Sonic 3's Marble Garden: Music Theory

Рет қаралды 134,374

3 жыл бұрын

A look inside the music theory of Sonic 3's Marble Garden.
Viewer rewards include getting your name in the credits, sheet music library, and vgm soundtrack of the week: / alexyard
Clips
0:01
Marble Garden AIR Gameplay by KZfaq user Sonic Central
Sonic 3: A.I.R. Full Game Playthrough (Definitive Way to Play)
• Sonic 3: A.I.R - Full ...
0:15
Marble Garden AIR Gameplay by KZfaq user Creeperswag5
Sonic 3 A.I.R. (Marble Garden Zone and Carnival Night Zone)
• Sonic 3 A.I.R (Marble ...
0:51
Marble Garden Oscilloscope Wave by KZfaq user carpathia808
Sonic 3 and Knuckles - Marble Garden Zone Act 1 - Oscilloscope Deconstruction
• Sonic 3 and Knuckles -...
1:11 & 7:18
Marble Garden AIR Gameplay by KZfaq user Oppaiman100
Sonic 3 A.I.R. (Sonic) Gameplay
• Sonic 3 A.I.R (Sonic) ...
4:55
Marble Garden Tails Gameplay by KZfaq user TrackerTD
Sonic AIR (Tails Playthrough) - No Commentary
• Sonic 3 AIR (Tails Pla...
7:26
Marble Garden AIR Knuckles Gameplay by KZfaq user D-Money107
Sonic 3 A.I.R. (Knuckles Playthrough)
• Sonic 3 A.I.R. (Knuckl...
9:01
Marble Garden AIR Gameplay by KZfaq user FramePlay - Media Conservatory
Sonic 3 AIR 100% Longplay / Free Footage (Raw Recording)
• Sonic 3 AIR 100% Longp...
9:51
McDonalds Sonic Commercial by KZfaq user OldishTVStuff
McDonald’s Commercial (1993) (Recording studio, Sonic the Hedgehog 3)
• McDonald's Commercial ...
9:53
McDonalds Sonic Commercial by KZfaq user thepasswordisfail
1994-02 McDonald’s Sonic the Hedgehog Happy Meal toys commercial
• 1994-02 McDonald's Son...
10:00
Marble Garden Gameplay by KZfaq user Stink Terios
[Stream] Sonic 3 A.I.R.
• [Stream] Sonic 3 A.I.R.
10:00
Knuckleduster Animatic by KZfaq user back2s0ul (E.D. Thweatt)
Knuckleduster - Animatic
• Knuckleduster - Animatic
Audio
0:01 & 1:40 & 3:07 & 6:08
“Marble Garden Zone Act 1” from Sonic the Hedgehog 3
1:35 & 2:44 & 6:31
“Marble Garden Zone Act 2” from Sonic the Hedgehog 3
2:38 & 3:02
“When the Sun Goes Down” by The Jetzons
• The Jetzons - When The...
5:59 & 6:23
Sound Effects from Sonic 3 & Knuckles
9:59
“Knuckleduster” by Daniel Baranowsky
• Daniel Baranowsky - Kn...
Special Thanks: Sonic Retro
The info gathered and discussed by this dedicated community of fans was hugely helpful in assembling the information presented in this video (and others).
Relevant info included:
-Ben2k9’s pointing out the similarity between Marble Garden and When the Sun Goes Down
-Archival/summary of the correspondence with Miyoko Takaoka
-Archival/availability of the Voice/SFX Samples used in Sonic 3’s music
------
Sheet Music Transcription Conventions:
docs.google.com/document/d/1n...

Пікірлер: 281

@sanicmaniac 3 жыл бұрын

I mean... due to the barrel of doom, technically Marble Garden Zone actually does have the final boss for a lot of people.

@ProwerPlaysSega 3 жыл бұрын

Fax!

