Submission Information:
Series: Other
Game: Tomodachi Life
Console: Nintendo 3DS
Title: Ballad
Instrumentation Solo Piano
Arranger: Nine Lives (https://www.ninsheetmusic.org/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=5395)
[attachment deleted by admin]
[attachment deleted by admin]
omg this song is so pretty, thank you for introducing me to this, this will make a great addition to the site
There are some things we need to sort out first though :P The two main things that stand out to me right now while looking are:
- Time signatures and measures. The 2/4 time signature everywhere does not accurately reflect the varying rhythms that occur throughout the song. It's a bit difficult to pin down because it changes a bunch and there seems to be some leeway for interpretation, but changing the sheet to have each measure start at each low bass note should give you roughly what we want. I'll comment on specific sections after this is adjusted.
- Layers and harmonies. Right now it looks like you've written out only the piano part. There's a lot more to the song that could make the arrangement much richer - the vocal line may be difficult but there are definitely a lot of string harmonies you can use to thicken the texture a bit. Let me know what you think!
Quote from: Latios212 on May 12, 2019, 02:10:20 PM- Time signatures and measures. The 2/4 time signature everywhere does not accurately reflect the varying rhythms that occur throughout the song. It's a bit difficult to pin down because it changes a bunch and there seems to be some leeway for interpretation, but changing the sheet to have each measure start at each low bass note should give you roughly what we want. I'll comment on specific sections after this is adjusted.
- Layers and harmonies. Right now it looks like you've written out only the piano part. There's a lot more to the song that could make the arrangement much richer - the vocal line may be difficult but there are definitely a lot of string harmonies you can use to thicken the texture a bit. Let me know what you think!
Yeah, I got a bit confused on the time signature, I will admit. I can do what you said and start with the bass line for each measure. How would you like me to add in the strings part? I can see how you could do it at the beginning, but I'm unsure how you'd do it in the song when you have the piano part to go on.
Well, I've changed the intro and the time signatures for now.
Sorry, I've been quite busy and will probably have more to say regarding the harmonies in a few days!
As for the time signatures though - looks better but I would still urge you to combine some measures so that every measure starts on a low bass note. You'll end up with some strange-looking things like 5/4 and 7/8 but it will be much more clear what the different musical phrases are when they aren't split across smaller time signatures. (This will help the performer know when to pedal as well.)
Quote from: Latios212 on May 15, 2019, 05:09:19 PMSorry, I've been quite busy and will probably have more to say regarding the harmonies in a few days!
As for the time signatures though - looks better but I would still urge you to combine some measures so that every measure starts on a low bass note. You'll end up with some strange-looking things like 5/4 and 7/8 but it will be much more clear what the different musical phrases are when they aren't split across smaller time signatures. (This will help the performer know when to pedal as well.)
Well, is one able to do 7/8 on Notepad. I use Musescore for editing the sheet and it doesn't give the option of 7/8 as a time signature, but it does give the option for 5/4.
Quote from: NineLives on May 16, 2019, 04:44:57 AMWell, is one able to do 7/8 on Notepad. I use Musescore for editing the sheet and it doesn't give the option of 7/8 as a time signature, but it does give the option for 5/4.
Musescore definitely has support for 7/8! The handbook explains how to do it under "creating a custom time signature".
https://musescore.org/en/handbook/time-signatures
Quote from: Code_Name_Geek on May 16, 2019, 06:15:23 AMMusescore definitely has support for 7/8! The handbook explains how to do it under "creating a custom time signature".
https://musescore.org/en/handbook/time-signatures
Oh, so it does. Thanks for that. Now it's fixed up again.
Quote from: NineLives on May 12, 2019, 02:25:16 PMHow would you like me to add in the strings part? I can see how you could do it at the beginning, but I'm unsure how you'd do it in the song when you have the piano part to go on.
Sorry for the wait! Now that we've got the time signatures sorted out, it'll be a bit easier to go about this.
Before I forget, here's (https://www.dropbox.com/s/nzd5vewyxcy3nmq/Tomodachi%20Life%20-%20Ballad.mus?dl=1) a MUS file with some formatting and other stuff cleaned up. Let's use this as a base moving forward!
Now, back to the harmonies. Listening to the original, it's a bit difficult because the strings fade in and out, but in some places you can try adding in the string harmonies as chords at the beginning of measures. For example measure 4-5 mostly just have the piano going on, but a D major triad would fit well at the beginning of measure 6. You could also try adding in the vocal line when the piano right hand part is empty as well.
If you need help still, hopefully a day in the upcoming couple weeks I'll have time to draw out some specifics.
Thank you for the formatted file, Latios. I also added in the D Major triad to measure 6 as well as adding an E Minor triad to measure 8. I don't think I'd like to add in any of the vocal parts as they're different the second time around. I hope that makes sense.
So I went to try and find a youtube video of this piece and I'm struggling to find one anywhere. I went through an OST playlist and couldn't find it anywhere in there, and nothing else on the playlist sounded anything like the file Latios sent me (which I assume he got from your link). If you could let me know what this piece actually is and where you're getting it from that'd be great.
Until I'm sure on what piece I'm actually supposed to be looking at, I'll leave out the notes. But that being said, all of my comments on your other submission regarding margins apply over here as well. Also, personally I'd suggest using pedal markings here of some kind to match the original.
Here (https://youtu.be/_-D8dGFk1Qk?t=1h3s), perhaps? (I don't know anything about the game)
*All's good, I know the event when this plays
Quote from: Libera on June 15, 2019, 03:06:25 PMBut that being said, all of my comments on your other submission regarding margins apply over here as well. Also, personally I'd suggest using pedal markings here of some kind to match the original.
