Pokémon Red and Blue Score for Sound Chip
Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
Copyright 2017 - Mark Benis. All rights reserved.
Contents ____________________________________________________
Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
i ii iii
....................................
1
........................................ Opening Battle! ........................................... Title Screen Pallet Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Professor Oak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Professor Oak's Lab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pokédex Fanfare 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pokédex Fanfare 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....................................... Encounter! Rival Road to Viridian City - From Pallet Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pokémon Captured Fanfare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pokémon Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pokémon Center Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Viridian Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Battle! Wild Pokémon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Victory! Wild Pokémon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Encounter! Boy Trainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Level Up Fanfare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Evolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Evolution Fanfare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pewter City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Guidepost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pokémon Gym . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Battle! Gym Leader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ................................... Victory! Gym Leader Jigglypuff's Song . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........................................ Mt. Moon Cave Road to Cerulean City - From Mt. Moon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cerulean City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...................... To Bill's Origin - From Cerulean City ......................................... Vermilion City S. S. Anne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Encounter! Girl Trainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Road to Lavender Town - From Vermillion City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lavender Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pokémon Tower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Item Fanfare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pokéflute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1 3 7 9 11 13 15 17 21 23 25 27 29 35 43 45 47 49 51 53 57 59 61 67 71 73 77 81 85 87 89 93 95 99 101 105 107
Descriptions and Scores
Sylph Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Celadon City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Game Corner Casino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Team Rocket Hideout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Encounter! Bad Guy Trainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Battle! Trainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Victory! Trainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cycling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ocean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cinnabar Island . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pokémon Mansion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Final Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Final Battle! Rival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hall of Fame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . End Credits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
109 115 117 121 127 129 135 137 141 145 147 151 155 161 165
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
171 173
i
Acknowledgements ____________________________________________________
This project would not have been possible without the support of my friends, peers and mentors. I would like to thank my father, Laura Stokes, Kiri Miller, Carrie Danielson, Joey DiZoglio, Julia Choi and Devanney Haruta who all gave me invaluable advice and offered welcome criticism, and those who helped me transcribe some particularly difficult sections: Julian Gau, Matthew Slesinski, Michelle Zheng and John Ericson. Finally I would like to dedicate this book to Arlene Cole, whose guidance in musicianship gave me the confidence and ability to tackle this project.
ii
Foreword ____________________________________________________
Ever since I played the first generation of the role-playing game Pokémon in the late 90s, the music has always had a special place in my heart. I use it as a source of inspiration for my own work and dare I say it, I even set my morning alarm to the Pokémon Center theme. Naturally, it should come as no surprise to you that over the years I've searched for transcriptions of my favorite tunes -from the nostalgic Pallet Town to the intense Final Battle! Rival. What I found was about what I expected; the majority of the scores were arranged for piano and conveyed the impression of the pieces, but they often had modified parts to fit the hands or frankly incorrect notes. A good starting point for sure, but what I wanted was a pitch perfect score of Junichi Masuda's music for me to see exactly what he composed. With no such resource available, I sought to create the most comprehensive body of transcriptions for the score to Pokémon Red and Blue -one that not only prioritizes accuracy but also acknowledges the Game Boy's built-in sound chip as an instrument. After five years of meticulous listening, analyzing and writing, this book is the result: a collection of discussions and scores for the 52 significant instances of music in Pokémon Red and Blue (i.e. not including sound effects and Pokémon cries). These pieces range from a chromatic battle theme over a minute and a half long to a fanfare shorter than a second. To organize the great variety of themes in the game, I have ordered the pieces roughly as one might hear them on a normal playthrough; Title Screen and Pallet Town appear at the beginning while Hall of Fame naturally comes toward the end. However, this order is not necessarily how I recommend reading through the discussions. Because of the sheer quantity of pieces in this score and the fact that Masuda reuses many ideas and techniques, one discussion may focus on a specific topic while another piece that features the same one makes no mention of it in its description. This is an effort on my part to avoid repetition and encourage a more unique analysis of each piece. But such diversity in my writing comes at a price -- the reader may miss my most significant findings if they never read about a specific theme. Thus, there is a group of pieces that I recommend first looking through to familiarize yourself with Masuda's most common techniques: Title Screen, Pallet Town, Pokémon Center, Sylph Company, Evolution and Pokémon Mansion. With the understanding that you develop from analyzing these themes, you can approach any other piece confidently with or without my assistance. And I'd like to point out that reading my discussions is by no means necessary; they serve to guide a reader who would like a tour through Pokémon's Kanto region, but you could just as easily forge your own path with the maps I provide. Now that these scores are available to the public, it is my hope that people use them to form their own conclusions about Masuda's music -- which may or may not agree with mine -- just as I wish I could have years ago.
iii
Introduction Pokémon Red and Blue ____________________________________________________
For a brand that now spans across television, trading cards and toys, Pokémon has a humble beginning in 1996 as a pair of video games for Nintendo's Game Boy console: Pokémon Red and Green. The games took Japanese audiences by storm, selling over 10 million copies and garnering widespread acclaim. Just two years later they were localized into Pokémon Red and Blue for release in the U.S., the versions that are permanently ingrained in the memories of myself and many other Americans. But regardless of where the first generation of Pokémon was released, the developer, Game Freak, built all the games using the same limited technology. Back then in the mid 90s, Game Boy games had to squeeze all of their art, music and code into cartridges that could store only half a megabyte of data or about the size of a desktop background image. Compared to the size of the most recent generation of Pokémon (X and Y), that's more than 1000 times smaller. Not to mention that the Game Boy hardware could only display four shades of olive green and generate mono audio through a speaker about the size of a quarter. Saying that past game developers faced many technical challenges is an understatement. The Game Boy's limitations affected everyone on the development team but perhaps composers more so than anyone else. According to the Game Boy's built-in sound chip, composers could implement four channels of audio: two square wave generators, a programmable wave table, and a noise generator. The two square wave channels had three options for timbre (12.5%, 25%/75% or 50% settings for the wave's duty cycle) and hexidecimal volume control, whereas the programmable wave table had a 32 by 32 grid to customize the waveform -and thus the timbre -- but volume control only in the form of on or off. The noise channel could generate sound akin to TV static, however innovative programmers utilized this channel to emulate snare drums, hi-hats and other percussive instruments. With only a small toolbox of effects including vibrato, arpeggiation and pitch sliding, one could produce a maximum of three pitches plus percussion at any given time. As a means to save on cartridge memory, the vast majority of Game Boy composers designed their tracks to loop indefinitely under these prescribed limitations. Junichi Masuda's score to Pokémon Red and Blue is just one example of how composers used the Game Boy's technology not as a restriction but rather as an inspiration for all sorts of creative possibilities. I have transcribed his score for the sound chip's channels in an effort to accurately convey the music as Masuda envisioned it and shed light on the complexity that such deceptively simple constraints can create. For a video of the score with accompanying mockups: https://youtu.be/2WG9V6C1Aew
1
Opening Battle! Description ____________________________________________________
You insert your cartridge of Pokémon Red into your Game Boy and turn it on. Developer Game Freak's logo appears on screen accompanied by a short jingle, then suddenly a Gengar slides into view on your side in the midst of a battle against a Nidoran. The opposing Pokémon postures side to side, but your Gengar strikes first with scratch! Nidoran jumps back and the attack misses. It postures again and crouches down waiting to strike... then whoosh! It leaps forward in a burst of energy, headbutting your Gengar as the scene fades to white in a wash of noise. This opening scene is the first impression a player gets of Pokémon -- it's a game filled with action, excitement and unique creatures that one day could be yours to own. The introductory passage Opening Battle! accompanies this scene featuring a unified, homophonic texture in D minor with sharp dissonances. Notably the piece employs the flat-2 (Eb) in measures 1 and 6 as a chromatic neighbor/passing tone and a #III chord on the fourth beat of the second full measure. After a statement of a D major chord in measure 8 the piece ends with a D in three different octaves, which sets up the pitch as the dominant for the subsequent piece, Title Screen, in G major.
2
Opening Battle! Pokémon Red and Blue
° CÓ &
Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
Boldly (h=97)
Square 1
Square 2
75% Duty Cycle
œœ
C ¢& Ó
Noise
/ C æ˙ æ
mf
5
Sq. 1
Sq. 2
& ˙
Wave
¢ & b˙
Noise
œœ
œ
œœ
œœ œœ
mf
œ œ bœ
œœœ
œœœ œœœ
œœœ
œ œ #œ
œœœ
œœœ œœœ‰ œœœ‰ œœ œ ææ J J æ bœ
œ œ
˙
œ œ œ
œ œ bœ
œ œ
˙
œ œ œ
œ œ œ
œ œ
/ œJ ‰ Œ æ˙ æ
œ œ #œ
œœœ
œ œ œ
˙
œ
œ œ œ œ œ bœ
mf
snare
° ˙ &
œœ
bœ
mf 75% Duty Cycle
&C Ó
Wave Table
œ
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œ œ
nœ œ bœ
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#œ
˙
œ
˙
bœ
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˙ ˙ ˙
œœœ‰ œœ œœ œ‰ Œ œ‰ Œ ææ J J J #œ
w p
œ J ‰ Œ Ó
mf
œ
#w
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œ
w
j‰ Œ Ó œ
œ œ œ ‰ œœ ‰ œ œ‰ Œ œ ‰ Œ J J J J
œ ‰ Œ Ó J
3
Title Screen Description ____________________________________________________
Out of all the music in Pokémon Red and Blue, the main theme of the Title Screen track is arguably the most well-known and iconic. The melody that Masuda first states in bars 3 - 5 of the square 1 channel (excluding the first two beats of bar 4) makes an appearance in every generation's respective title screen music to date. Few other themes introduced in the first generation are quite this universal, with the Pokémon Center and Pokémon Gym themes being in closest contention. Masuda states this melody four times in a row at rehearsal 1, each time with a slight change to the four-bar phrase yet at once recognizable. Part of what makes the melody so distinct is its two unique motives: the rising major triad (G - B - D) and the chromatic descent from F natural to D that uses the following rhythm: [q. xx]. While the major triad motive begins each of the four statements of the theme, Masuda emphasizes the chromatic motive by including it in only the first and third statements and imitating it in the square 2 channel immediately after. The harmonic shift from I to bVII and back to I supports the melody and introduces the most important chord progression found in the entire game. Masuda develops both the chromatic motive's rhythm and the I - bVII progression in more pieces than one could count, giving the Pokémon score a distinct style and unified sound. Although the main motivic and harmonic material of the score is first introduced in Title Screen, some ideas seem to be drawn from the previous Opening Battle! track. Because there is a seamless transition between the two pieces, the introduction here continues the homophonic texture established moments ago. In the last four measures -- a dominant pedal section that features portamento glissandi -- the rhythmic repetition of D across three octaves expands upon the final measure of the battle theme. One can explain these similarities by the fact that these pieces are typically linked together as they are in the official CD release. However, in the actual game file Masuda separates the two tracks perhaps for easier code implementation. Many of the ideas I have mentioned are not exclusive to writing music for the Game Boy, but one aspect of this piece that identifies it as 8-bit music is the amount of register jumping. For example, pay close attention to the square 1 channel from rehearsal 1 to rehearsal 2 and to all waveform channels at rehearsal 3. The square 1 often makes leaps up or down of greater than an octave to fill in harmonic gaps and create a new melodic line. At rehearsal 3, the two square waves alternate function between playing a melody and supplying a rhythmic background. Baroque and classical composers often used a monophonic voice to imply multiple lines so this is by no means revolutionary, but Masuda takes advantage of the sound chip's capabilities here in a way that gives greater depth to his work amidst the many techical limitations.