@gooolixx 3 жыл бұрын

LMAO

@LiveHedgehog 3 жыл бұрын

The Barrel that people have trouble with is in Act 2 though, so the final boss for them would be the Robotdick miniboss in act 1.

@sanicmaniac 3 жыл бұрын

@@LiveHedgehog True

@sanicmaniac 3 жыл бұрын

@Super Mario Michael 2 I know I was just saying but thanks

@TheBeird 3 жыл бұрын

Even as a kid, Marble Garden had a melancholic vibe. Now, nearly 30 years later, it makes me reflect on lost time

@ketimportal1577 11 ай бұрын

2 years later, I confirm your feeling.

@TomDavidMcCauley 10 ай бұрын

Feels more restless or unsettled than melancholy to me, though I do remember it evoking an odd, “life is hard” feeling in me back then. But yeah I love the joy of lost time

@DrNo64 Жыл бұрын

man I love watching these. do you ever just re-watch a video like 10 times?

@AlexYardZone Жыл бұрын

Thanks so much... I definitely make these videos with rewatchability in mind!

@vapormermaid 2 жыл бұрын

IMO, the Act 2 remix is very clearly made with the idea that you were entering dusk before Carnival Night. It has a sleepy, tired feeling. Really gets across the idea that the sun is setting as the day concludes. I think the diminished 5 is meant to reinforce that idea.

@fuffilicious 2 жыл бұрын

That makes perfect sense, to be honest. I've always gotten a more "dreamy" kind of vibe with the second act's music.

@KSKY2012 Жыл бұрын

wait marble garden act 2 takes place *when the sun goes down*

@srb2er Жыл бұрын

@@KSKY2012 I see what u did there ;)

@Itz_YoshiMelon Жыл бұрын

this man has taught me more about music than music class ever did.

@supahstarclod 3 жыл бұрын

This is insanely good - the explanations make sense and the visuals are really clean. Looking forward to your future videos!

@ProwerPlaysSega 3 жыл бұрын

Okay clod

@MeMyselfI__ 3 жыл бұрын

Why am I crying about a USERNAME this is too funny and IDK why -A Steven Universe fan

@ProwerPlaysSega 3 жыл бұрын

@@MeMyselfI__ haha fax matw

@Akrenix 3 жыл бұрын

Just wait until this guy makes a video on the extra life theme (I want that though for real)

@GiordanDiodato 3 жыл бұрын

which one? For Sonic 3 or Knuckles?

@nthgth 3 жыл бұрын

I always thought it weird how Mario games had basically a big fanfare for dying but a little sound for 1-ups, while Sonic had the opposite.

@MrCalverino 2 жыл бұрын

it feels like I'm at a birthday party when I hear it😅

@SyntaxTsundere 3 жыл бұрын

And also it was in the Sonic 3 prototype.

@GiordanDiodato 3 жыл бұрын

and the supposed Jackson music wasn't, so yeah now it's more obvious that it was Sega's composers.

@fredchexter3121 3 жыл бұрын

and Sonic Generations

@jaywarudo 2 жыл бұрын

and Sonic Orgins

@Sonicgott 2 жыл бұрын

To be able to tell a story with music is an art form itself.

@sanicmaniac 3 жыл бұрын

I feel like the unused bonus stage song might be the unused song that a lot of people think is a Super/Hyper theme.

@andknuckles101 3 жыл бұрын

ehh maybe, wouldn't suit it though. or maybe that would be why it was scrapped...

@nd_4726 3 жыл бұрын

it was used as the super theme in the prototype so that's why

@RaphielShiraha64 3 жыл бұрын

@@andknuckles101 less repetitive compared to the invicibility theme and does give a mystical feel to it, so it personally does fit for me

@andknuckles101 3 жыл бұрын

@@RaphielShiraha64 im talking about how well it would fit in the bonus stages. it suits super sonic well

@Jl0Jl 2 жыл бұрын

@@andknuckles101 too happy and no intro

@ProwerPlaysSega 3 жыл бұрын

this is a seriously underrated video i never realized marble gardens sound track had so much to it until now. Huh. Good shit.

