching Ghosts Medley" as a standalone sheet, and ignore the rest. If this is the case, I will need help coming up with a better title for it, in order to distinguish the medley apart from the other ghosts' catching themes.

2. Arrange the three original themes, along with an all-purpose Possessor catching theme to cover all four versions, and King Boo's catching theme. This will only work if the Possessor themes are deemed similar enough to be grouped together as one piano arrangement.

3. Drop the whole thing. I won't be heartbroken if this sheet is dismissed altogether, as it was flawed from the start; besides, I have plenty other sheets going towards this update.

What will it be? It's up to you guys. If I'm being honest, I've run out of energy to decide for myself on this.

[Static]

Levi - Kirby's Block Ball - King Dedede
Levi - Spelunker (NES) - Ghost Approaching

Ok, then, it's done. File for "Ghost Approaching" unchanged, and "Boss" is fixed.

Great, these are both approved.

Levi - Dragon Quest - Dragonlord

- okay; your explanation makes sense, so I'll go with those spellings
- I can edit the margins and increase the page size to 90%. Is that better?

In my screenshot, I made the mistake of making m13 beat 3 RH Bbb-Db, when it should be An-C# to match m4. I messaged you earlier and it's fixed now. Margins and text size look good now too. Approved.

Levi - Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon - Catching Ghosts 3
- Like I said earlier, it's fine if you only have this one version, but I'm just wondering what the best number to use would be. In the video you linked, it's the 3rd one that plays rather than the 1st. But is that the best number choice? I'm fine with anything really just as long as the other sheets (if they ever get arranged) stay consistent. We discussed this also and agreed that "Catching Ghosts 3" would be the most appropriate title based on the information we have. I've edited the file and OP with this change. The other changes I suggested look good as well, so I'll be approving this one.

Levi - Haunted Castle - Basement Melodies
- Looks good. I would personally prefer E naturals for the chromatic runs instead of Fbs but Fbs make sense and work well enough.

Yug_Guy - Super Castlevania IV - Simon Belmont's Theme
- Thanks for doing this one! We definitely need more quality IV sheets on site.
- If you want those specified measures played 8vb, just go for it and put in those markings. No need to have a little text box.
- The Ds in between measures in m5-8 should restrike like m38-41; there shouldn't be any ties.
- Have the tied D restrike in m6; there's no way that sound is going to carry for that long even with the pedal held, since it'll be washed out by the RH and other LH stuff.
- I would try to avoid having that large 16th note jump in m13 RH. The ones in m17-25 LH work well because the intervals are only 5ths, but this one is a 7th. I'd just remove the lower note.
- I would try to keep the rhythms across the hands looking similar, for ease of reading. I would replace the double dotted quarters with quarters tied to dotted 8ths, for example.
- m12 beat 4 LH: These F#s should be F naturals (m16 is F#s though).
- m17 beat 1 LH: The D isn't actually there, it's just 2 8th note Gs an octave apart.
- m24 beat 4: I would just make the last note in both of these a 16th note followed by an 8th rest.

Also, if another updater could please take a look at my other Halloween song, that'd be great. I know it's long, but it's also highly repetitive, so it shouldn't be that bad.

The other updaters have just been busy with other stuff, but don't worry, we'll make sure everything makes it in the update!

[LeviR.star]

Thanks for checking and approving all those sheets! One thing I thought I'd mention for that Spelunker sheet: it's labeled (NES) because the original game saw its debut on the Atari 8-bit family with an entirely different (and dare I say, simpler) soundtrack. The NES version, along with some new tunes, rearranged some of the songs that were introduced by Commodore 64 version, but because of the new(er) sound capabilities of the NES, I believe that piano arrangements are most suitable for this game.

Levi - Balloon Kid - Stage 2
- The bassline doesn't play in m8.
- m9-10 would probably be better in a softer dynamic.

Okay, I went back and reworked the sheet, mainly m. 5 - 8. The original (which I re-transcribed for example) follows this pattern:

You cannot view this attachment.

But instead of improvising the RH like I did when I polished this a week or two ago, this time I removed the bottom of each dyad to make it a little easier to play. Measure 8 should be more accurate now, too (and the 16ths should be manageable).

Levi - Haunted Castle - Basement Melodies
- Looks good. I would personally prefer E naturals for the chromatic runs instead of Fbs but Fbs make sense and work well enough.

I used F flats to stay consistent with the other chromatic runs, but if you need me to change them anyway, I can. Just ask.


Alright, I'm promising this time: my final sheet, [NES] DuckTales - "Transylvania (Beta)", has been added to my folder. Given that this song is from a prototype version of the game, I'm not entirely sure what to put for the copyright date, but the page on The Cutting Room Floor suggests that the prototype was finished at some point in 1989 (the Japanese release date), or at least slated for release that same year.

[Static]

Levi - Spelunker (NES) - Ghost Approaching

Thanks for checking and approving all those sheets! One thing I thought I'd mention for that Spelunker sheet: it's labeled (NES) because the original game saw its debut on the Atari 8-bit family with an entirely different (and dare I say, simpler) soundtrack. The NES version, along with some new tunes, rearranged some of the songs that were introduced by Commodore 64 version, but because of the new(er) sound capabilities of the NES, I believe that piano arrangements are most suitable for this game.

That makes sense to me.

