[3DS] Pokémon X & Pokémon Y - "Surf" by Latios212

[Zeta]

Submission Information:
Series: Pokémon
Game: Pokémon X & Pokémon Y
Console: Nintendo 3DS
Title: Surf
Instrumentation Solo Piano
Arranger: Latios212

[Latios212]

It is time to return to Kalos my dudes

[Radiak488417]

I barely remember this piece lol

-The melody in the original is in octaves from m9 beat 1 to m20 beat 1. I think adding that in here could help differentiate the latter two sections from the first one texturally, as well as allow for more harmony. Thoughts on raising the whole RH by an octave and adding a lower octave doubling the melody for those measures?
-I think adding a crescendo in m8 to a mf in m9 would be appropriate here.
-m3 + m11 RH beat 2: Pretty sure I hear a D in these spots; I'd personally prioritize it over the Cs here since it's the 3rd and it's being resolved to from a sus4.
-m4 + m12: I hear an Eb in the RH on beat 1 and a Bb in the LH on beat 2, you could move the D on beat 2 to the RH if you want to keep a consistent number of voices per hand.
-m7 RH beats 2-2.6 sound like they're harmonized in 3rds like in m5. Also there are Ds on both beat 1 and 2, not sure if you left them out intentionally but figured I'd mention it.
-m15 RH beat 2: the melody note sounds to me like a D instead of a Bb.
-m16 RH: There's an upper voice on beats 1.6 and 2 that goes F -> Eb.
-m20 RH beat 2.3: bottom note should be a Db.
-m23 RH: There's a lower voice that goes Cn -> Bn here. There's also an Ab on beat 1, you could put it in voice 1 under the top Bb.

[Latios212]

I barely remember this piece lol

-The melody in the original is in octaves from m9 beat 1 to m20 beat 1. I think adding that in here could help differentiate the latter two sections from the first one texturally, as well as allow for more harmony. Thoughts on raising the whole RH by an octave and adding a lower octave doubling the melody for those measures? -I think adding a crescendo in m8 to a mf in m9 would be appropriate here.

Ah I like this for m. 9-20, but not past that. It gets too high for my preference if I raise 17-20 up an octave. Plus this way, the transitions into and out of that section also work very smoothly. I adjusted the harmony a little bit where I've turned the melody into octaves, and also added parentheses to the high Ab in m. 11 since that octave jump can be a bit annoying and I think that top note can be omitted without much of a loss sound-wise.

-I think adding a crescendo in m8 to a mf in m9 would be appropriate here.

mf sounds good, but I'm not crazy about adding a crescendo here since I don't really feel like the second chord in m. 8 should be played louder.

-m3 + m11 RH beat 2: Pretty sure I hear a D in these spots; I'd personally prioritize it over the Cs here since it's the 3rd and it's being resolved to from a sus4.

Sounds good to me!

-m4 + m12: I hear an Eb in the RH on beat 1 and a Bb in the LH on beat 2, you could move the D on beat 2 to the RH if you want to keep a consistent number of voices per hand.

Ah that sounds good, I also changed clefs in m. 4. I also had adjusted some voicings in the later part (I had only diverged from octaves in the first 8 measures where there wasn't enough room to write the harmony in the RH). Let me know if you'd prefer more harmony in m. 12 and maybe 10 for that matter?)

-m7 RH beats 2-2.6 sound like they're harmonized in 3rds like in m5. Also there are Ds on both beat 1 and 2, not sure if you left them out intentionally but figured I'd mention it.

Thirds sound good. Not sure if the D's would fit in too nicely here, I think it's fine without?

-m15 RH beat 2: the melody note sounds to me like a D instead of a Bb.

I think actually the lower voice is playing the same melody as in m. 7 but the upper voice is playing this new melody... D makes sense in that context and sounds good

-m16 RH: There's an upper voice on beats 1.6 and 2 that goes F -> Eb.

I included it in the bottom of the current chords, sounds good?

-m20 RH beat 2.3: bottom note should be a Db.

oops, yep

-m23 RH: There's a lower voice that goes Cn -> Bn here. There's also an Ab on beat 1, you could put it in voice 1 under the top Bb.

Added the C and Ab, and raised the LH an octave actually to lighten the sound a bit and be able to take the Ab (I didn't like putting it directly under the melody). For beat 2, to confirm, did you mean there's a Bn under the D, that would clash with the bass Bb?

Thanks for the check, most of the work here was indeed just messing with chord voicings. Files updated, let me know if you have any other suggested improvements!

[Radiak488417]

Ah I like this for m. 9-20, but not past that. It gets too high for my preference if I raise 17-20 up an octave. Plus this way, the transitions into and out of that section also work very smoothly. I adjusted the harmony a little bit where I've turned the melody into octaves, and also added parentheses to the high Ab in m. 11 since that octave jump can be a bit annoying and I think that top note can be omitted without much of a loss sound-wise.

Hm, to me 17-20 are the climax of the piece so it makes sense to keep the octaves there, suddenly taking them out feels like a drop in energy vs in the original where it sounds like it's increasing in energy. The transitions in the original are kind of abrupt as well, so as much as I like smoothness it feels less accurate to me this way. That's just my two cents though, feel free to keep it as is if you prefer! I'd be interested to hear others' opinions on this.

Let me know if you'd prefer more harmony in m. 12 and maybe 10 for that matter?)

Ah yeah, I think adding Cs to both beats in m10 and Bbs to both beats in m12 would be nice.

Thirds sound good. Not sure if the D's would fit in too nicely here, I think it's fine without?

Yeah it's probably fine without the Ds. Also I think the bottom note on beat 2 is actually an F rather than a G.