@jerppursh7570 3 жыл бұрын

I love that you continuously bring up one of my other favorite channels, carpatia808

@Noid11111 2 жыл бұрын

Exactly, I've been subscribed to that channel for a very long time. I subscribed because of the Sonic music that was put out there

@SpongesonicPictures 2 жыл бұрын

Something else I noticed is that the echo is a bit louder in Act 1 than it is in Act 2 - I think the reason they did this is because, in Act 1, you're at the base of the garden, and so the echo is reverberating much closer to where you are. In Act 2, however, you're high in the mountaintops, so the echo becomes much more distant.

@sonic8122Fan26 3 жыл бұрын

Every month I wait for these videos, I even rewatch them lol and I still sometimes find stuff I missed. Keep it up

@blakfloyd 2 жыл бұрын

Reminds me of teenage me waiting for the new EGM magazine to arrive at the store.

@NikkiWrightVGM 3 жыл бұрын

Kind of dissapointed you glossed over the harmonic reverbed parts, they were always my favorite bit and Act II makes them so much more pronounced. It gives the level such a vast and empty feel.

@Noid11111 2 жыл бұрын

You noticed how he described it was similar to "When The Sun Goes Down"? It would've been so nice if he put how Marble Garden Zone's sun setted after the Act 2 boss

@MrCalverino 2 жыл бұрын

yesssss!!!!

@Dokurider 3 жыл бұрын

I don't know what I'm talking about, but I love the way the song feels like you're climbing a mountain, hiking uphill.

@Noid11111 2 жыл бұрын

I don't really know what I'm talking about either but I have a feeling the zone was created by aliens

@inactivepleasegoaway 2 жыл бұрын

fun fact: just 4 days before this video was released, in one of the occasional livestreams on the official sonic channel (Sonic Official - Season 4 Episode 7) at 27 minutes and 44 seconds into the stream, they use marble garden zone act 1 as the background music with it being credited to Miyoko Takaoka so i guess that sort of confirms it

@yeildishere 8 күн бұрын

Even though her original twitter post was made on April fools 2014 so I guess wrong timing but it took 3 extra years to fix that issue I guess

@TomásdeJanon 3 жыл бұрын

The diminished I, the mixolydian b13 melody, this is one of my favorites sonic tunes ever

@RiotaiPrower 3 жыл бұрын

Knuckleduster has remained one of my favorite versions of this song for a long time! Glad to see it get a shoutout here.

@wizzenberry 3 жыл бұрын

Hydrocity act 2 is screaming at you man

@nicholassmith5611 6 ай бұрын

The marble / echo insight just blew my mind.

@joespeed1952 3 жыл бұрын

Marble garden has to be one of my favorite S3K songs.

@Noid11111 2 жыл бұрын

It's my favorite one

@lamenwatch1877 2 жыл бұрын

6:46 That's it! Thank you! Often, I struggle to find notes that properly accompany the melodies of my songs. In my head, the corresponding note may sound fine, but when I try to put it in, it sounds wrong. The idea that a note can be "implied" may help me immensly in future songs.

@thekilla1234 3 жыл бұрын

I'm glad you brought up "Knuckleduster". I used to listen to it all the time when Project Chaos was fresh to the point where I still hear the lyrics echo when hearing the original Marble Garden track.

@Some_Cat_ 2 жыл бұрын

Marble Garden is my favourite theme in Sonic 3. The arrival of section B is glorious in either act in their own ways.

@amesstarline5482 3 жыл бұрын

The 'squished bass line' fits with the compressing Marble Garden section as the ground breaks apart.

@Tony-cv4of 3 жыл бұрын

Please tell me I'm not the only one thinking this was made from that song "The Freaks Come Out at Night" but a different twist with Sonic version!?!? It sounds just like it💯

@AlexYardZone 3 жыл бұрын

I hadn't heard that song before, but I can definitely see the structural similarities!