Levi - Balloon Kid - Stage 2

Okay, I went back and reworked the sheet, mainly m. 5 - 8. The original (which I re-transcribed for example) follows this pattern:You cannot view this attachment.
But instead of improvising the RH like I did when I polished this a week or two ago, this time I removed the bottom of each dyad to make it a little easier to play. Measure 8 should be more accurate now, too (and the 16ths should be manageable).

Looks good.

Levi - Haunted Castle - Basement Melodies

I used F flats to stay consistent with the other chromatic runs, but if you need me to change them anyway, I can. Just ask.

It's fine in my opinion.

Levi - DuckTales - Transylvania (Beta)

Alright, I'm promising this time: my final sheet, [NES] DuckTales - "Transylvania (Beta)", has been added to my folder. Given that this song is from a prototype version of the game, I'm not entirely sure what to put for the copyright date, but the page on The Cutting Room Floor suggests that the prototype was finished at some point in 1989 (the Japanese release date), or at least slated for release that same year.

- Courtesy natural for the A in m5 LH, otherwise fine.
- Copyright looks good (I usually just use the final release date unless the beta game is completely different).

[LeviR.star]

Levi - DuckTales - Transylvania (Beta)- Courtesy natural for the A in m5 LH, otherwise fine.

Got it, changed.

[Latios212]

Latios - EarthBound Beginnings - Poltergeist
- m1, 3, 5, 7 RH: These quarter notes should be half notes.

gotcha

Latios - Pokémon Ranger - Dusk Factory
- Key should be C minor.
- m15 RH: That 8th note A sounds like it should be staccato.

- The first half's harmony does imply Cm but the rest is kinda all over the place, not to mention that the melody doesn't fit particularly well in Cm either. I thought it would be better off as keyless.
- Yup, updated that

Latios - Pokémon HeartGold Version & Pokémon SoulSilver Version - Radio Transmission
- what (2)
- Not quite OK yet, I hear the bassline 16th notes as swung ever so slightly.

- yes
- Good catch, fixed

[Latios212]

Levi - A Requiem
Looks solid. For places with hidden half rests I would recommend showing them so as to avoid flipping downwards when there's nothing above it (m. 21) or causing the lower layer to be flipped mid-measure (m. 13, 22).

Levi - Dwelling of Doom
Fantastic

Levi - Last Boss
Sweet

Levi - Message of Darkness
Splendid

Levi - Within These Castle Walls
Nice

Zeila - Bad End
- Bottom note of first chord in m. 5 should have Gb on bottom (like the other chord)
- I think it would be nicer to simply have the chords in m. 6-13 on the bottom staff. You wouldn't have to worry about flipping the melody up and sometimes writing the chords in layer 1 and sometimes 2 (clearer separation of voices)
- Dynamic variation would add more color here - something I'd suggest would be a f in m. 1, dim. in m. 2-3, mf at m. 4, mp at m. 14, etc.

Th3Gavst3r - Cemetery
Great

Libera - The Dream is Over
Awesome

Static - 3D: Virtual Battler
Terrific

Static - Rumor
- How about some dynamics?
- No top voice in m. 22-23? I think it would sound nice and it's reachable if you roll m. 23.
- Also about m. 22-23 I think the omission of layer 3 for just a measure and a half is a bit odd from a reading standpoint.

[Static]

I have a couple more on the way, but I'll post this for now:

[PS2] Silent Hill 2 - Promise

[LeviR.star]

Levi - A Requiem
Looks solid. For places with hidden half rests I would recommend showing them so as to avoid flipping downwards when there's nothing above it (m. 21) or causing the lower layer to be flipped mid-measure (m. 13, 22).

There's more hidden rests in the sheet than what you mentioned here. Wouldn't you rather have me keep them hidden, and flip the notes back to their proper positions manually?

[Zeila]

Zeila - Pokémon Sun & Pokémon Moon - Battle! (Team Skull Boss)
The things that you fixed look good now, but I was looking through again, I noticed that the triplet rhythms in the LH of the last page aren't quite accurate. I hear something more like this:

Spoiler

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It's up to you how you want to go about writing that (like taking out repeated notes), but I don't think the triplet is the best way to show this weird rhythm.

I'm not sure where you're hearing that as I hear the bass line playing the same rhythm as the RH. I just adapted the triplet from the percussion, although after listening to it again it sounds more like two dotted sixteenth notes + a sixteenth note rather than an eighth note triplet. If someone else also hears it differently then I'll change it, but currently I have it as dotted sixteenth + dotted sixteenth + sixteenth note

I also updated Bad End, here are the links for convenience once again:
Bad End | Team Skull Boss

[Static]

Got it, changed.

Very nice.

Latios - EarthBound Beginnings - Poltergeist
Latios - Pokémon Ranger - Dusk Factory
Latios - Pokémon HeartGold Version & Pokémon SoulSilver Version - Radio Transmission
All of these look good. The keyless thing for Dusk Factory makes more sense to me now that I listen to it again.

Zeila - Pokémon Sun & Pokémon Moon - Battle! (Team Skull Boss)
Listening again, I can't say I know where I got that rhythm from either now. Now, I'm just hearing what you have. I think just the fact that it's not quite an even triplet threw me off. The only other thing I would change at this point is to make the "and" in the subtitle "&" instead to match the other Pokémon sheets.

Static - The Witch's House - Rumor
Added dynamics and added back the 3rd layer in m22-23. I chose not to add the top guitar voice in m22-end since I want to keep this arrangement relatively simple and include all the harmonies; I would have to leave out some string voices in spots to add the guitar.