4
Title Screen Pokémon Red and Blue
° #4 & 4
Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
Prominently (q=132.5)
j ‰ j ‰ ‰ j ‰ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ
25% Duty Cycle
Square 1
mf 75% Duty Cycle
Square 2
Wave Table
#4 & 4
j ‰ j ‰ ‰ j ‰ œ œ. œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ mf œ. ‰ œ. ‰ ‰ œ œ œ. ‰ . ? # 44 œ. œ J J J ¢ mf
Noise
° # ™ & ™ œ™ 1
3
Sq. 1
# & ™™ œ™
Sq. 2
Wave
? # ™™ œ ¢
° # & œ™ 7
Sq. 1
#
Wave
Noise
mf
& Ϫ
Sq. 2
¢
?# œ /
snare
mf
œ˙ J j œ˙
œ ‰ œ ‰ ‰ œ œ œ ‰ J J J œ nœ
mp
Ϫ
œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ
nœ ™
œb œ ˙
mf
œ˙ J j œ˙
Ϫ
mp
˙
œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ
j ‰ j ‰ & œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ. œ. ‰ œ. ‰ nœ œ œ œ œ œ J J 3
j nœ œ
œ
œœ œœ œœ
jœ œ œ ˙ 3 nœ mf
3
œ œ œ ˙
œœœœ œœ œ
˙ œ
3
3
3
œ ‰ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ J J 3
˙
˙
mp
™™ œ ‰ œ ‰ ‰ œ œ œ ‰ œ ‰ œ ‰ ‰ œ œ œ ‰ J J J J J J
/
Noise
œ ææJ
4 / 4‰
3 3 j ‰ j ‰ œ. œ. nœ œ œ œ œ #œ
nœ ™
œb œ ˙
œœœœ œœ
œ ‰ œ ‰ ‰ œœœ ‰ J J J ?œ ™
œ
3
Ó 3
œ œ œ
œœœœ œœ
œ ‰ œ ‰ ‰ œœœ œœ J J
œ#œ ˙
Ó
&
mp 3
nœ œ œ
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œ ‰ œ ‰ ‰ œœœ ‰ œ ‰ œ ‰ ‰ œœœ œ œ ‰ œ ‰ ‰ œœœ ‰ J J J J J J J J
˙ œ
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œ ‰ œ ‰ ‰ œœœ œ ææ J J
° # & œ™ 11
Sq. 1
#
Wave
¢
?# œ
° # & œ™ 15
Sq. 1
#
Wave
¢
?# œ
° # bœ ™ &
2 25%
19
Sq. 1
#
& ˙™
Sq. 2
Wave
Noise
¢
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œb œ ˙
mf
œ˙ J
˙
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3
mp
Ϫ
j œ˙
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œ
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mf
j œ œ
nœ ™
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bœ
nœ
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? # bœ nœ œ œ œ œ œ bœ nœ œ œ œ nœ œ œ /
Ϫ
mp
j nœ œ
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bœ ˙ J
œ
j œ n˙ 3
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œ ‰ œ ‰ ‰ œœœ œœ J J 75%
˙
˙
p
mf
j œ ‰ œj œ ™ nœ œ
œœœœ œœ
œ
j œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ
œ ‰ œ ‰ ‰ œœœ ‰ œ ‰ œ ‰ ‰ œœœ ‰ œ ‰ œ ‰ ‰ œœœ œœ œ ‰ œ ‰ ‰ œœœ œ ææ J J J J J J J J J J
/
Noise
Ϫ
j œ˙
mf
& Ϫ
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mp
nœ ™
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/
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5
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&
6
œ. ° #J ≈ œ ‰ & R 3
23
Sq. 1
Sq. 2
Wave
Noise
Sq. 2
Wave
Noise
≈ œR ‰
≈ œR
# œ. ? œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ &
# j ‰ ¢ & œ. /
sweep
œ
‰
port.
œ J
j ‰ œ
‰
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‰
œ. ° #J ≈ œ ‰ & R 25
Sq. 1
≈ œR ‰
≈ œR ‰
‰
œ J
œ œ œ ‰ J ≈ œR ‰
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≈ œR ‰
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≈ œR
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/
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# œ. ? œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ & &œ . œ # j ‰ J œ ‰ œ ‰ ‰ j ‰ Œ & J J ¢ œ. œ œ sweep
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3 3
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# œ.
3
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™™ ™™ ™™
œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ ‰ œ ‰ ™™ J J J 3
7
Pallet Town Description ____________________________________________________
If there was one word in the English language that could adequately describe Pallet Town it would be "nostalgic." Not only does the main melody conjure up memories of the game with its emblematic catchiness, but it also represents the beginning of your journey and the place you literally call home. One thing of particular note about this piece is the unusually high register of every waveform channel. The square 1 melody hovers around C6 and the wave table channel -- which here represents the bass -- does not go below C4 (middle C or 261.6 Hz). One possible reason for this may be related to the frequency response of the Game Boy's built in speaker. Because the speaker is so small, its ability to project low pitches (which have long wavelengths) tapers off dramatically as the frequency approaches around 110 Hz (A2). The frequency response graph below corresponds to a speaker of similar dimensions to the one in the Game Boy. The fact that a player may not be able to hear bass frequencies may have influenced Masuda into avoiding the low register in not just this piece but other pieces as well. See Cinnabar Island, Pokémon Tower and Victory! Trainer for more examples.
Frequency Response (Hz vs dB) for a 29mm Speaker (Source: http://www.puiaudio.com/pdf/ADS02908MR-R.pdf)
8
Pallet Town Pokémon Red and Blue
Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
Nostalgicly (q=119)
œœœœ œœœœ œ œ œœœœ œ ° #4 ‰ J & 4 50% Duty Cycle
Square 1
Œ
mf 50% Duty Cycle
#4 & 4œ
Square 2
mf
Wave Table
#4 ¢& 4 œ ™
œ œœ œ œœ œ œœ œœœœ ‰ œœœ œ J j œ œ
mf
Ϫ
œ
j œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ° # ‰ J & 5
Sq. 1
Sq. 2
Wave
# & œ ¢& œ ™
j œ œ
° #œ &
œ
9
Sq. 1
Sq. 2
Wave
Sq. 1
Sq. 2
Wave
Ϫ
œ Œ
1
Œ
œ
Ϫ
œ œ ‰ J
j œ œ Œ
œ
Ϫ
œ
j œ œ
¢& ˙ 13 ° #œ &
˙ Œ
œ
œ
œ
œ
˙
œ
œ
˙
˙
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9
Professor Oak Description ____________________________________________________
Professor Oak takes on the role of your mentor throughout the game. He gives you your first Pokémon before you set off from home, sends out his assistants to help you on your journey, and monitors your progress as you get closer and closer to reaching your goal of catching all 151 Pokémon. The bond between a teacher and a student is a strong one, and Masuda finds a way to represent this connection in his theme for the professor. He does so by focusing this piece on the idea of imitation, or repeating an idea or motive in one voice in another. Here imitation does not occur across channels (as one might assume), but instead all imitation takes place in the square 1 generator an octave higher than the original statement. Though no change in timbre occurs to separate the voices, the change in register and occasional change in articulation are enough to differentiate them. Overall, there are five instances of imitation, each occuring as a two-bar segment: m. 2 - 3, m. 4 - 5, m. 6 - 7, m. 8 - 9 and m. 12 - 13. The first bar of each instance contains the motivic statement and the second bar contains the answer in classic "call and response" fashion. It is as if the call of the motive represents the professor teaching the melody and the response confirms that the student has internalized it. One may also interpret the lower statement as the deeper voice of an adult male and the higher answer as the young voice of a child (relatively speaking, of course). The evidence correlating compositional approach and character relationships in this piece shows that Masuda may have been sensitive to the greater narrative function of this track.