@Ajbizzal87 3 жыл бұрын

Dude. I'm soooooo looking forward to you doing a hydocity theory! In fact I'll watch ALL sonic music theory you are willing to produce man, thank you for your hard work :)

@lilbluefoxie Жыл бұрын

My favorite song in the whole sonic 3/knuckles game

@nossir 2 жыл бұрын

Jesus Christ, i am studying music theory (self teaching) and you just unintentionally made me understand how tripplets work at 5:05 I was asking myself what's the differente between 3 8th notes and tripplets Thanks a lot

@BurntToast69 3 жыл бұрын

This guy can explain a Sonic song for a zone I’ve hated since 2015 because I got stuck on act 2 and cause me to love the music despite hating act 2’s general structure

@stace6407e 3 жыл бұрын

Well done, great video! How refreshing and exciting it is to find a community and indeed a creator who perhaps share the same affinity for a niche that exists at the intersection of composition theory and beloved classic Sonic themes...subbed.

@user-ln1gz9hf2x 8 ай бұрын

I don't have any musical knowledge and even though I watched it with automatic translation, I feel your analysis is quite easy to understand and great. And I'm in awe of the Sonic BGM.

@Reliken 3 жыл бұрын

This was great! And I really digged the cute touch when you combined the major and minor scales, and later had a note from each switch places.

@ViltrumiteIsRite99 3 жыл бұрын

I had this banger of a track pop up in my head, and here these videos are! Keep up the fantastic work.

@seronymus 3 жыл бұрын

What an underrated channel. So glad I found this, quick subscribe! Love how you describe aspects of music.

@asdfasdfasdfasdf8037 3 жыл бұрын

the quality of your videos amazes me, thank you

@tonyhakston536 3 жыл бұрын

9:30 actually it was called that because it was “a devil to sing” As in it’s hard as hell to sing the tritone.

@caffeineoverdose1574 3 жыл бұрын

This channel is one of the only things that's making me look forward to the future. Thank you for making these videos, man. Keep it up!

@2PlayerSounds 2 жыл бұрын

Absolutely love these musical analysis videos and the very effective and creative analogies used. This is exactly our kind of content!

@samborton6613 3 жыл бұрын

5:59 That was a great reference hahaha! Great stuff, dude. Excellent work.

@circadianizzy 3 жыл бұрын

Probably one of the S3+K songs I've listened to the most due to constantly failing at the level itself. On the rare occasion I reached the Act 2 boss, I just quit the game because it was ridiculously hard and most of the time I just couldn't be bothered dying over and over.

@RazoE 2 жыл бұрын

Love your music analysis videos. I grew up playing Sonic 3 & Knuckles basically every day

@gmichaloski3367 Жыл бұрын

Excellent breakdown. Covered all the bases I can think of, even adding a plug for the remix at the end!

@ImExistent405 11 ай бұрын

I can actually imagine Bean and Knuckles playing this song

@ranettleton8806 2 жыл бұрын

I wonder if the person who made the song knows all this stuff or if they were just vibing

@shindousan 3 жыл бұрын

6:03 That's the Dorian mode of the scale.

@RyanMcKayOfficial 3 жыл бұрын

I love music theory and sonic, so this channel is amazing, I look forward to watching more of your content!

2 жыл бұрын

That was a great job you did explaining and making sense of this

@ezrawyvern6795 3 жыл бұрын

I thought that Marble Garden Zone's theme sounded like Thriller.

@Noid11111 2 жыл бұрын

It does lol

@NicoSwitch 3 жыл бұрын

i would love to see you talk about flying battery, one of my favorites from the ost

@TotallyGoodatGames 3 жыл бұрын

You really did your homework! These are all fantastic analysises

@Noid11111 2 жыл бұрын

School doesn't teach us about this

@eastcoastscumbag3307 3 жыл бұрын

The swing baseline and the chunky faux reverb gives it a Clinton/Parliament feel like flashlight or atomic dog. Also the inclusion of the tritone seems to fit in with the idea of exploration of the ruins of an ancient unknown civilization leaving a subdued sense of the unknown and the fleeting.