I included it in the bottom of the current chords, sounds good?

To me raising those horn chords an octave and inverting them kind of falsely implies that they're part of the melody, whereas I hear them as more of a background texture in the original. I think keeping them down in the original octave and inversion would help avoid that, although what you have is fine if you don't want to do that.

For beat 2, to confirm, did you mean there's a Bn under the D, that would clash with the bass Bb?

Yep, it's the b9 of the Bb7(b9) chord. I agree with raising the LH here as well, I actually meant to suggest that as a second option but I forgot lol.

Everything else looks great!

[Latios212]

Hm, to me 17-20 are the climax of the piece so it makes sense to keep the octaves there, suddenly taking them out feels like a drop in energy vs in the original where it sounds like it's increasing in energy. The transitions in the original are kind of abrupt as well, so as much as I like smoothness it feels less accurate to me this way. That's just my two cents though, feel free to keep it as is if you prefer! I'd be interested to hear others' opinions on this.

I agree about the shift in energy, but I think more than anything else, octaves that high are just not the right sound for this section, and I'd prefer to leave it up to the change in dynamics to indicate the contrast.

Ah yeah, I think adding Cs to both beats in m10 and Bbs to both beats in m12 would be nice.

Sounds good!

Yeah it's probably fine without the Ds. Also I think the bottom note on beat 2 is actually an F rather than a G.

F sounds good to me!

To me raising those horn chords an octave and inverting them kind of falsely implies that they're part of the melody, whereas I hear them as more of a background texture in the original. I think keeping them down in the original octave and inversion would help avoid that, although what you have is fine if you don't want to do that.

I think you're right it would be better to differentiate this from the melody. Since we added the upper octave in the previous measures it's easy to put this back at its original level. The countermelody I've always heard descends Eb-D-Db and since the Eb on beat 1.3 can't be confused with the melody anymore I put it back in. I think this is better!

Yep, it's the b9 of the Bb7(b9) chord. I agree with raising the LH here as well, I actually meant to suggest that as a second option but I forgot lol.

Nice, yeah that b9 works great. It's a bit dissonant against the exposed Bb bass, but I think it works. It should technically be a Cb but I think Bn is easier to read against the D and I've also moved the lower C to the lower layer on beat 1 so it's parallel thirds in the second layer.

Again, thanks so much for your help with this one! Files updated

[Kricketune54]

Thank you Radiak for your feedback! Arranger/community sub feedback is greatly appreciated


•  m8 RH I do hear an Fn among the pitches for beat 1. I agree the Eb is more prominent but it seems like the Fn would represent a more consistent pitch movement throughout this song.
• m16 RH lower layer you could add accented staccatos to beat 1.33 and 1.66, or at the least staccatos - I know the pedal is being applied. but I think it would just contrast the trumpet entrance from the melody a bit more like in the original.
• m16 also for beat 2 LH you could make this a tremolo to repesent the  roll
• m22 RH 2.66 I hear an An next to the Bb, but this seems like an either/or situation (ugly sounding with both). I personally like the An better but up to you haha

[Latios212]

Thank you Radiak for your feedback! Arranger/community sub feedback is greatly appreciated

Yes! And thank you too Kricketune for the check!

•  m8 RH I do hear an Fn among the pitches for beat 1. I agree the Eb is more prominent but it seems like the Fn would represent a more consistent pitch movement throughout this song. • m16 RH lower layer you could add accented staccatos to beat 1.33 and 1.66, or at the least staccatos - I know the pedal is being applied. but I think it would just contrast the trumpet entrance from the melody a bit more like in the original. • m16 also for beat 2 LH you could make this a tremolo to repesent the  roll

Great suggestions, I agree with and have implemented all of these!

• m22 RH 2.66 I hear an An next to the Bb, but this seems like an either/or situation (ugly sounding with both). I personally like the An better but up to you haha

Hm I'm not hearing it very prominently at least and I definitely hear the Bb so I think I'd prefer to keep the Bb as is!

Files updated ^^

[Kricketune54]

Sure thing, looks good for me to approve!

[XiaoMigros]

Lots of maybes!

• m3 beat 4: I hear C isntead of D in this chord?
• m16: I think the first two chords in the lower layer are one inversion higher?
• m21: maybe have the LH play dyads here too?
• m22 beat 4: Eb instead of F in the RH
• m23: I don't hear that F in the RH

Arrangement wise I don't have much to add, seems most things have already been decided Nice work

[Latios212]

Thanks! Yeah the chord tones aren't the most easy to make out in this one haha

m3 beat 4: I hear C isntead of D in this chord?

-m3 + m11 RH beat 2: Pretty sure I hear a D in these spots; I'd personally prioritize it over the Cs here since it's the 3rd and it's being resolved to from a sus4.

I think I still hear the D and agree with Radiak that it sounds a bit nicer

m16: I think the first two chords in the lower layer are one inversion higher?

I think those higher tones might be there, but my ear has always been drawn to that chromatically descending Eb-D-Db so I think it makes sense to keep these inversions.

m21: maybe have the LH play dyads here too?

Ah yeah tossing a note on beat 1 and 4 down to the LH makes it a bit easier to play. Got it!

m22 beat 4: Eb instead of F in the RH
m23: I don't hear that F in the RH

Ah yeah I think you're right, updated these!

Arrangement wise I don't have much to add, seems most things have already been decided Nice work

Thank you! And thanks for checking ^^ New files are up!

[XiaoMigros]

Looks good to me, I accept~

[Zeta]

This submission has been accepted by XiaoMigros.

~Zeta, your friendly NSM-Bot