10
Professor Oak Pokémon Red and Blue Inquisitively (q=170)
° #### 4 œ œ# œ œ œ & 4œ
Œ
#### 4 œœ œ œ œ & 4œ
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50% Duty Cycle
Square 1
mf
75% Duty Cycle
Square 2
#### 4 Ó ¢& 4
mf
Wave Table
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Sq. 2
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10
Sq. 1
1
Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
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11
Professor Oak's Lab Description ____________________________________________________
As one of the leading scientists in the Kanto region, Professor Oak conducts research from his laboratory in Pallet Town. It is a modest building where the professor catalogues his books, studies Pokémon and works on his inventions (like the Pokédex) with the help of his three assistants. For the laboratory theme, Masuda draws upon the musical ideas he first introduced in his Title Screen music. The most obvious connection to that piece here is the reoccurance of the following rhythmic motive: [q. xx]. While the motive descends chormatically in Title Screen, it descends diatonically by step in Professor Oak's Lab (see m. 1 and 3). Although the intervals are not identical, there is an indisputable similarity in their melodic contours. As further evidence, Masuda uses the rhythmic motive disassociated from its descending line in measures 5 - 6. One can interpret this as a development of the motive, and many of the game's other pieces like Victory! Gym Leader and Road to Cerulean City From Mt. Moon display an expansion of this rhythmic idea. What started as a small gesture in Title Screen has grown into an iconic motive that links disparate pieces together and makes the score sound consistent with itself. Beyond the motivic connections, the laboratory theme has an interesting structural form. The sixteen-bar loop is essentially made up of two statements of an eight-measure phrase with a slight difference between them. For the first eight bars, the wave table channel has a syncopated rhythm that stresses the off beats, but in the latter eight bars it has a steady eighth note pattern. In constrast, both the square channels are identical for each statement. From a technical perspective, this allows Masuda to achieve greater variety in this piece while also saving on memory by reusing code for the square wave generators. Conserving memory was a legitimate issue for game developers in the 90s, so this is just one of the ways Masuda compromises between cartridge space and musical variety. Note: this piece uses a complex structure called a nested loop that is outside the scope of this discussion. For more information check out my talk, "Loops Within Loops: A Modular Approach to Mystery in Pokémon Red and Blue" on my YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/VOF-SijlAU8
12
Professor Oak's Lab Pokémon Red and Blue 25% Duty Cycle ™ œ œ ° ### 4 œ œ œ ™™ & 4 œœœœ
Inquisitively (q=136)
Square 1
Square 2
Wave Table
### 4 & 4
mf 25% Duty Cycle
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Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
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13
Pokédex Fanfare 1 Description ____________________________________________________
Will it be Charmander, the fire-type lizard Pokémon? Or perhaps you want a companion who effortlessly exudes "cool" like the water-type Squirtle? Maybe Bulbasaur is more your style, the cute grass/poison-type with a flower bud on its back? Choosing your first Pokémon is one of the most stressful decisions you will face in the game, but it is a decision that all players must make. Once you have made up your mind -- and picked Bulbasaur, of course -- you will receive your new friend from Professor Oak to the sound of this cheerful jingle.
14
Pokédex Fanfare 1 Pokémon Red and Blue
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Hooray! (q=166) 50% Duty Cycle
Square 1
Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
mf 50% Duty Cycle
Square 2
Ó Ó
mf
Wave Table
mf
˙
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15
Pokédex Fanfare 2 Description ____________________________________________________
Besides becoming the Pokémon League Champion, the player's goals is to capture and befriend all 151 Pokémon in the Kanto region. Professor Oak, a scientist and the player's mentor, asks that she register their information in an encylopedic device called a Pokédex to further advance his research. On occasion the player can visit the professor to show him her findings in person, and this update is accompanied by the following short jingle in F major. If the player is missing entries on some of the Pokémon, Professor Oak encourages her to continue exploring the region in the hopes of one day completing the Pokédex.
16
Pokédex Fanfare 2 Pokémon Red and Blue Good Work! (q=170)
Square 1
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50% Duty Cycle
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50% Duty Cycle
Square 2
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Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
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17
Encounter! Rival Description ____________________________________________________
Ever since the moment you receive your first Pokémon, Professor Oak's grandson Gary stands out as your biggest competitor for the title of Pokémon Champion. He challenges you to your first battle in his grandfather's lab and continues to confront you throughout your journey in the Kanto region. It is obvious that Gary has a fierce determination to surpass you as a trainer, and he is not afraid to tell you with his headstrong attitude and an aura of bravado. Masuda captures the character of your rival with an encounter theme that features non-diatonic passing tones. The piece opens with a descending chromatic flourish (representing the moment when Gary first spots you) and leads into the main melody in measure 3. Here the square 1 voice approaches the pitch G, which is the piece's tonic, through the natural and sharp 7 like so: D - F§ - F# - G. This rising chromatic gesture appears numerous times, even leading into a subdominant chord through an A# (see m. 4 - 5). Because the square 1 melody uses so many non-diatonic notes, it is unsurprising to find that the other two wave channels share the same level of chromaticism (see m. 8 - 11). Comparing this piece to other encounter themes (like Encounter! Girl Trainer or Encounter! Bad Guy Trainer) reveals a significant difference: this theme is more than twice as long as the other four-bar loops that serve the same functional purpose. Such a large discrepancy is most likely due to the fact that your rival is a significant and unique character in the game's narrative who usually speaks with you for extended periods of time. A theme that loops every 15 seconds -- as opposed to 6 seconds -- provides enough variety for your confrontations with Gary. In contrast, the majority of the female and villainous trainers you meet are strangers and not recurring characters in the story. Four measures is just enough to quickly convey their personality before a battle. Your rival is one of the most important characters in the Pokémon narrative. He encourages you to become a better trainer through his own success, and his determined attitude -- though in some ways conceited -- is worthy of your respect. Masuda's rival theme uses non-diatonic gestures to characterize a person whom you will not soon forget.
18
Encounter! Rival Pokémon Red and Blue
Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
Egotistically (q=170)
° # 4 œ b œ œ b œ œ#œ nœ œbœ œ œ & 4 75% Duty Cycle
Square 1
mf
# 4 œ bœ œ œbœ œbœ œ#œnœ œ & 4 75% Duty Cycle
Square 2
mf
Wave Table
#4 œ ¢& 4 J
mf
Sq. 2
Wave
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Sq. 2
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Sq. 2
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j ‰ ‰ j œnœ#œ ™™ œ œnœ œ #œ œ œ œ 2
# j ‰ ‰ bœ œ œ œ œ & œ œ œnœ œ #œ J
j ‰ ‰ j œ œ œ ™™ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
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Sq. 1
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5
Sq. 1
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Sq. 1
Sq. 2
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19
b œ œ œ nœ œ w œ ‰ ‰ J J
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21
Road to Viridian City From Pallet Town Description ____________________________________________________
Once you receive your first Pokémon from Professor Oak, he sends you on an errand to pick up a parcel from Viridian City. To get there, you must pass through a short route filled with tall grass in which you will meet your first wild Pokémon. Because this is the first time you leave Pallet Town -- and the real beginning to your adventure -- Masuda composed a playful and chirpy theme for the road leaving your home. Part of what gives this piece its playful nature is the way Masuda stresses the off beats. The melody in the square 1 voice and the bassline in the wave channel are unsyncopated in their entirety, but the square 2 and noise channels accent the weaker parts of the measure. To be more specific, the square 2 generator interjects on the "and" of beats 1 and 3, while the noise channel plays on the "and" of almost every beat for the first eight bars and then moves into an accompaniment similar the second square wave at rehearsal 1. Masuda's decision to use syncopation adds interest to the melody, which takes few rhythmic and harmonic risks in the key of D major. An analysis of the piece's chord progressions shows just how conventional it is: the first section (m. 1 - 8) remains in a I - V harmonic space, while the second section starting at rehearsal 1 introduces the subdominant. This IV chord helps develop the first section's melody in a more lyrical style. Though Masuda's writing here does "play it safe," that is not to say that this piece does not take any risks at all; there are numerous passing tone and neighbor tone dissonances that obscure the harmonic framework in the background. The wave table has a chromatic bassline on a V chord (end of m. 3), and the square channels have their fair share of unstable notes (see second half of m. 9). What Road to Viridian City - From Pallet Town lacks in harmonic complexity it more than makes up for with its syncopation and well-placed dissonances.
22
Road to Viridian City - From Pallet Town Pokémon Red and Blue
Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
50% Duty Cycle ° ## 4 œ œ ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ J ≈R J ‰ ‰ ™ & 4 J‰
Sprightly (q=125)
Square 1
mf
Square 2
Wave Table
#4 & #4 ‰ ## 4 ‰ ¢& 4
4 / 4‰
Noise
Sq. 1
¢
## &
Wave
Noise
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Sq. 2
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1
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23
Pokémon Captured Fanfare Description ____________________________________________________
Capturing a wild Pokémon takes a combination of skill and luck. After engaging in battle, the player should first damage the Pokémon or disable it -whether that be by poison, paralysis or other methods -- to increase her chance of catching it. With the opposing Pokémon weakened, that is the opportune time to throw a Poké Ball and hope for the best. In a flash of red light the ball draws the creature inside, wobbling from left to right as the Pokémon struggles to escape. After a few seconds the ball stops moving; it looks as if it's going to burst open at the seams but then -- a click! The Poké Ball seals itself shut and the player has a new friend to add to her party. Relief is perhaps the strongest emotion that the player feels after capturing a Pokémon, especially if it is rare or even legendary. Masuda's short fanfare conveys that emotion as well as a hint of excitement with repeated statements of the following rhythm: [e xx]. The gesture as a whole also rises in contour, mirroring the player's lifted spirits and the joys of her triumph.