@marcosbellido2150 3 жыл бұрын

This is amazing you're the best for doing this videos

@P8NPrivTV 3 жыл бұрын

Great video. this is insane

@granderondeproductions3286 2 жыл бұрын

This was pretty well made, got me to remember a lot of those modes I learned when learning guitar. I also gotta give you like 10 points for not telling me to like and subscribe. Which I already have ;)

@razezxmusic 3 жыл бұрын

These videos are amazing. I would love a video like this on Mystic Cave!

@christiecat5367 3 жыл бұрын

Binging your channel right now. LOVE. Edit: You mentioned Knuckleduster. ADORE.

@digimeth1216 2 жыл бұрын

When I was a kid playing this stage, I'll never forget there was this time my dad was playing Herbie Hancock's Chameleon on the stereo in the next room. I remember thinking how similar the two tracks were to each other. Watching this video, it all makes perfect sense now. Music can connect people on so many levels. Thanks Alex.

@raphael-ov9py 3 жыл бұрын

Great and interesting as always.

@theflashboy9360 3 жыл бұрын

9:21 that example sounds like the incredibles song lol

@alexohkay 3 жыл бұрын

All the carpathia love on your videos make me happy

@futabamajima 3 жыл бұрын

This series has been amazing do far! Do you think you'll cover the prototype exclusive songs, too?

@coffeecat2812 2 жыл бұрын

Marble Garden some was one of my fave tracks in Sonic 3.

@chrisdealemania 3 жыл бұрын

Dude, I have no clue what you talk about, but I love the videos. ;)

@MichelleSleeper 6 ай бұрын

The cover "Knuckleduster" that you mention is from the OCRemix album "Project Chaos" from the mid-00s. It has a number of phenomenal covers, including "Walk on Water" a cover of Hydrocity and perhaps the greatest arrangement of Sonic music of all time. If you've never heard it I highly, highly recommend checking it out.

@AlexYardZone 6 ай бұрын

So amazing. All of it. Two of the greatest songs/recordings I have ever heard - full stop - are iMushroom (Mushroom Hill) and Robotnik Radio (miniboss music). If I was still active with composition, that's the sort of genre/vibe I'd be interested in most.

@MajoradeMayhem 2 жыл бұрын

KNUCKLEDUSTER! Improves the somewhat "meh" base song by 110%.

@animepersonthing Жыл бұрын

I’ve had this song stuck in me head for so many years and I’ve finally found it

@nahuelpinotti6074 2 жыл бұрын

Perfect explanation to this perfect and magical music. But I dont know why you forgot to explain (I try to comunicate this without knowing about music teory) the end of the melody, when I think that a minor tone close de ritm and starts again. Thats a great touch. Sorry for my english. Greetings from Buenos Aires

@ElMartillo421 6 ай бұрын

I want to add that the bass from casino night zone (the 2player mode). Probably it doesn’t because of the jetsons song, but it sound really similar

@strawberrykeiku 3 жыл бұрын

Please talk about Toxic Caves from Sonic Spinball!

@protol5683 2 жыл бұрын

I’m gonna end up watching so many of these videos I’ll actually understand music by the end of it

@Valientlink 2 жыл бұрын

I'm so glad you pronounced it like high drossity

@keyblader1985 2 жыл бұрын

This theme is amazing, and has a ton of amazing remixes too. There's Kunckleduster as mentioned, and Sonic Gargles with Garden Marbles which takes the funk up to level 9.

@mox3909 3 жыл бұрын

This video is tragically underviewed.

