[SWITCH] Octopath Traveler - "Among Stately Peaks" by Static

[Zeta]

Submission Information:
Series: Other
Game: Octopath Traveler
Console: Nintendo Switch
Title: Among Stately Peaks
Instrumentation Solo Piano
Arranger: Static

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[Static]

Definitely my favorite town theme from this game

[Libera]

I'll leave Latios to give this the first proper check, but I just wanted to say that this feels very strongly 3/4 to me over 6/8.  The first eight bars are very strongly in 3/4 and even if you were thinking of those as like a hemiola before the main part, the backing percussion in the rest of the piece only fits 3/4, the way I see it.  In some places, it kind of seems to me like you've made your accompaniment pattern fit 6/8 when that just doesn't feel like what's going on in the original to me.  (A good place to see it is the percussion in the final two bars with the final hit on the last crotchet of the bar.)

[mikey]

Kind of a muddy song to me but I'll suggest a compromise at 6/4

[Latios212]

Yeah, I think it's a bit difficult to tell in places but overall I'd agree with Libera in leaning 3/4 for this piece.

[Static]

There are parts of the song that have a more 3/4 feel to them (the beginning and end parts like you said), but nearly everywhere else, I feel it as 6/8.

The melody feels more natural played/counted as 6/8 to me, but aside from that, the harp gives a clear 1-2-3-4-(rest)-(rest) from m9-24. The percussion only really follows a 3/4 beat at those final 2 bars, while everywhere else (bars 33-46) there is an accent/emphasis on the 1st and 4th 8th notes. This also goes for the horn/string tenor voice from m41-47 (top layer LH).

Syncopation and overlap between 3/4 and 6/8 is a pretty common trend in songs like this (especially since this one is slow), and there are definitely some 3/4 rhythms here, but the way most of the parts are written and the general feel of the song I think point more toward 6/8. I also don't see how I changed the accompaniment patterns to match 6/8 when all of the accompaniment lines are lines ripped directly from the piece (except percussion, which I only included at the ends of m40 and 44). The only part I really messed around with was m47, since that measure I think would sound too empty otherwise.

Kind of a muddy song to me but I'll suggest a compromise at 6/4

This is technically just 6/8 but with doubled note lengths and tempo (still duple rather than triple time).

[Latios212]

Alright that's fair and I'm fine with it as written.

Other comments as I go through this one:
- Could we use the original arpeggio here (E A D E D for layer 1) in m. 23? It doesn't interfere with the upper layers, prevents the re-striking of the A on beat 2, and uses a range of note similar to the measures before/after it
- I would suggest giving the expression text in m. 25 more vertical space
- Large jumps/rolls are fine sparingly, but I to think that the two consecutive ones in m. 34-35 would sound kind of silly especially given how strictly on the rhythm everything is in this song

That's all I got, nice work! Tricky song with all of the thick overlapping textures but you've made something workable of it.

[Static]

I fixed all of the things, thanks for checking it!

[Static]

After talking a bit with Latios, I made some other changes also:

• Moved the E and D at the end of m23 (LH Layer 1) up an octave to match the original.
• Standardized the tempo marking.
• Made the lower note in m40 RH beat 2 (of 6) an A instead of a B because I think the F in the LH and B clash too much on piano for that particular section. The actual chord progression here is unaffected by this change.
• Adjust the system spacing on page 2 to be more even.
• Added extra notes to m42 and 46 LH so that section doesn't lose its flow.

[Latios212]

Alright, splendid!

[Libera]

When I first looked at this I thought I was going to have more to say, but on a second listen I think in general it's actually a pretty good job getting it down onto one piano.  Some things I'd like to mention though:

-Not so important, but the tempo is currently set at crotchet = 48 rather than dotted crotchet = 48 so the playback and midi will be too slow.
-I know I have a tendency to do this myself sometimes, but perhaps there's a better way to write out the third layer in bar 16 that's less cluttered.  I'm not sure we need to see the exact voice leading on that particular inner part here for any clarity in the performance.  Maybe just putting it in the right hand with a similar marking to the previous bar would be less visually 'busy'.
-The large arpeggio in bar 31 kinda comes out of nowhere and feels a bit weird to me next to the rest of the accompaniment (and I don't think it sticks out particularly in the original either) so personally I'd dial that down a bit to something more closely resembling the accompaniment pattern you've been using elsewhere.
-The lower second A in the right hand of bar 40 sounds like it should be a B to me.  It would fit the pattern better as well.

I see where you're coming from with the 6/8 3/4 thing.  Sometimes with those pieces they drift between the two and I don't think the way you've written it is really a problem, even if it's not how I would have done it myself.  (In other words, I'm fine with it being in 6/8.)

[Static]

When I first looked at this I thought I was going to have more to say, but on a second listen I think in general it's actually a pretty good job getting it down onto one piano.

Thanks!

-Not so important, but the tempo is currently set at crotchet = 48 rather than dotted crotchet = 48 so the playback and midi will be too slow.

Oops, this must've happened when I edited the marking earlier. It should be good now though.

-I know I have a tendency to do this myself sometimes, but perhaps there's a better way to write out the third layer in bar 16 that's less cluttered.  I'm not sure we need to see the exact voice leading on that particular inner part here for any clarity in the performance.  Maybe just putting it in the right hand with a similar marking to the previous bar would be less visually 'busy'.

Done. Looks far better now I think.

-The large arpeggio in bar 31 kinda comes out of nowhere and feels a bit weird to me next to the rest of the accompaniment (and I don't think it sticks out particularly in the original either) so personally I'd dial that down a bit to something more closely resembling the accompaniment pattern you've been using elsewhere.

Though I really like the sound of that flourish there, good point. I would rather keep the chorale-like feel of that section than keep the arpeggio, and there even is a cello part that could've been there instead, so I changed it.

-The lower second A in the right hand of bar 40 sounds like it should be a B to me.  It would fit the pattern better as well.

Yeah, this is what I had before. Listening again, I think it sounds fine, so I changed it back.

I see where you're coming from with the 6/8 3/4 thing.  Sometimes with those pieces they drift between the two and I don't think the way you've written it is really a problem, even if it's not how I would have done it myself.  (In other words, I'm fine with it being in 6/8.)

It's actually in 11/4 but with 6-tuplets, obviously.

[Libera]

Awesome!  Thanks for listening to my picky-ness haha.

Accepting!

[Zeta]

This submission has been accepted by Libera.

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