[NDS] Last Window: The Secret of Cape West - "Blue Lady" by Jordan Knapp

[Zeta]

Submission Information:
Series: Other
Game: Last Window: The Secret of Cape West
Console: Nintendo DS
Title: Blue Lady
Instrumentation Solo Piano
Arranger: Jordan Knapp

[attachment deleted by admin]

[SlowPokemon]

Original:

[Olimar12345]

Great arrangement! (glad to see a submission from you!) Only a couple small things:

-composer/arranger names aren't quite aligned
-mm. 34's clef change is a bit squished
-I'd suggest a courtesy natural on that fresh F natural in measure 25 (then again at 33) since it is preceded by an F#
-It seems rather unnecessary to have "Easy swing" and "Swing!," you could easily do away with the second one lol.

Looking through some of those chords rn, I'll get back to you on them.

The nostalgia with this kind of music makes me want to go through HD215 again, but I'm not going to want to drop the cash for this sequel :C

[Bespinben]

Haven't played this game, but I always like a nice chill "spy music" piece, haha

Listening to your arrangement, I felt there was a general lack of... consistency. I know you hate adding voices (I would too), so that's why I'm suggesting to make better use of what you already have, like so:



Overall, I feel the arrangement would greatly benefit from the sustain pedal, as it would allow you to play the double bass in conjunction with the chords, if you don't mind sacrificing staccato and beat 1. If you want to make it simpler, just ignore beat 3.5 of the bass, to prevent unnecessary jumpiness. The important thing to my ears is that the sonic palette is full and consistent.

[SlowPokemon]

Thanks Olimar! I'll update it later.

Ben, it's not that I hate adding voices haha. I considered including the bass voice but overall liked the feel of the staccato chords on every beat. Although, I'm certainly not opposed to making an alternate arrangement I suppose. I just think that too much sustain pedal would mess with the tone of the piece. Any thoughts about this, Olimar?

[Olimar12345]

It could work either way, really (though, I would like to see how it might fair the way Ben suggested, if not for curiosity's sake). Most of the time you have triads in the accompaniment, but often it switches to four note or two note chords, and that can be inconsistent sometimes.

[Bespinben]

I considered including the bass voice but overall liked the feel of the staccato chords on every beat.
I just think that too much sustain pedal would mess with the tone of the piece.

I actually would indeed agree with you, if this were a piano accompaniment for a jazz ensemble and you had a bassist. Totally would do it how you had it. For solo piano though, my sensibilities are more inclined towards an overall feeling of legato supplemented w/ pedal. However you do it though, just make sure it sounds great

[SlowPokemon]

All right! When I get some time I'll make an alternate and see if that's better. Thanks for the quick feedback guys!

[SlowPokemon]

Okay, the NSM panel is refusing to let me update my files... I uploaded the new ones to Dropbox, is possible for someone to replace the existing ones with these?

(Also, I'd like some feedback on the updated arrangement if possible!)

.mus
.mid
.pdf
.musx

[Bespinben]

Didja try a different web browser? Windows Edge for example always rejects NSM Panel submissions.

[SlowPokemon]

Nah, I'm using Firefox, and I was able to submit them to the NSM panel in the first place so I'm not quite sure why it won't let me update the files. If it's a problem I can always try at my school library sometime this week, the computers there have Chrome.

[Bespinben]

(Also, I'd like some feedback on the updated arrangement if possible!)

.mus
.mid
.pdf
.musx

Yeah, I can groove this one! I like that you used the RH to fill in the accompaniment when it would have otherwise been idle -- good move. The score is a bit messy in places (colliding phrase markings for example), but I can dig this

[SlowPokemon]

Is there any chance you'd help me fix that (or tell me how)? Also--is there any way the arrangement can fit onto two pages? If not it's not a big deal, haha.

[Bespinben]

Ah, seems it can be done! (I was doubtful...)



A lot of fiddling definitely, but you should be able to do this if you:
*Set page size to 86%
*Set space between staves at 0.9'
*Widen left page margin (optional)
*Adjust header info so that it doesn't take up so much vertical space
*Manually adjust the phrase markings so that they don't curve so high up
*Take the extra two measure in the last system and spread them out between the final two systems, so that way it's 5 per system (at the end) rather than a super squished 6 measure system.

[SlowPokemon]

Umm I hate to be a bother but... Could you please post that file? I can't understand at least half of what you're saying 😅