@Noid11111 2 жыл бұрын

He is so underrated

@ketimportal1577 11 ай бұрын

THE BEST SONG OF SONICS

@pirajacinto4 3 жыл бұрын

Great stuff! I am surprised you didn't note that Marble Garden was remixed in Sonic Generations as well, which seems only tracks that Sega made was remixed in it that are from Sonic 3.

@eliasjeitk9457 2 жыл бұрын

You make theory enjoyable

@Noid11111 2 жыл бұрын

You know Marble Garden Zone was created by aliens right?

@DJ-Ophidian 3 жыл бұрын

Amazing analysis, well done. Gonna check all the other songs too.

@VictorPalamim Жыл бұрын

amazing

@henzelman5218 2 жыл бұрын

YOUR STUFF IS GOOD

@nthgth 3 жыл бұрын

I never got into Knuckleduster per se, but I'll always remember it. OCRemix is great like that - even if one piece doesn't particularly strike your fancy it's _really_ easy to see where the musician is coming from and 100% respect it anyhow.

@mogglechoggle 3 жыл бұрын

I'm glad I'm not the only one who knew of that animation. Watched that stuff when I was a a baby boy. 😩😩😩

@MicahBuzanANIMATION 3 жыл бұрын

This is super interesting as someone who doesn't understand music theory but loves Sonic music.

@brothaNblue 3 жыл бұрын

I think that key signature works but if you put in five sharps you can put it in C# Dorian and you don't have to constantly put in the A# accidental.

@LaskyLabs 2 жыл бұрын

When the sun goes down is an underrated track btw.

@gooolixx 3 жыл бұрын

cool i subbed

@lowercase7455 3 жыл бұрын

will you do Sonic 2 music theory?

@NixiShavalMusic 3 жыл бұрын

loving this series so far, consider doing hydrocity soon those music tracks is amazing

@othmanmoat 3 жыл бұрын

Cool video, I was frustrated not hearing you speaking of the dorian mode

@Sonic_Moderno Ай бұрын

Marble zone marble garden zone

@SilverAura 2 жыл бұрын

Before watching, this is easily one of my favorite tracks in the entire series. I've got expectations now.

@Noid11111 2 жыл бұрын

Same

@Twiggsthetitan 3 жыл бұрын

This is awesome give me more !

@seyencho 3 жыл бұрын

Personally, I think analyzing the final boss theme (the one used in the big arms fight and stuff) would be awesome, especially with the ability to make connections to the generations version.

@onpatrolforthejuice 2 жыл бұрын

Def one of my fav sonic tracks

@customtoggle7938 2 жыл бұрын

I see you playing Sonic 3 AIR

@Torthrodhel 3 жыл бұрын

These are really interesting! Note also that the interval between the major 6th and the minor 3rd (which that melody goes directly between) is also a devil's. I LOVE that it goes between that and flipping those states for the other portion! And hadn't noticed that before. Well spotted! :D

@Noid11111 2 жыл бұрын

Have you noticed this zone was made by aliens?

@Torthrodhel 2 жыл бұрын

@@Noid11111 no I hadn't. Intriguing, please go into detail!

@Noid11111 2 жыл бұрын

@@Torthrodhel At first I thought it was made by the echidnas tribe, then I realized what the 3 eyed arrow spitting statues were hiding. Then I realized the hidden carved symbols on the floating square obstacles. It doesn't look like echidnas

@Torthrodhel 2 жыл бұрын

@@Noid11111 oh! Very cool! :D Thanks

@Atma505 2 жыл бұрын

8:38 Great analogy, hahah

@shadic3470 3 жыл бұрын

This vid learned me music theory

@kingalastor936 8 ай бұрын

MJ's tracks are not the only ones who do minimal change. Marble garden barely changes anything. Proto ice cap barely changes anything. Mushroom hill barely changes anything. And whilst you could argue those three had more effort put into them or something, let's face it, it sounds like they barely changed anything. IC proto has a squeaky instrument. Mushroom hill has slightly faster tempo and different intro.