24
Pokémon Captured Fanfare Pokémon Red and Blue 50% Duty Cycle ° #### 4 œ œ œ œ & 4
Hooray! (q=144)
Square 1
Square 2
Wave Table
#### 4 & 4
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mf 75% Duty Cycle
œ
mf
#### 4 œ ¢& 4 J
mf
Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
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25
Pokémon Center Description ____________________________________________________
For anyone who has played a handheld Pokémon game the Pokémon Center theme needs no introduction, especially if keeping your travel companions healthy was not one of your strong points. As the hospital where players heal their injured Pokémon, the Pokémon Center is arguably the most visited area in the game. Thus, from Masuda's perspective composing a track that could withstand excessive repetition was essential to the success of this theme. Because of the widespread use of the main melody in all future iterations of the Pokémon Center theme, it is safe to say that Masuda succeeded. But what exactly makes this piece work so well? Beyond the obvious strength of its melody, the theme has an intuitive binary A A' B B' form as well as a clear antecedent and consequent phrase structure. Both the A and B sections are made up of an eight-measure-long period with the former using a I - V - I progression and the latter using a I - ii - V - I progression. One can then break down each period into an antecedent and consequent phrase, each four measures long and beginning with the same melodic fragment. The antecedent phrase of both section ends on an imperfect authentic cadence, V - I6 (m. 4 and 12), while the consequent phrase ends on a perfect authentic cadence, which has a root position I and the tonic in the upper voice (m. 8 and 16). This theoretical analysis shows that each section follows a formula: it presents a unique idea, develops it to a weak moment of respite, restates said idea and finally concludes with a strong sense of resolution. If this procedure sounds familiar to you it is probably because you've heard it before; many of Masuda's other pieces like Celadon City, Game Corner Casino and Ocean use this exact structure. The formula is so common in Pokémon's score because it facilitates repetition by fulfilling your expectations on a subconscious level. The melody first captures your attention, the weak cadence peaks your curiosity, then the second melodic statement guides your ear to the authentic cadence at the end which relieves the tension built up over the two phrases. So intuitive is the piece's form and so seamless its motion from one idea to the next that a listener can drift down the musical current without ever noticing the push of the waves. As another benefit of this structure, Masuda could present a complete musical idea in as few as eight bars and a balanced, binary piece in as few as sixteen. Taking into account the repetition within the formula itself means that he also saved cartridge space from a programmer's perspective. Perhaps it is too perfect that a formula can have both a musical and technical benefit, but Masuda recognized this fact and took full advantage of it in this theme. Just by listening to Pokémon Center and looking at its score, it would be easy to write this piece off as simple and trivial. The melody is diatonic, the accompaniment is stable, the chords are conventional. Where the real complexity lies is how these simple concepts apply to looping 8-bit music and shed light on Masuda's nuanced compositional process.
26
Pokémon Center Pokémon Red and Blue
Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
Cheerfully (q=132)
° ## 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ & 4 œ 50% Duty Cycle
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mf 75% Duty Cycle
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27
Pokémon Center Recovery Description ____________________________________________________
In every Pokémon Center there is curious little machine that has the power to heal your injured Pokémon. With the push of a button -- and a short, catchy jingle -- Nurse Joy can fully restore your party in a matter of seconds. The jingle itself is built from an E major chord, and the glissandos in the square 2 channel give the sound effect an electronic and computerized quality appropriate to the healing machine. Note: I have transcribed only the ending pitch of the glissandos in an attempt to capture the general contour of the gestures. The actual glissandos are much more complicated, but since they all function as a supplementary sound effect rather than relevant pitch content, a more thorough transcription is unnecessary.
28
Pokémon Center Recovery Pokémon Red and Blue 50% Duty Cycle œ ° #### 3 œ & 4
Restoring Your Pokémon... (q=128)
Square 1
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Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
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mf
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50% Duty Cycle
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29
Viridian Forest Description ____________________________________________________
Along the route leaving Viridian City a canopy of trees blocks out the sun and wild bug Pokémon creep and crawl amongst the shadows. To make it to the next town, the player must traverse this dimly-lit maze of trees where she will likely encounter one of these critters or a bugcatcher looking to expand his collection. Viridian Forest attracts both people and Pokémon unfit for the squeamish, and Masuda's themes adds to the place's dark and strange aura. One can attribute this atmosphere to the piece's unusual sense of tonality and voice leading. From the ostinato figure in the wave table channel in m. 1 - 16 the pitch E stands out as the tonic, but the leaping, voice crossing and unstable intervals that occur above it obscures this reading. For example, in measure 4 the square wave generators simultaneously play a §6 and #6 (C§ and C#, respectively) over the ostinato. Then moving into bar 5, the square 1 channel leaps up a M7 while the square 2 channel leaps a octave and a major sixth down, the two lines effectively switching register. Because the sound chip generators are based on programming rather than physical gestures, such leaps are not only possible but seamless. Measures 8 - 9 show a similar instance of voice crossing. At rehearsal 1 the ostinato figure drops out, and the square 1 channel ascends into even greater chromaticism and larger, more frequent jumps. By bar 21 the wave table channel enters with a melody that alternates between leaps and a falling semitone interval. Comparing this melody to the prominent line in the piece Team Rocket Hideout (m. 2 - 5 in the wave table channel for example), one will notice that they are identical in terms of both intervals and key. While the player hears Viridian Forest before Team Rocket Hideout on a normal playthrough, the melody has a stronger association with the criminal organization than with the forest. This is because the hideout theme states the melody at the beginning, foregrounding its importance, whereas it enters in the middle of the piece here. Why Masuda uses this melody in Viridian Forest -- where there are no Team Rocket grunts in sight -- is puzzling to say the least. Perhaps he did not intend for the listener to attach a leitmotivic significance to the line but rather used it for its contrapuntal and emotional contributions. One final aspect worth noting about this piece is its unusual binary form. What makes it so strange is the fact that the two sections would be identical were it not for the wave table channel. To be more specific, the piece divides into two even half of 28 measures; the two square wave channels loop every 28 bars while the wave table generator loops every 56 bars, making each section similar but not quite a duplicate of the other. This has a disorienting effect on the listener, as they will recognize certain melodies and lines in m. 29 - 56 but also realize that the piece's texture as a whole does not sound the same. Viridian Forest creates a gloomy mood with its unorthodox voice leading, chromatic lines and form. Masuda's use of the menacing Team Rocket melody further cements this piece's association with the dark and foreboding.
30
Viridian Forest Pokémon Red and Blue
° #4 & 4œ
Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
Dark and Gloomy (q=132.5) 75% Duty Cycle
Square 1
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32
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53
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35
Battle! Wild Pokémon Description ____________________________________________________
Whether brushing through tall grass or exploring dark caves, the player has a chance to encounter a wild Pokémon. If she happens to be unlucky -- or lucky if she is searching for a new companion -- the screen fades to black scored by a wash of chromatic motion and the Pokémon appears before her, ready to fight. The ensuing battle can be dangerous, frantic and even unpredictable, just as one should expect from challenging a wild, untrained animal. After two bars of frantic 16th notes, the piece Battle! Wild Pokémon opens with eight measures of ambiguous and dissonant material. One will notice that the key signature indicates C major, but in measure 3 there is a statement of both a C major and C minor chord. Harmonically, this section features the bII chord (the Neopolitan) -- which more often appears in a minor key -- but the square 1 melody uses the sharp 3 (E§) at rehearsal 2, which strongly implies a major key. As this fast and chromatic section unfolds with more Neopolitan statements, it becomes increasingly evident that the piece is unsure of its major or minor quality with measure 3 representing a microcosm of this struggle. Such ambiguity lessens by rehearsal 3, where the theme settles into a bVII I progression. The calm texture and stable key contrast greatly with the previous section, but they give a false sense of security. By measure 33 the piece moves directly into a Neopolitan from a I chord and even states a flat 3 (Eb) in the square 2 line of the following measure. The bII chord prepares the theme for a transition back to the unstable texture of rehearsal 2. Looking at the score one may notice that the repeat barline which signals the loop's beginning does not occur until bar 35. This is misleading because mm. 11 - 34 appears nearly identical to m. 35 - 58, implying that the loop should begin in bar 11. However, more careful analysis shows that the square 1 line in mm. 35 - 36 is an octave higher than its counterpart in mm. 11 - 12; Masuda does this so that the melody smoothly leads into the beginning of the loop without having to make an awkward leap (though such a jump is not out of the ordinary for this score). The slight difference between these two sections means that the 24 measure loop must be rewritten completely for the sake of accuracy. In terms of sound chip programming, the rewritten loop represents significantly less memory than it seems. All Masuda had to do was create new code for the first couple bars and resume in the third measure where no further changes are required. This technique prevents him from wasting cartridge space with duplicate code and gives him additional freedom with how he treats the loop's return to the beginning. For other examples of modified loop points, see the scores to Ocean, Encounter! Rival and Sylph Company. Battle! Wild Pokémon is a piece that appears indecisive in its key; the sharp 3 E§ is more common than Eb, but the Neopolitan -- typically a minor key chord -- pervades the score. Then perhaps it is best to say that the theme borrows from both the major and minor keys to create a single powerful, intense atmosphere.
36
Battle! Wild Pokémon Pokémon Red and Blue
° 4 œ #œ nœ &4
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Intensely (q=182)
75% Duty Cycle
Square 1
œ
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Dissolve to black...
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Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
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mf 75% Duty Cycle
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17
Sq. 1
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37
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° w &
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&
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Sq. 1
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45
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Sq. 1
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41
™™ ™™
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43
Victory! Wild Pokémon Description ____________________________________________________
Once the player defeats a wild Pokémon and scares it off, she can revel in her victory and in the experience her own Pokémon gains from battle. Because of the drastic change in mood from a tense and frantic battle to a resounding win, the music transitions from a battle theme to a victory theme to convey this change. Masuda uses tempo, key and harmonic relationships between Victory! Wild Pokémon and the previous piece, Battle! Wild Pokémon, to create a sense of both development and continuity. One of the subtle changes he makes is the decrease in tempo from the battle theme's q=182 to q=170. While a twelve beats per second difference is nearly indistinguisable at such a fast tempo, slowing down the beat helps reduce the intensity that the previous piece creates. It is worth noting that Battle! Wild Pokémon has the fastest tempo out of all the pieces in Masuda's score, so a victory theme that does not slow down could potentially sound rushed. Regarding the pitch content of the two pieces, the battle theme fluctuates in an ambiguous C major/minor key while the victory theme rests in the key of E major. Whether one considers the former as major or minor, there is a distant key relationship with a difference of at least four sharps. Compared to Battle! Trainer and Victory! Trainer, which share the same key signature, this direct modulation up a major third is quite jarring. Though, perhaps this is exactly Masuda's intention; a sudden major third modulation represents the drastic change in mood. The two polarizing approaches to the battle-victory transition show the different -- yet equally valid -- benefits of a smooth transition or an ear-catching transformation. Given the modulation to the distant key of E major, one may be surprised to find a pivotal similarity in the harmonic content of the battle and victory themes. Here Victory! Wild Pokémon moves into an eight-bar loop after one measure of introduction; one can then break down this loop into 2 four-bar phrases, the first in E major and the second in F major, the key a semitone higher. The direct modulation to the key of the bII, or the Neopolitan, in measure 6 could be a macroscopic reference to the importance of the bII chord in Battle! Wild Pokémon. Though the pieces are different in function and emotion, their harmonic similarities create a strong link that binds them together. Sudden shifts in narrative, visuals and emotions are difficult for composers to express through their music. Here Masuda conveys the change from an intense theme to a triumphant fanfare through careful manipulation of tempo, key and harmony across the two pieces.
