[SWITCH] Octopath Traveler - "Determination" by Latios212

[Zeta]

Submission Information:
Series: Other
Game: Octopath Traveler
Console: Nintendo Switch
Title: Determination
Instrumentation Solo Piano
Arranger: Latios212

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[Latios212]

* Seeing a submission for one of the most powerful songs from the game fills you with determination.

[Libera]

* Seeing a submission for one of the most powerful songs from the game fills you with determination.

I am so determined to check this sheet.

-Missing bass notes on beat 4.5 in bars 1 and 3, probably best to just go for the D in bar 1 and the Bb in bar 3.
-Melody line in bar 7 beat 3/4 should be D -> F -> G, same again for bar 15.
-I feel like the lead in to bar 13 is lacking the energy from the original.  I think adding in the string lead in would work really well to give it that extra zeal.
-I'm not 100% sure where the left hand is coming from in bars 13-16.  Sometimes they sound like they match up with piano and guitar notes, but the rhythms and notes are generally different.  For example, this is what I would probably have written in for bar 13:

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If this is because the left hand is mostly something you came up with rather than us disagreeing on pitch, then I don't think we need an original left hand here.  We can get something with almost exactly the same feel by taking guitar and piano notes from the original.

[Latios212]

-Missing bass notes on beat 4.5 in bars 1 and 3, probably best to just go for the D in bar 1 and the Bb in bar 3.
-I feel like the lead in to bar 13 is lacking the energy from the original.  I think adding in the string lead in would work really well to give it that extra zeal.

I had considered these briefly before but looking back at it now, makes sense to include these. For the pickup to 13, is there anything you intend other than just the quarter note A?

-Melody line in bar 7 beat 3/4 should be D -> F -> G, same again for bar 15.

Oh dear, that's a bad slip-up ><

Updated the files with the above fixes!

-I'm not 100% sure where the left hand is coming from in bars 13-16.  Sometimes they sound like they match up with piano and guitar notes, but the rhythms and notes are generally different.  For example, this is what I would probably have written in for bar 13:

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If this is because the left hand is mostly something you came up with rather than us disagreeing on pitch, then I don't think we need an original left hand here.  We can get something with almost exactly the same feel by taking guitar and piano notes from the original.

Yeah I can elaborate a bit here since I fiddled with this a bit more than usual.

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The bass is labeled in blue - this is verbatim. Some prominent notes from the guitar part are labeled in orange. The rest is filled in with chord tones to provide the contour I was aiming for. I think it works best this way because to me it provides a good amount of "flow" while providing some extra flavor from the guitar part (the added ninths in the arpeggios). Let me know if that makes sense.

[Libera]

I had considered these briefly before but looking back at it now, makes sense to include these. For the pickup to 13, is there anything you intend other than just the quarter note A?

Unless I'm going crazy, this is what I can hear / what I was thinking of:

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Yeah I can elaborate a bit here since I fiddled with this a bit more than usual.

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[close]

The bass is labeled in blue - this is verbatim. Some prominent notes from the guitar part are labeled in orange. The rest is filled in with chord tones to provide the contour I was aiming for. I think it works best this way because to me it provides a good amount of "flow" while providing some extra flavor from the guitar part (the added ninths in the arpeggios). Let me know if that makes sense.

I think it's safe to say we disagree here, but I'll just move on.

Regardless, I disagree on some of the notes used that you've taken from the guitar.
-Beat 1.75 in bar 13 is an F in the guitar part rather than an E, as far as I can tell (same for bar 15).  In fact, I think that the only ninth present is the A in bar 14; I'm not hearing the C in bars 13 and 15.
-In bar 16, immediately after playing the top F on beat 3.5 the guitar moves onto an E on beat 3.75 and the fact that you delay your E by a semiquaver makes it feel wonky compared to the original.

[Static]

There are plenty of merits for both your and Libera's arrangement decisions for m13-16, so I'm personally fine with either one. What you have works and you would rather keep it, so it should stay. With that said, I do have a couple other comments:

• m8 beats 3-4 RH: The strings are playing some quarter notes here that you could maybe put in a 2nd layer, replacing the held E in the 1st layer.
• m10 beats 3-4 RH: I highly suggest you put the melody in its own layer, even if it means it will be in between other notes (just use the note position tool if you want the layers to be more clear, or change what harmony notes you have so they're under the melody). As it is now, the melody is unclear to a player who isn't already familiar with the song.

[Latios212]

Unless I'm going crazy, this is what I can hear / what I was thinking of:

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Hm, I barely even hear that under the prominence of the crescendo-ing strings which is the A I wrote in. How's this for a compromise between emphasizing that A and including what's under it? (I also added a cresc. here)

I think it's safe to say we disagree here, but I'll just move on.

Yeah as we discussed over Discord, the contour of the accompaniment pattern here gives me the kind of sound that I want - continuous motion and flow between the bass and guitar parts.

Regardless, I disagree on some of the notes used that you've taken from the guitar.
-Beat 1.75 in bar 13 is an F in the guitar part rather than an E, as far as I can tell (same for bar 15).  In fact, I think that the only ninth present is the A in bar 14; I'm not hearing the C in bars 13 and 15.

Ah I think I may have been writing the E from the melody. F sounds good there. The C is definitely there in bar 15, but oddly... seems absent in m. 13. Adjusted that.

-In bar 16, immediately after playing the top F on beat 3.5 the guitar moves onto an E on beat 3.75 and the fact that you delay your E by a semiquaver makes it feel wonky compared to the original.

Sure, I can move that back.

• m8 beats 3-4 RH: The strings are playing some quarter notes here that you could maybe put in a 2nd layer, replacing the held E in the 1st layer.
• m10 beats 3-4 RH: I highly suggest you put the melody in its own layer, even if it means it will be in between other notes (just use the note position tool if you want the layers to be more clear, or change what harmony notes you have so they're under the melody). As it is now, the melody is unclear to a player who isn't already familiar with the song.

Sure, sounds good! Looks much better now.

Files updated!

[Libera]

Looks great, I'm happy here.

[Static]

Looks great! I'll accept now. Glad we all had this discussion about that middle section! It's always better to discuss and argue for solutions than simply dismiss or quietly accept every suggestion; it makes us better arrangers by questioning our own arrangement choices.

[Zeta]

This submission has been accepted by Static.

~Zeta, your friendly NSM-Bot