[XBOX360] Tales of Vesperia - "Evening Requiem" by thatoneguy

[Zeta]

Submission Information:
Series: Tales
Game: Tales of Vesperia
Console: Xbox 360
Title: Evening Requiem
Instrumentation Solo Piano
Arranger: thatoneguy

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[thatoneguy]

NANI?!?! Two pieces from this guy? Yup. I was in the mood to work on another after I the other sheet I submitted.

Some things of note:

• The "Tales of" series can't decide what to call their songs, apparently. Vgmbd (and the youtube video) say it's "An Evening Requiem"; the in-game sound test calls "Requiem of the Evening". I personally like the simplicity of the former, but the latter title isn't bad either. I'm somewhat indecisive about which I should choose.
• Tempo/pauses/fermatas: The tempo I said is roughly the same through the whole piece. However, there are a lot of what I assume to be pauses or fermatas that are extending the piece just enough that it was bit hard for me to figure out the meter(s). So should there be fermatas, or just give a note with the tempo that says "freely" or something like that?
• I have arpeggios written in, but I don't feel like they're real arpeggios. Would you say they're more like grace notes?
• Formatting, as always, needs some help.
• I couldn't find the "D.C." so I put in a repeat sign at the last measure as a temporary measure.

That's all the notes I think I need to bring up on this one. Hopefully this will be the one to start the "Tales of Vesperia" song list on the site!

[Static]

• Regarding the title, either is fine but I have a slight preference for the VGMdB listing.
• I think just a tempo indication of "freely" would work for this piece.
• In my opinion, the arpeggio markings are appropriate for this as well.
• A repeat is fine for pieces that are really short (like this one), I usually prefer a D.C. for sheets that are 3 pages or more.
• Ok, onto the arrangement itself now... For the chord in m1 and 3, I hear B-D-F-Ab in the RH (Bdim7 chord) and just the low E in the LH.
• For m2 and 4, I would suggest writing the Cbs as Bns, so that they stay within the established diminished chord tones, as well as more clearly show the resolution to C. This should also probably be in a separate layer.
• m5-6 LH beat 1 should be one octave lower, beat 2 should be two octaves lower and only include the lowest octave.
• That dotted 8th-16th rhythm I actually hear more as a double dotted 8th-32nd, but I definitely agree that it should be written out as a defined rhythm rather than a grace note.
• m9 RH should be F instead of G.
• m11 RH should have a C# below the G# and A.
• m12 RH beat 1 should have C# instead of F#.
• m13-14 LH: I only hear the lowest F#, not the one above it, or the one above that (in Layer 1).
• m13-14 RH: I'd probably put the C# in the RH just to be consistent with the chords before it.
• So, this is a bit more subjective, but I agree with your rhythms in m2 and 4 (the quarter note specifically). But for that to be a quarter note, the tempo in m1-6 would be ~65bpm. Because of that, I feel m1-4 in 3/4 time, and m5-6 in 4/4 time. Obviously there are fluctuations in tempo, but I feel like using a meter change rather than a fermata would better communicate the length of m5-6 (longer, but not too long).
• Going off of that, I hear m7-14 at around ~88bpm on average.

Here's some files you can find with all the changes I mentioned. If you disagree with anything or have any questions, let me know. I know it's a lot to say for such a small piece, but I think these small touches can really make a big difference.

[thatoneguy]

My comments are in rouge

• Regarding the title, either is fine but I have a slight preference for the VGMdB listing. Cool
• I think just a tempo indication of "freely" would work for this piece. Agreed
• In my opinion, the arpeggio markings are appropriate for this as well. Agreed since it's in 3/4 rather than the 4/4 I was thinking it was in.
• A repeat is fine for pieces that are really short (like this one), I usually prefer a D.C. for sheets that are 3 pages or more. Makes sense to me.
• Ok, onto the arrangement itself now... For the chord in m1 and 3, I hear B-D-F-Ab in the RH (Bdim7 chord) and just the low E in the LH. I've listened to the starting chord for about an hour and restarted the video to hear that same opening more times than I care to admit. I agree that it's a diminished chord. I don't hear any D (natural) anywhere in m1. I've been listening and playing my piano to see if what's in the chord, or what most closely resembles it based on the "quality" and "timbre" of it. Long story short, I hear a low timbre clash with that E. I think it's the F2 I had in. I think there might also be an F3 in there, too. I definitely hear the B2 (and I don't know why I didn't think it was there). I don't hear a D of any octave in measure 1. Regarding m3, there's no B. It's only 3 notes rolled: D3-F3-Ab3. No B until m4. Since I mentioned m4, it's also only two notes rolled: Ab3 and B3->C4. There's no F3.
• For m2 and 4, I would suggest writing the Cbs as Bns, so that they stay within the established diminished chord tones, as well as more clearly show the resolution to C. This should also probably be in a separate layer. Makes sense. My brain was in music theory mode at the time, so I think that's why I had it a Cb instead of B (natural).
• m5-6 LH beat 1 should be one octave lower, beat 2 should be two octaves lower and only include the lowest octave. Agreed. Not sure why I didn't have it like that in the first place. A little embarrassed by that simple mistake, not gonna lie.
• That dotted 8th-16th rhythm I actually hear more as a double dotted 8th-32nd, but I definitely agree that it should be written out as a defined rhythm rather than a grace note. Agreed.
• m9 RH should be F instead of G. I big dumb dumb.
• m11 RH should have a C# below the G# and A. Indeed it does.
• m12 RH beat 1 should have C# instead of F#. Yup.
• m13-14 LH: I only hear the lowest F#, not the one above it, or the one above that (in Layer 1). So, I went back I didn't hear it at first either. I listened again and it was faint. I slowed the video down to .25x speed and it's around the end of the roll, and very soft. I'm not sure if that's intentional or not, but it's sounding. What do you think? I think we could get rid of it, but it's possible it was a purposeful note and not a "happy little accident".
• m13-14 RH: I'd probably put the C# in the RH just to be consistent with the chords before it. Agreed, if we decide the F#3 isn't intentional
• So, this is a bit more subjective, but I agree with your rhythms in m2 and 4 (the quarter note specifically). But for that to be a quarter note, the tempo in m1-6 would be ~65bpm. Because of that, I feel m1-4 in 3/4 time, and m5-6 in 4/4 time. Obviously there are fluctuations in tempo, but I feel like using a meter change rather than a fermata would better communicate the length of m5-6 (longer, but not too long). I concur. Funny story, the first thing I did was try to figure out what the time signature of the first 6 measures were. I thought it might have been something like a 7/4 with a tempo marking of "freely." It took me I think an hour to finally figure out it wasn't. Lol.
• Going off of that, I hear m7-14 at around ~88bpm on average. Agreed.

