[NDS] Pokémon Black Version & Pokémon White Version - "Driftveil City" (Replacement) by Nine Lives

[Zeta]

Submission Information:
Series: Pokémon
Game: Pokémon Black Version & Pokémon White Version
Console: Nintendo DS
Title: Driftveil City
Instrumentation Solo Piano
Arranger: Nine Lives


Replacement Information:
Links to Existing Sheet: MUS | MIDI | PDF
Replacement Type: Challenge (new arranger)

[NineLives]

[Latios212]

Glad to see a replacement for this one especially given how popular this piece has been lately. The one we have now isn't bad but is showing its age. Here are a few passing comments as I skim this over:


I feel like the voicing for the chords needs some work. In m. 3-8, the jumps are very large and pretty difficult to pull off accurately at this tempo. Could you try inverting the triads downwards and/or using dyads instead to make it easier on the left hand? I can provide some suggestions if you like.

In measures 12+, the bass is missing and having the left hand play the mid-range chords. I think this could be addressed by making sure you have your inversions correct (ex. m. 12 plays Eb in the bass) first and thinking about what other chord tones would make sense to include from there. Again, happy to suggest some options if you like.

For m. 19, use a regular An instead of Bbb. In measure 22, make sure to keep your intervals consistent. The second chord would work better written as a simple Dm triad, and last one as Bm. (Technically could be Ebbm and Cbm but we could do without that many flats lol)

[NineLives]

I feel like the voicing for the chords needs some work. In m. 3-8, the jumps are very large and pretty difficult to pull off accurately at this tempo. Could you try inverting the triads downwards and/or using dyads instead to make it easier on the left hand? I can provide some suggestions if you like.

I went with making the chords dyads, inverting some of them, and also making the bassline for measures 3-6 part of the second layer so its note lengths are more distinguished.

In measures 12+, the bass is missing and having the left hand play the mid-range chords. I think this could be addressed by making sure you have your inversions correct (ex. m. 12 plays Eb in the bass) first and thinking about what other chord tones would make sense to include from there. Again, happy to suggest some options if you like.

The initial intent with this section was to focus on the chords, since I felt they sounded fairly important to the flow of the section, while still keeping the bass intact within their rhythms. Sometimes the chords would already have the bass's notes and others I'd have to add it into them. There may be a few exceptions on the account that it'd make the chords sound unfittingly crunchy on the same instrument compared to how it sounds on the source, which uses different instruments to its advantage. I've left the section alone for now.

For m. 19, use a regular An instead of Bbb. In measure 22, make sure to keep your intervals consistent. The second chord would work better written as a simple Dm triad, and last one as Bm. (Technically could be Ebbm and Cbm but we could do without that many flats lol)

I believe I cleaned up the accidentals here, but let me know if I missed something there.

[goldenscruff]

I don't think the m12-17 chords need the bass and the correct inversion. If only we had three hands.
m15-17 the b1 chords in the LH could use a Gb on top, as I can hear that in the original.

m18 I think these chords would benefit a lot from inverting the Gb on top so the Cb -> Bb -> An bass line is clear.

In m19-20 there's enough freedom with the hands that I think you can add more of the bass here, but if you think it sounds too out place with the surrounding material that's okay.

m16-17 b2.0, b3.5, b1.0, b2.5, I'm hearing these as Db Gb bottom up, and I can't hear the distinct hits on m16 b4.0 and b2.0 m17.