Skull Kid Song

[z130]

A'ight, this'll be me third song to try and submit... it seems like I learn something new each time. This is a remix of "Saria's Song" and the "Song of Time" from the Legend of Zelda games. It switches between 3/4, 9/4, and the original 4/4, and by no means is it finished. I just need opinions so far.

Here's the song:

NEWEST version: http://www.mediafire.com/?jmgojlttymz

http://www.mediafire.com/?omnjt3jkxwx

...and the sources:

Saria's Song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyJd39inBxQ

Song of Time:

Thanks for listening!

Also! I could use input on the title.... I'm leaning towards "Play With Me" as a nod to the Skull Kid.

[progressive]

Alright, well, this one is a bit of a mixed bag. In general, I think the quality of the instruments is OK, but it will take some mastering to get them into submission shape. The particular instruments you chose do go together well for this source. I also think you used each instrument in a natural and realistic way, which is always good a start.

0:00 to 0:32: I think your intro serves its purpose, but doesn't quite draw the listener in. I think you may need more chords here and fewer single notes. Two guitars and a marimba all plucking and hitting away gets a little overwhelming. Something you might find interesting is the similarity to Israfel's Pac-Man remix Glass Cage.

0:32 to 0:44: This was a nice place to use the guitar percussion. You could even draw this section out a little more.

0:44 to 1:50: The particular melody being played by the guitar here is fine in the foreground, but only for so long. Melodically, it's not particularly interesting by itself, and after 0:56 it gets repetitive and should probably become secondary to some other melody. The next suitable place to minimize it is at 1:08. The ambient noise in the second half of this part is a nice touch.

1:50 to 2:08: Returning to the melody here is a great idea, but the transition at 2:00 into your next part gets way too Mannheim Steamroller cheesy. I'd scrap it and try something different.

2:08 to 2:48: There is some great writing in this section and is the best of the mix IMO. You set a standard here.

2:48 to 2:55: Ouch. This has to change. I hope when you say this is nowhere finished, you're referring in particular to the ending.

As far as the arrangement, I think you have a talent for it, and there is definitely more good than bad. One thing to mention, though, is that I think you stay inside a fairly rigid bounding box with your arrangement. You might try venturing outside of it at one or two points in the remix to show that you can. Don't be afraid to jump octaves or mix up the dynamics a bit. And while there are several variations of the source melody, it rarely becomes a focal point in itself, eventually becoming rather repetitive and boring. Skip through the song at intervals and I think you'll see what I mean.

Overall, I think you're off to a great start here. You've treated the source quite differently from others who have tried it, so that's one point you've already scored with the judges.

[Spakku]

I thought you meant Skull Kid's theme from Majora's Mask, most people would call this Saria's Song or the Lost Woods theme.

Pretty much what Prog said for everything. Listen to 'im.

[z130]

Sorry bout the name confusion... I always relate the song to Skull Kid because of Twilight Princess (and I still have never played Ocarina of Time! Shame on me!)...

As far as most of the critiques go so far, they were either vey helpful or I was already aware of them, so thanks!

-I plan on going back and creating a more definite intro later.

-I was aware of the guitar repetition from 0:44-1:50, but I think I was in denial about it. I'll try to improve that section, as it does seem to stretch on longer than I'd realized.

-Wow. I hadn't connected the transition at 2:02 to Mannheim Steamroller... Unfortunately for you, I'm a pretty big fan, so I really like it. If it bugs enough people out there I might change it, but until then...

-And the "ending." Yeah, that was the point where it just fell apart because I hadn't bothered to make any more. That's DEFINITELY being refined!

Thanks for the input so far! I hope to update it soon.

[z130]

Alright, here's some more of it... I decided to completely change thigs up and add in the Song of Time, as well as putting the song back into 3/4. The ending is not the real ending! I just looped it and added a fadeout as a placeholder. I also tried to fix a couple of the issues earlier (mainly in my attempt to break the repetition at 0:44 to 1:50).

Enjoy.