Also, when I opened the mus file you edited, it there were a couple arpeggios that for some reason didn't function. Like, they were visible and existed, but didn't play nor could I even edit them. It was weird. Not super important, but just thought I should mention it anyway. The files have been updated. Thank you so much for your feedback!

[thatoneguy]

Oh! One more thing I forgot to mention. When I first created the Tales of Vesperia game section, I did a dumb and clicked it was on multiple consoles. It should technically be Xbox 360. The game's history is weird because after it was released for Xbox 360, which I believe was because Microsoft made a deal with them or something like that. But then a year or two later after it's release, they made a (at the time) Japanese exclusive PS3 version with a somewhat changed story (and a few new songs). This PS3 version years later would be rereleased as Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition. All this to say, I was thinking of the Definitive Edition which is multiple platforms, and it's technically different enough from the original version that this should be changed to Xbox 360 for correctness and to save NSM from any fans that would be insulted by my blasphemous mistake.

[Static]

It's very hard to hear in the original recording because all the notes are so close together and in such a low register, so I opened up the file in Audacity and raised it up an octave. I definitely hear a D3 in m1, but I think you're right about the F being lower (I don't hear the F3, just F2). m3-4 look good, my bad on those. As for m13-14, I still don't hear the F#3.

As for the console change, I think Latios can take care of that for you... usually I can't change the console for a game, just the name itself.

[Latios212]

Oh! One more thing I forgot to mention. When I first created the Tales of Vesperia game section, I did a dumb and clicked it was on multiple consoles. It should technically be Xbox 360. The game's history is weird because after it was released for Xbox 360, which I believe was because Microsoft made a deal with them or something like that. But then a year or two later after it's release, they made a (at the time) Japanese exclusive PS3 version with a somewhat changed story (and a few new songs). This PS3 version years later would be rereleased as Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition. All this to say, I was thinking of the Definitive Edition which is multiple platforms, and it's technically different enough from the original version that this should be changed to Xbox 360 for correctness and to save NSM from any fans that would be insulted by my blasphemous mistake.

Makes sense. Updated that!

[thatoneguy]

Makes sense. Updated that!

Thanks Latios!

It's very hard to hear in the original recording because all the notes are so close together and in such a low register, so I opened up the file in Audacity and raised it up an octave. I definitely hear a D3 in m1

Is there a way you could send me that pitched up file? For some reason I still can't hear the D3. I'm really trying to hear it, but it's not present enough to my ears to pick it out and focus on it. Is possible for it to be an overtone? I know that I hear an F4 overtone in that chord when it starts. My ear might just be constantly picking up that F4 overtone which is blocking out the D3.

As for m13-14, I still don't hear the F#3.

It happens on the recording either when the G# or A (natural) is played. It's hard to distinguish it because it's not made as present, and at normal speed the frequency blends it in with it's lower octave self.

m3-4 look good, my bad on those.

You're fine.

[Static]

Yeah, here's that audio file, take a look (or a listen I suppose)

[thatoneguy]

I think the D you hear is an overtone. The E-F clash kinda sounded like it made a weird, almost but not quite D overtone.

[Static]

I think the D you hear is an overtone. The E-F clash kinda sounded like it made a weird, almost but not quite D overtone.

Hm yeah that seems likely. I'll approve of this one now.

[Latios212]

Yup, I don't hear a D in the first measure.

This looks terrific, just two comments left from me:
- The last chord should be rolled
- The ottava lines need not extend the whole measure - they only need to extend as far as the last notehead it applies to. You could also (preferably, in my opinion) use an 8vb instead of 8va. Compare the left vs. right here:
You cannot view this attachment.

I can make these changes for you if you want due to Finale versions. Let me know!

[thatoneguy]

Great. If you wouldn't mind fixing those two things for me (so it doesn't have to be re-fixed anyway from my terrible formatting attempts), that would be great. Thank you!

[Latios212]

Gotcha :3

[Zeta]

This submission has been accepted by Latios212.

~Zeta, your friendly NSM-Bot