44
Victory! Wild Pokémon from Pokémon Red and Blue Triumphantly! (q=170)
° #### 4 œ œ œ œ œ & 4
˙
50% Duty Cycle
Square 1
mf
Wave Table
™™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ J J J J mp
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Square 2
Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
j j œ‰ œœœœœœœ‰ œ. œ. œ.
œ.
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Sq. 1
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™™ ™™
45
Encounter! Boy Trainer Description ____________________________________________________
Just as the player's character is a young child leaving home to become the best Pokémon trainer in the world, there are other boy trainers out in the Kanto region who train Pokémon with the same dream. All those bug catchers, youngsters and swimmers out there are up for a battle more often than not, and many of them will challenge you at first sight. Before the battle begins, however, your opponent will walk toward you and say a few words -- this moment is when this theme and every other Encounter! theme plays. Because a player may spend as short as a couple of seconds in this state, Masuda makes these loops quite short (four bars here). But regardless of the piece's length, Encounter! Boy Trainer has a unique chord progression and an interesting division of its square channels. The looping progression in measures 3 - 6 is as follows: I - ii - bIII7 - ii7. One can interpret the out-of-key bIII chord as a borrowed chord from the parallel minor that operates as a chromatic neighbor to the ii chord. It is also on this statement of the flat-3 in measure 5 that the square channels alternate in playing the main melodic notes. From listening to this section, the most prevalent melody seems to be F§ - D - E - C#, but it is surprising to find that the square 1 generator plays the first and last notes while the square 2 generator plays the D and E in the middle. Masuda may have done this to facilitate holding the F§ for an entire bar, which gives the piece a fuller sound. Though Encounter! Boy Trainer is only six measures long, Masuda manages to incorporate an unconventional progression and to showcase how to take advantage of the sound chip's square wave channels.
46
Encounter! Boy Trainer Pokémon Red and Blue 75% Duty Cycle ° #### 4 œ#œ nœ œ œ œ & 4
Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
Playfully (q=166)
Square 1
Square 2
Wave Table
#### 4 & 4
mf
75% Duty Cycle
œ nœ#œ œ nœ
mf
#### 4 Œ ¢& 4
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Sq. 2
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mf
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œ
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4
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47
Level Up Fanfare Description ____________________________________________________
When a Pokémon gains enough experience in battle it levels up, which increases its stats and possibly lets it learn new abilities or evolve. A quick I bVII - viio - I progression in F major congratulates the player for her success and motivates her to train their Pokémon to the next level.
48
Level Up Fanfare Pokémon Red and Blue 50% Duty Cycle œ œ ° 4œ & b4
Hooray! (q=142)
Square 1
3 mf 50% Duty Cycle
4œ b & 4
œ
œ 4 Wave Table & b 4 ¢
œ.
Square 2
mf
mf
œ
3
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3
Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
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49
Evolution Description ____________________________________________________
A Pokémon will evolve under certain conditions -- whether that be leveling up through battle or by using a special item -- granting it a new appearance and even different abilities. Once these conditions are met, the game moves into a cutscene in which the player can watch the evolution take place to a short, looping tune. To indicate the beginning of the cutscene, there is a quick flourish in the the square wave channels; notably, the square 2 generator has two enormous and lightning-fast portamento slides from G2 to D5. Then moving into the loop at measure 2, all the wave channels are in rhythmic unison. Going by just one's ears, one might transcribe the three channels as follows: one that repeats G4 every beat, one that alternates between C4 and D4, and another that plays A3 every other beat. (Note: this excludes the fourth beat of m. 3 and m. 5) Looking at the score, it is obvious that what one may perceive is not always what a composer notates. The three channels cross and overlap at numerous points, making the individuality of each line difficult to hear. Also, because the duty cycle of both square waves is the same, their timbres are identical and thus the two channels are indistinguishable in all ways except pitch. The wave table's timbre is different enough to distinguish it from the square waves, but not enough to make the unison D4s with the square 1 channel apparent. Why then does Masuda not notate the channels as one would logically hear the lines and forego all this unnecessary complexity? Well, perhaps it is because to him, this compositional method was the most logical for writing Game Boy music. The technique of voice crossing and register jumping is common in this game's other tracks (see Viridian Forest and Title Screen), so it is unsurprising to find that Masuda would approach a piece as simple as Evolution with the same tricks. It would seem that he developed a specific mentality while working on the score to Pokémon -- one that spurned traditional counterpoint rules and kept the functionality of the Game Boy's sound chip at the front of his mind. Maybe he considered changing the timbres of the square wave generators to differentiate them but later decided against it. Maybe the wave channel's unison on D4 creates overtones that made the piece sound fuller to him. Though one cannot say with certainty what Masuda thought (nor should one try to speak for him), there is plenty of evidence left behind in his music that shows that he thought about composing for a sound chip as more than just three notes on a page. Evolution may not stand tall in comparison to some of Masuda's other tracks, but it is one of the most revealing windows into how he wrote the score to Pokémon Red and Blue.
50
Evolution Pokémon Red and Blue 50% Duty Cycle 75% ° #4 œ œ œ œ Œ ™™ œ & 4 œ œ œ
Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
Curiously (q=143)
Square 1
œ œ œ œ-
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œ œ œ œ
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mf
“”
50% Duty Cycle
Square 2
? # 44
œ
mf
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#4 Œ & ¢ 4
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75%
mf
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51
Evolution Fanfare Description ____________________________________________________
When a Pokémon reaches a certain level or is exposed to specific circumstances, it will evolve into a more advanced form. Your companion slowly changes in appearance, only its silhouette visible as you look on with excitement and anticipation... At last the evolution completes, and a short fanfare introduces you to your new -- but all too familiar -- friend. In only a few short seconds, Evolution Fanfare uses an overall I - bVII - I progression and changes time signature and tempo. Though the beat switches from duple in the 4/4 measure to triple in the 6/8 measure, the length of each eighth note in terms of seconds is identical. In other words, one could read the 6/8 bar in 3/4 without a tempo change and still end up with the same piece. The difference comes in where the stresses in the second measure land, which a triple meter represents better than a duple meter. Amid this slight complication, Evolution Fanfare still fulfills its purpose as a musical representation of the player's excitement.
52
Evolution Fanfare Pokémon Red and Blue 50% Duty Cycle ° 4œ œ ˙ & b4
Hooray! (q=170)
Square 1
mf
4 & b4 œ
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˙
4œ Wave Table & b 4 ¢
bœ
˙
50% Duty Cycle
Square 2
mf
mf
q.=113.3
Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
q=170
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4˙ 4
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53
Pewter City Description ____________________________________________________
Gym leader Brock's love for all things rock-related is a feeling that many other residents of Pewter City share. Many hikers and scientists explore the vast cave system beneath the nearby Mt. Moon in search of rare stones and fossils, and the Pewter Museum of Science dedicates its exhibits to their findings. The people and their passions give the town a rustic aura, one that Masuda reinforces with his music. One of the most significant aspects of this piece in comparison to Masuda's other town themes is it's length; Pewter City takes 32 bars to loop while Celadon City and Pallet Town loop in half as many measures. This piece stands out as unusual, but an analysis of its form reveals that it is not quite so different. Like the two other town themes mentioned above, Masuda composed Pewter City in a binary A A' B B' form. However, the difference lies in the fact that each of those lettered phrases represents 8 bars in this piece and 4 bars in the other two. A four-bar phrase analysis of Pewter City would look more like this: A A' A A'' B B' B'' B'''. It is still in binary form, but the theme's structure and the nature of its melody stretch it to twice the length of a typical 16 bar loop. To help delineate this piece's binary form, Masuda contrasts the noise channel in each section by changing its duty cycle setting. This parameter typically applies to the square wave channel where changing it alters the timbre, but it can also apply to the noise channel though with a much more drastic effect. A duty cycle other than 12.5% will give the noise generator a metallic and mechanical quality. What once emulated a high-hat or a snare drum to some degree of accuracy now creates sounds that flaunt their electronic processing. The noise channel switches to the metallic duty cycle (a setting of 25%) in measure 17 right at the beginning of the B section and changes back to 12.5% in the middle of bar 32 just in time for the transition back to the A section. Pewter City for all its unique characteristics is actually quite standard as one of Masuda's town themes; it has two contrasting sections in a binary AB form and conveys a light and pleasant atmosphere through smooth, flowing lines and a clear phrase structure. Note: the noise channel grace notes should be played on the beat.
54
Pewter City Pokémon Red and Blue 50% Duty Cycle # ° ## # 4 œ œ œ™ & 4
Rustic (q=132.5)
Square 1
mf 75% Duty Cycle
Square 2
#### 4 & 4œ
mf
Wave Table
Noise
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/
4 ¿J ‰ ‰ ¿J Œ 4 mf
#### & /
Noise
Sq. 2
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75%
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50% ° #### œ œ & 9
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5
Sq. 1
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Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
Ϫ
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57
Guidepost Description ____________________________________________________
If the player tries to leave Pewter City before defeating the town's gym leader Brock, one of the citizens will take you aside and lead you to the gym himself. The citizen acts as a guide to help new players know where to go next. As you follow the man through Pewter City, the Guidepost theme accompanies your stroll. The piece sets up E as a dominant in a two bar introduction and then moves into a four-bar phrase in A major. The square 1 channel holds the melody while the square 2 and wave table channels have an off-beat, rhythmic pattern that grounds the melody harmonically. The chord progression for this section is as follows (disregarding inversions): I - IV - I - viio I - IV - V - I. The second four-bar phrase (m. 7 - 10 which comprises the loop) adds a snare part, ornaments the square 1 melody, and shifts the wave table up the register to supply a counter melody. Though there are many changes in the second statement of the phrase, the key, chords and square 2 part all remain the same. Because this section of the game is tiny in the grand scheme of the player's adventure, Masuda constrains himself to a small amount of material here and develops it to create this short and catchy theme.