I may need help with the margins as Notepad doesn't provide me the freedom to change them. Along with that, I tried making all the current changes to Musescore, but, unfortunately, I wasn't able to transfer the pedal lines I had made for the sheet to Notepad nor was I able to make them in Notepad. I know I'm able to create the markings, but I had a plan to add pedal lines starting at measure two and going on from there(https://www.dropbox.com/s/qowzf73lboxx03v/Ballad.pdf?dl=0). If anyone is able to help me make those changes, it'd be gladly appreciated. I'm sorry that this is a recurring problem for me.
Hopefully these (https://www.dropbox.com/s/k9uoo9r8pzfwcsm/Tomodachi%20Life%20-%20Ballad.mus?dl=1) are the edits that you're looking for. I put in the pedal markings as you showed in your pdf and I fixed up the margins for you. I also brought it into a different template that should have better spacings I think. I also changed your dotted crotchet rests into crotchet followed by quaver rests (which is the standard practice outside of compound time.)
The other change that I made is that I made bar 1 be in 3/4 rather than 5/8. Personally it sounds the same length as the subsequent 3/4 bar and since there isn't any 5/8 movement to distinguish it I felt that having it in 5/8 only complicated things. Another thing to say about the first bar (which I did not edit in) is that it's a G/A chord, so there should really be an A in the bass and a D also in the right hand.
Thanks for the edits, Libera!
Quote from: Libera on June 23, 2019, 11:25:18 AMAnother thing to say about the first bar (which I did not edit in) is that it's a G/A chord, so there should really be an A in the bass and a D also in the right hand.
As for the change you requested above, I did just that. Along with it, I put in an F chord for the second measure as well.
Quote from: Libera on June 15, 2019, 03:06:25 PMUntil I'm sure on what piece I'm actually supposed to be looking at, I'll leave out the notes.
And now I am sure, so here I am with the notes.
Quote from: NineLives on June 23, 2019, 12:57:13 PMAlong with it, I put in an F chord for the second measure as well.
It's actually just a D major chord there, so change the C# to a D in that chord and it'll be good.
Other things:
-I think the RH F# in bar 5 and 7 is actually a D.
-Not sure a grace note in bar 9 is the best way to write that. I think it'd be better as a rolled chord, but also I think the G should be an E.
-The chord in bar 8 is G/A (like the first bar) so I think you should change the E to a D.
-The bass note in bar 3 sounds like an F# rather than a G.
-I think there should be an A in the RH chord in bar 15.
-Careful of your beaming when you're in irregular time signatures. Bar 9 and 11 are done correctly whereas bars 6 and 15 are not. In bar 9 and 11 you have beamed both the right and left hand as 2+2+3 which is fine but in bar 6 you have beamed the right hand as 2+2+3 and the left hand as 3+2+2 which means they don't match up. I'd try and make all the 7/8 bars consistent throughout the piece and having them all as 2+2+3 would probably be fine. Bar 15 has the right hand as 2+2+1 (which is pretty strange I think) whereas the left hand is in a much more standard 3+2 so I'd change the right hand to reflect that (i.e. rewrite the RH as a dotted crotchet tied to a crotchet).
Quote from: NineLives on June 14, 2019, 11:14:14 AMI don't think I'd like to add in any of the vocal parts as they're different the second time around. I hope that makes sense.
If that's your decision then fair enough, we'd certainly need to write out an extra page if we wanted to include the vocal part. Still it's a bit of a shame to leave it out.
Another thing I'd like to point out is that sometimes you split the arpeggio-like accompaniment across two voices (like in bar 14 and 17) and I think it'd be a good idea to try and not do that so that it's clear what's the melody and which are the accompaniment lines. It also sort of happens in bar 8 but the voicings I think are less clear so it's not really a big deal. (The solution to this, by the way, is by cross staffing, voice leading lines or something similar.)
All righty. I think I fixed most of what you requested.
Quote from: Libera on June 30, 2019, 11:30:36 AMAnother thing I'd like to point out is that sometimes you split the arpeggio-like accompaniment across two voices (like in bar 14 and 17) and I think it'd be a good idea to try and not do that so that it's clear what's the melody and which are the accompaniment lines. It also sort of happens in bar 8 but the voicings I think are less clear so it's not really a big deal. (The solution to this, by the way, is by cross staffing, voice leading lines or something similar.)
For this, however, Notepad doesn't seem to allow me to cross staff. If I could get some assistance on that as well, that'd be most appreciated. I'm also having a bit of trouble with some of the tied notes. I think they might be only decorative on Notepad.
Here's a file with hopefully everything you need on it?
File (https://www.dropbox.com/s/lhk2i8nfv1xkwie/Tomodachi%20Life%20-%20Ballad%20%28Libera%20Edit%29.mus?dl=1)
Quote from: Libera on June 30, 2019, 04:21:14 PMHere's a file with hopefully everything you need on it?
Yup, that should just about do it. Thanks, Libera!
Hey, this is looking great! Just a last couple of minor things from me.
- The first measure should have the left hand A lowered an octave. It'd better convey the bass-y sound and transition into the low D in the next measure.
- The pedal markings are a bit close to the left hand notes in places.
- I think measure 15 would make more sense as 2+3 instead of 3+2. All the left hand arpeggios in other measures start with 2+2, and the beat of the song is written in quarter notes so it makes sense to try and keep the quarter note pulse where possible at the beginning of these measures. You could think of these /8 measures as /4 measures that end either an eighth note early or late and tacking on the last note to the last pair of eighths would make sense similar to how the 7/8 bars are written.
I've made the above minor edits for you. With that, big approval!
Let's close this one out then. Accept!!
This submission has been accepted by Libera (https://www.ninsheetmusic.org/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=5291).
~Zeta, your friendly NSM-Bot