58
Guidepost Pokémon Red and Blue 50% Duty Cycle ° ### 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œj ‰ œ œ œ#œ œJ ‰ Œ & 4
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Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
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59
Pokémon Gym Description ____________________________________________________
In every generation of the Pokémon games, it is the player's goal to defeat the eight gym leaders in the region -- who each train Pokémon of a specific type -- and obtain a badge that verifies his or her success. Though each gym may look drastically different and feature a distinct puzzle, they are all unified by the same exuberant theme. The Pokémon Gym music conveys a mood similar to the Title Screen track and expands upon the harmonic and motivic ideas first introduced in that piece. As a reminder, Title Screen revolves around the motion from I to bVII and back, and the following rhythmic motive defines the latter half of its main melody: [q. xx]. Looking at just the first two measures of Pokémon Gym, one can see that the introduction is structured around repeated statements of this motive. As a form of further development, Masuda augments this rhythm to twice its length and uses it as the basis of the square 1 melody (see m. 3 for example). Excluding those two opening measures -- which contain a vi and a V in second inversion (in C major) -- the whole piece pivots between I and bVII. What's interesting here is that Masuda splits the piece into two contrasting, eight-bar sections (m. 3-10 and m. 11-18) yet they both have the same chord structure in the same key. This allows the piece to loop seamlessly without drawing attention to itself with a modulation or a new chord progression and at the same time avoid tiring the ears of the listener. The concept of introducing new material without making large-scale changes to key or chords is prevalent in many of Masuda's other pieces like Guidepost and Professor Oak's Lab. Though the chromatic, descending line that identifies the Title Screen melody does not appear in Pokémon Gym, the presence of its rhythmic profile and harmonic content makes the connection between the two pieces seem intentional. From a composer's perspective, creating close relationships across pieces by reusing musical ideas lends a sense of consistency throughout the entire score. Though this piece may not be related to Title Screen in terms of narrative, their similarities show an active effort on Masuda's part to unify his music with specific rhythmic and harmonic motives.
60
Pokémon Gym Pokémon Red and Blue
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Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
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61
Battle! Gym Leader Description ____________________________________________________
To obtain a gym leader's badge, one must first defeat the owner in a Pokémon battle. Though Masuda wrote a piece for battling other trainers, gym leaders are no ordinary opponents and thus warrant a theme all to themselves. Though unique in many ways, Battle! Gym Leader opens like any other battle theme: with two bars of intense chromatic motion to represent the dissolve-to-black transition into the game's battle sequence. This introduction is harmonically ambiguous and unstable, but by measure 3 the piece lands on a B as the tonic. Note the lack of "major" or "minor" in this description; for the next eight measures no third is present in the tonic chord hence the exact key is unclear. However, determining the key is not important for an analysis of measures 3 - 10; Masuda uses a neighbor tone relationship to slide between the two chords a semitone away like so: I - bII - I - #VII - I (all without a third). To make sense of this strange progression, it is worth looking backwards at the previous piece, Pokémon Gym. This theme is in C major (a half step above Battle! Gym Leader) and prominently features I and bVII (C major and Bb major chords, respectively). Is it then a coincidence that the gym leader battle theme begins in a key right in the middle of C and Bb/A# and even pivots between the two chords? Masuda seems to represent the struggle in his music by having the C and A# wrestle for control of the piece's key. After eight bars of this duel, neither key wins and instead Masuda reveals the quality of the tonic chord at rehearsal 2: B major. As a reference to Pokémon Gym, this section also features a I - bVII progression. However, the much faster tempo and quick sixteenth notes in the square 2 channel gives Battle! Gym Leader a much more frantic mood. By rehearsal 3 the key flips to B minor, showing even more indecisiveness in the piece. Moving into rehearsal 4, the piece modulates subtly to E minor not by stating a tonic chord, but rather by setting up the pitch B as an extended dominant. From measure 23 - 30, the wave table generator plays only a B3 with the second square channel joining in on a B2 in measures 23 and 27. The fast, sixteenth note texture in the square 2 channel even centers upon this pitch. Here Masuda is changing how we perceive the note from a tonic to a dominant through excessive repetition. But just as that change is occuring, he denies our expectation by moving back to B major through a bVII chord. This section employs the same I - bVII progression and features a melody related to the one introduced at rehearsal 2 to allow a seamless transition back to measure 11. While there is certainly more to discuss, a structural analysis of this piece forms the basis for understanding it. This battle theme is one of Masuda's more complex works, and it shows his ability to convert narrative cues and emotions into appropriate musical concepts.
62
Battle! Gym Leader Pokémon Red and Blue
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Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
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67
Victory! Gym Leader Description ____________________________________________________
Your Pokémon are exhausted and injured, but through strategy, strength and a little bit of luck victory is yours -- you have defeated a gym leader in battle! Gym Leaders are among the toughest Pokémon trainers that you will encounter on your adventure, so Masuda celebrates your win with a triumphant fanfare theme. Victory! Gym Leader is a binary form piece with the following four-bar phrase structure: A A' B B' B B''. The A section features a mostly homophonic texture for the first phrase (m. 3 - 6), while the second statement (m. 7 - 10) increases the textur's activity with a new accompaniment pattern in the wave table channel. This section as a whole features a diatonic, stepwise melody in the square one generator that stands out due to the supporting nature of the other two lines. In contrast, the B section shows more contrapuntal activity by trading off its melodic material between the two square wave channels. Masuda uses the [q. xx] motive -- which appears both in the beginning of this fanfare and throughout the piece Pokémon Gym -- as the basis for an imitative sequence. At rehearsal 2, the sequence moves through a I - V/V - V - I progression with the square two channel echoing the rhythmic motive and emphasizing the underlying harmony. Masuda repeats these eight imitative measures, making the B section twice as long as the A section. Moving away from form into key structure, it's important to note that the previous theme Battle! Gym Leader is in B minor and frequently uses the A major chord as the bVII. The transition from the battle theme to Victory! Gym Leader features a modulation from B minor to D major, or a minor key to its relative major. These two keys are closely related -- as shown by their identical two-sharp key signature -- making a change in key near seamless. The setup of the bVII (A major chord) as the dominant of D major also assists this transition. Even though a victory theme should be short and straightforward, Masuda manages to create a lengthy fanfare with two contrasting sections. The two sections use different melodies and textures, but they also share enough in common to reinforce the feeling of triumph that the player experiences.
68
Victory! Gym Leader Pokémon Red and Blue
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71
Jigglypuff's Song Description ____________________________________________________
Jigglypuff -- a pink, balloon-shaped Pokémon with a love for singing -- has both a beautiful voice and a bad temper. Her voice can stop people and Pokémon alike in their tracks, not because of her charm but rather because she has the ability to induce sleep in others with just a few seconds of her trademark song. Unaware of this power, Jigglypuff takes snoring during her performance as an insult and scribbles on the face of any offenders. To give this short tune the hypnotic quality that it has in the game, Masuda rapidly alternates the duty cycle (i.e. the timbre) of each square wave channel between a 25% and 50% setting, which creates a vibrato-like vocal effect. Additionally, he creates the illusion of reverb by playing the melody in both channels and delaying the square 2 generator by a fraction of a second. Though the melody is quite short and diatonic, Masuda's innovative implementation of the sound chip's capabilities breathes life into the tune and does justice to Jigglypuff's unique character as a singing Pokémon.
72
Jigglypuff's Song Pokémon Red and Blue
° #### 4 ˙ & 4
Falling Asleep... (q=130)
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25%/50% Duty Cycle
Square 1
Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
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73
Mt. Moon Cave Description ____________________________________________________
The mountain to the east of Pewter City has quite a mystical history. It is known for the many meteors that crash into its cliffs, for the rare Pokémon that dwell within its caves, and for the extraordinary fossils and stones buried even deeper still. Exploring Mt. Moon's cave system is the only way to progress to the next city, and doing so reveals just a few of the mountain's mysteries. To convey the enigmatic nature of Mt. Moon, Masuda composed its theme using equally strange techniques. Just from the first few measure, one can tell that something is amiss; the square 2 channel plays an arpeggiated augmented chord while the melody in the square 1 generator implies a whole tone scale. Any convincing sense of a tonal center is obscured here, but it is worth analyzing this piece with E as the tonic. Just by studying the first twelve measures one can see that the two chords in this section are essentially augmented triads on the dominant and tonic (B and E, respectively). The perfect 4th relationship between the repeated B and E in the bass of the square 2 channel supports this relationship. Additionally the ritardando at rehearsal 1 is a chromatic sequence down from E5 to E4 in the wave table channel. There is no definitive V - I cadence in Mt. Moon Cave, but the pitch E -- and by extension B as the dominant -- appears to be the most important note. Rehearsal 2 is where Masuda deconstructs our sense of time and key even further. He fragments the melody first introduced in the beginning and places it in a freely changing time signature from 3/4 to 4/4 to 5/4. In bars 29 - 36, he moves to the augmented triad on the flat-2 (F§), which is quite distant in E but happens to share the same whole tone scale of the V+. One can see this as a prolongation of the previous melodic fragmentation and a delay of the tonic chord which arrives in measure 37. Even more disorienting is the fact that the arpeggiated accompaniment is inverted from the original pattern in the opening measures. Finally, at the climax of the piece in m. 43 - 46 Masuda layers two different augmented chords with the I+ in the square 1 channel and the V+ in the square 2 channel. Neither of the chords share any notes and even belong to opposite whole tone scales, making this section the most dissonant in all of Mt. Moon Cave. It also happens to features a peculiar bar of 7/8 in measure 46, which makes the piece sound like it stutters with the bar's odd number of beats. In this moment we find a microcosm for the piece as a whole; strange chords, scales and time signatures combine to create a cave theme that is at once unsettling but also fascinating in its application of advanced musical concepts.
74
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Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
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77
Road to Cerulean City From Mt. Moon Description ____________________________________________________
After battling Pokémon and trainers alike in the dark depths of Mt. Moon's cave system, the mountain's rocky cliffs outside are a welcome sight. From the cave's exit, the safety of Cerulean City is only a short hike and a few ledge hops away. The path along Mt. Moon is one that attracts only those with an adventurous spirit, and Masuda underscores this atmosphere with his theme. Perhaps the most pronounced aspect of this piece that does so is the driving rhythm in the background: [e q xxe e q]. This motive is first introduced in measures 2 - 3 in the wave table channel unaccompanied by the square waves to highlight its importance. Because the wave table generator maintains this rhythm for the entire piece and the noise channel reinforces it with a similar snare drum pattern, one can hear how the motive provides the theme's structural framework. The repetition of this rhythm gives the piece a steady tempo that both drives the music forward and encourages the player to march in step. Masuda uses an ostinato rhythm in the wave table channel to accomplish the same effect in The Road to Lavender Town - From Vermilion City, another of his route themes. Over the rhythmic background sits the melodic square 1 generator and its subordinate square 2 counterpart. They are worth analyzing together because they often share the same rhythm and emphasize the piece's harmony as a single unit (see the bVII chord in m. 5 - 6). However, the square 2 channel can be quite stilted at some points (see m. 12), hence the first square generator has a more significant melodic role. As further evidence, one can find the most common motive in the Pokémon score, [q. xx], in measures 3, 7 and 10 of the square 1 channel (see Cerulean City and Pokémon Gym for comparison). Road to Cerulean City - From Mt. Moon is a piece that Masuda defines just as much with rhythm as he does with pitches. The wave table channel's ostinato supplies a stable framework over which the two square wave lines can develop the melody in homophony. The choices Masuda made regarding rhythm in this theme significantly contribute to the free-spirited nature of Mt. Moon's rugged trails.
78
Road to Cerulean City - From Mt. Moon Pokémon Red and Blue
° 4 & 4 œ bœ nœ ™
Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
Adventurously (q=132) 50% Duty Cycle
Square 1
mf 75% Duty Cycle
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81
Cerulean City Description ____________________________________________________
Home of the water-type gym leader Misty and the region's only bicycle shop, Cerulean City is the third town the player visits after trekking through the cave Mt. Moon. Like most of the other towns in the game, it is a place that is welcoming in appearance, people and music. After a single bar of introduction, Cerulean City moves into a sixteenmeasure loop in E major: eight bars of a light and lively melody, followed by four bars of transitionary material and four bars of a contrasting lyrical tune. The first section is constructed of repeated statements of a two measure motive that begins with a quick leap down of a perfect fourth (see the square 1 channel m. 2 - 3). The transition has all three voices moving together for two bars of a sequence (m. 10 - 11) until the square 1 channel takes over for an approach to a half cadence at measure 13. Finally, the square 2 channel remains silent at rehearsal 3 to make room for the lyrical tune, and it slowly re-enters to prepare for the loop point. One of the unique aspects of this piece is how Masuda uses rests to thin out the texture, with rehearsal 3 being the best example. While many of his other tracks have all three voices playing non-stop for the entire duration of the piece (see Vermilion City), here he chooses more selectively when to employ the three available pitched channels. There are even moments when Masuda is willing to have the wave table play alone (beginning of m. 6 and pick up to m. 14). This gives Cerulean City a greater range in dynamics and activity than other town themes. For a discussion on this piece's close relationship to another of Masuda's tracks, see the description of To Bill's Origin - From Cerulean City.
82
Cerulean City Pokémon Red and Blue 75% Duty Cycle ° #### 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœ ‰ œ & 4
Flowing (q=129)
Square 1
1
50%
Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
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85
To Bill's Origin From Cerulean City Description ____________________________________________________
First heard when traveling along the path north of Cerulean City, this track is similar to other route themes in that it seeks to convey enthusiasm and a sense of adventure through the music. The "Bill" in the title refers to the man who designed the Pokémon Storage System, and the player can visit the inventor on this path in his cottage by the sea. Because this route borders the water, the music seems to convey the flowing motion of waves or the wind, especially through the triplet figure in the square 2 channel. Given that this route is a small area of the game, the music is just as short; a two bar descending sequence links 2 four-bar phrases together. The first phrase is a great example of Masuda's skill at writing counterpoint, with each voice standing on its own as a melody but also fitting into a harmonic framework. Beginning in E major, the piece fluctuates between I and V for the first phrase while hinting toward the bVII with the presence of the D-natural. At measure 5 the piece moves to the subdominant (with the E major chord in bar 4 functioning as a V/IV) and sequences down to an indisputable statement of a bVII6 in measure 7. The second phrase then moves toward a climax in bar 9 before resting on a I in order to link back to the first measure. While To Bill's Origin - From Cerulean City can stand on its own as a track, there are many similarities to the Cerulean City theme which leads one to believe that the two are meant to be companion pieces. The most obvious aspect in common is the shared key of E major and the cheerful vibe that they exude. Both pieces also feature and develop the same rhythmic motif: [q. xx]. Here the beginning of the melody in the square 1 channel has a leap of a fourth up from B to E in the 16th notes, whereas in the Cerulean City theme a leap of a fourth in the opposite direction from E to B starts the main melody. Structurally the town theme is more fleshed out than this piece, but the subtle hints in the compositions and the physical proximity of the two areas in the games are evidence that Masuda may have written the two pieces in tandem.
86
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Swept by the Wind (q=125.5)
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Sq. 1
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Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
3
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87
Vermilion City Description ____________________________________________________
Out of all the music in Pokémon Red and Blue, there is no other piece that is as relentlessly enthusiastic and happy as Vermilion City. Known for anchoring the luxury cruise liner S.S. Anne and many other ships, Vermillion City is one of the Kanto region's premiere tourist attractions. Thus, it is only natural that Masuda would write such an optimistic piece for this city. What makes this theme feel so powerful is the fact that there is not a single rest in this piece; every channel plays for the entirety of the twelve bar loop. While some of Masuda's pieces focus more on contrast (see Team Rocket Hideout), Vermilion City is no such piece. It establishes a singular emotion, texture and key and never wavers from it. What it gives up in contrast it more than makes up for a definitive identity.
88
Vermilion City Pokémon Red and Blue
Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
Relentlessly Enthusiastic (q=122.5)
° ### 4 & 4˙
75% Duty Cycle
Square 1
Square 2
Wave Table
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mf 75% Duty Cycle
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mf
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Sq. 2
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89
S.S. Anne Description ____________________________________________________
In Vermillion City the premiere luxury cruise ship S.S. Anne rests anchored at port. Though gaining passage on board is reserved for those with a VIP ticket, the player can acquire one from Bill the inventor and explore the ship. The S.S. Anne's cabins are filled with sailors, guests and other trainers looking for a Pokémon battle before the ship departs to sea. Because of this area's correlation with water and sailing, Masuda wrote a theme that emphasizes these aspects. Another of his pieces associated with water, Ocean, uses a waltz form which features a flowing triple meter, but here Masuda conveys a similar mood using a duple meter in 4/4 instead. At the beginning, the square 1 channel introduces a solo melody in this time signature with few leaps and mostly stepwise motion. The melody's triplets in measure 2 hint at a triple meter, but it is short-lived and not expanded upon further than its occurence in repeats. By bar 4 the melody approaches a cadence and -- quite unusually -Masuda restates it twice more. What is strange here is not the fact that the melody repeats but rather the number of times it repeats; most of Masuda's pieces use a single restatement of a melodic idea to conclude a section and transition to contrasting material (see Road to Lavender Town - From Vermilion City). In S. S. Anne, three statements of the melody comprise the first section of the piece (up to rehearsal 1) with variations in the square 2 and wave table channels making each phrase unique. For example, in m. 1 - 4 the wave table generator is silent for half the phrase, while in m. 9 - 12 it moves in quarter notes until the fourth bar. Following these three statements the theme moves into a descending sequence in thirds at measure 13. The square 1 voice continues the melodic line with contrasting material that alternates between a trill-like gesture and an arpeggio figure, while the square 2 and wave table channels move in parallel sixths to imply the harmony. Though the line does not flow in the natural way a triple meter piece would, the melody does evoke the impression of water with its smooth, oscillating contour. S. S. Anne is both conventional and unconventional in how Masuda typically approaches the game's more cheerful and adventurous themes for towns, routes and the like. In terms of structure, three deliberate statements of the same melody do not occur in any of Pokémon's other binary form pieces, but the lyrical writing and sequencing in a constrasting section are well-worn tools in Masuda's box of composition techniques.
90
S.S. Anne Pokémon Red and Blue 12.5% Duty Cycle ° ### 4 & 4œ œ œ œ œ
Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
Flowing (q=149)
Square 1
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91
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93
Encounter! Girl Trainer Description ____________________________________________________
Throughout your journey to become the Pokémon Champion, you will come across many young women who care for and train Pokémon just like your character. These lasses, psychics and cooltrainers share the same passion for Pokémon, and a battle is never far off when you come across one of them. Masuda gives these trainers a playful Encounter! theme, with the square 1 channel's octave B's in the first measure representing the exclamation mark that appears over their head when they first spot you. The piece then moves into a four-bar loop in E major with a steady accompaniment figure in the square 2 and wave table channels. The square 1 generator hold the main melody, which is almost completely step-wise with a couple chromatic flourishes (see m. 3). Because one may spend only a few seconds talking to the trainer before the battle begins, Masuda keeps this piece short and sweet like most of his other Encounter! themes.
94
Encounter! Girl Trainer Pokémon Red and Blue Playfully (q=153)
Square 1
Square 2
Wave Table
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mf 25% Duty Cycle
Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
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95
Road to Lavender Town From Vermilion City Description ____________________________________________________
On the road from Vermilion City to Lavender Town the player passes by many scenes and sights: a long tunnel excavated by the ground-type Pokémon Diglett, a lush field overrun with wild birds and snakes, and a boardwalk that attracts more fishermen and Magikarps than one could ever count. This path is only a small portion of the player's journey, but one that still sparks excitement and a thirst for adventure. The theme for this area of the game uses many techniques to move both the music and the player forward. The driving rhythmic motive in the wave table channel, [q xxxxe q e], persists throughout the entire loop and gives the piece a perceived bassline ("perceived" because it is not always the lowest note) and a structural basis. The noise channel's similar snare drum accompaniment only reinforces this motive. Because every bar past the two measure introduction states the rhythm, the listener comes to expect it and even predict it. While repetition can tire the ears and wane the listener's attention, in this instance it serves to propel the piece from measure to measure. Masuda uses an ostinato rhythm in the wave table channel to accomplish the same effect in Road to Cerulean City - From Mt. Moon, another of his route themes. Besides the wave table's distinct motive, the section starting at rehearsal 2 represents the piece's strongest moments of forward motion. Measure 11 marks the beginning of a descending sequence in which the square 1 generator moves down by step every other bar. To differentiate between the upper and lower voices in this channel, Masuda alternates the duty cycle; the bottom line uses a 12.5% setting which sounds nasally, while the upper line uses a cleaner 25%. To contrast this downward motion, the square 2 wave ascends by step in m. 11 - 14, the peak of its contour rising from D§ to E. As the sequence approaches a climax in bar 17, the square 2 generator develops the melody's main rhythm, [e. e. e], which increases the tension and further pushes the music toward a resolution. One aspect of this theme that may ruin its flow is its use of parallel fifths, which by nature stand out in a contrapuntal texture. In measures 3 - 4 and 7 - 8 one can find a case of three parallel fifths in a row in the two square wave channels. According to baroque and classical music sensibilities, such writing is a blatant disregard of the rules of counterpoint and would incur revisions upon the piece. However, it is clear from Masuda's other works that he is aware of contrapuntal practices (see Sylph Company), so it is fair to assume that the parallels are deliberate. Their use here indicates a conscious, stylistic choice on the part of Masuda more so than it does a breach of musical precedent. In writing this piece he selected the rhythmic, melodic and structural elements that most benefited the adventurous spirit of the theme regardless of the rules.
96
Road to Lavender Town - From Vermilion City Pokémon Red and Blue 25% Duty Cycle ° #### 4 j r & 4œ ≈ œ œ
Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
Adventurously (q=129)
Square 1
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97
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98
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99
Lavender Town Description ____________________________________________________
Lavender Town, the place where deceased Pokémon are put to rest and a subject of controversy not just inside the game but out. The myth goes that the town's theme caused erratic and harmful behavior in Japanese children who played Pokémon. While there is no denying that this piece is strange in many ways, such tall tales are the product of an overactive imagination. One can explain everything unusal about this theme through a theoretical and technical analysis, but not all people are convinced, hence Lavender Town has somewhat of an infamous reputation. The first aspect of this piece that grabs the listener's attention is the ostinato figure in the square 1 channel: C-G-B-F#. The contour of a major seventh and the tritone between the C and F# makes this gesture sound atonal and the piece's key difficult to place. After the entrance of the square 2 and wave table channels in measure 5 one can start to see that the piece lies in an altered C major scale, but the square 2 melody's leap down to a C# in measure 8 obscures that interpretation. It is only when we hear the melody resolve to C in measure 12 that the piece's tonic becomes clear. Another aspect of Lavender Town that stands out is Masuda's use of vibrato. In the square 2 channel he applies a slow vibrato with a large depth -meaning the pitch audibly slides out of tune -- while in the wave table channel he does just the opposite. This results in a stable pitch that oscillates in such a way that grates the ears. These two conflicting effects create a harsh, off-putting sound that is responsible in part for the superstition that surrounds this theme. Because the technical steps required to create these effects are not obvious to the average listener, it's easy to imagine that people could link this piece to auditory phenomena like binaural beats and impossible notions like hypnosis or mind control. One final aspect of this town theme that contributes to its unsettling tone is its untraditional structure. Rather than being based on strict phrase units, it contains an independent loop in each channel in terms of length, pitch and rhythm that all overlap to create a texture that is evolving constantly -- what I call a nested loop. This case is a relatively simple one though, as the channels loop every 1, 20, 16 and 1/2 bars in order from top to bottom in the score (starting at m. 5). The notation aims to represent Lavender Town as simply as possible, but don't be fooled; it would take 80 measures for Lavender Town to complete just a single loop. Because the square 2 and wave table channels are both made up of repeating four-bar phrases, the underlying structure is quite subtle and unobtrusive. For a more detailed discussion of this technique -- and a much more complex example -- please see the description of Pokémon Mansion. Note: the noise channel grace notes should be played on the beat.
100
Lavender Town Pokémon Red and Blue
Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
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Eerily (h=62.5)
Sq. 1
#4 & 4
Sq. 2
Wave Table
mf
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4 / 4
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Sq. 1
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Sq. 2
75% Duty Cycle
# ™ ¢& ™ w mf
Wave
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Sq. 2
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Sq. 2
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101
Pokémon Tower Description ____________________________________________________
"May the souls of Pokémon rest easy." These are the words inscribed upon a signpost outside of the Pokémon Tower. This building is arguably the most haunted place in the Kanto region, as it is the resting place of many deceased Pokémon with grave sites lining the upper floors. Seasoned trainers visit to pay respects to their fallen friends, and troubled spirits wander the halls in search of trainers to battle or a kind soul to put them to rest. Masuda captures the somber and haunting aura of this tower through an expressive melody and minimal accompaniment. After an opening that features an arpeggiated VIM7 in first inversion (analyzed in E minor), one can see that the square 1 generator takes a primary role with long, held notes, while the square 2 and wave table channels take a subordinate role with staccato notes. Although the range of these three channels can get quite close at times (see m. 5), the two subordinate channels provide a harmonic framework to support the melody. For example at rehearsal 3, the wave table generator repeats the tonic on E6 under the piercingly high square 1 line. Comparing this line to the opening chord, one can see that the first measure is a microcosmic representation of the melody; the square 1 voice outlines a VIM7 in both m. 3 - 5 and m. 28 - 33, with the latter being a twice augmented version of the former. The semitone interval between the B and C in this chord helps give Pokémon Tower an unsettling quality. But perhaps most unsettling about this piece is the sequence in bars 14 23. It begins rooted in E minor with the wave table channel repeating the tonic, but by measure 18 one's sense of key begins to disintegrate. After a bVII chord, all three channels rise chromatically with the melody implying a whole tone scale. The piece then lands on a tritone interval between an F# and a C in measure 24, where the wave table switches waveforms to accentuate this dissonance. The interval, however, is not too strange in the grand scheme of the piece; the F# and C are the 2 and 6 of E minor, respectively, which allows for a smooth transition back to the original key at rehearsal 3. It is worth noting that this theme is inextricably linked to Lavender Town, the place in which you find the Pokémon Tower. Both piece share the same tempo, time signature, motivic ideas (compare square one in m. 4 here to Lavender Town's wave table in m. 16) and even key signature. Though the onesharp key is a bit misleading -- while the tonic here is E to imply a minor scale, the tonic in Lavender Town is C to imply a lydian mode, or a major scale with a #4. However, both pieces use their respective key to create an undeniably uncomfortable atmosphere and their similarities reinforce the emotions that Masuda tries to capture with his music.
102
Pokemon Tower Pokémon Red and Blue
Square 1
Hauntingly (h=62.5) 75% Duty ˙ ™ Cycle 1 œ.
° #C &
œ. œ œ œ ™™ J ‰ Œ J ‰ œ#œ ˙
mf 75% Duty Cycle
Square 2
Wave Table
Sq. 1
Sq. 2
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Sq. 2
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Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
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105
Item Fanfare Description ____________________________________________________
This fanfare plays when you pick up an item off the ground or receive a gift from another character. All Masuda needed to write for this stinger was an E major chord -- nothing more, nothing less.
106
Item Fanfare Pokémon Red and Blue 50% Duty Cycle ° #### 6 œ œ & 8
Hooray! (q.=144)
Square 1
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Ϫ
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50% Duty Cycle
Square 2
mf
Wave Table
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Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
107
Poké Flute Description ____________________________________________________
After the player rescues Mr. Fuji from the criminal organization Team Rocket, the Pokémon orphanage caretaker gives her the Poké Flute as a gesture of thanks. This instrument has the power to wake up any sleeping Pokémon, whether it is one in the heat of battle or a snoozing Snorlax blocking the path ahead. Masuda writes a gentle and diatonic melody to stir the Pokémon from its slumber, and the custom waveform he chose evokes the smooth, pure tone of an acoustic flute or recorder.
108
Poké Flute Pokémon Red and Blue
œ
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Wake Up! (h=73)
Wave Table
œ &C
mf
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Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
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w
109
Sylph Company Description ____________________________________________________
As one of the largest businesses in the game's world, Sylph Company manufactures a vast array of products ranging from technical machines -- which teach Pokémon specific moves -- to medicine and Poké Balls. Their most prized development, however, is the Master Ball: a device capable of catching any Pokémon without fail. It is this exact technology that attracts the attention of criminal organization Team Rocket, who seize the company's headquarters in Saffron City in search of this invention. Thus, when the player visits Sylph Company, the background music is anything but welcoming. Masuda captures the mischievousness of Team Rocket through the development of two main motives. The first motive in question is the melody introduced in the wave table channel in measures 2 - 5. It features stepwise, chromatic motion that hovers around the tonic E. The square 1 channel then repeats this melody in the following four bars at the same octave but with a different timbre. Here we get repeated statements of the second motive in the square 2 generator, which one may recognize as the fast rising and falling gesture that opens the piece. Masuda places these two motives in counterpoint with one another, stressing both their individuality and their ability to work together. From an analysis of the first ten measures of this piece, it is fair to say that the beginning bears many similarities to a fugue's exposition. A fugue is a contrapuntal form in which a composer introduces a subject successively in each voice and develops it through sequences, imitation, augmentation and many other techniques. The exposition is the composer's chance to familiarize the listener with the subject -- just as the beginning of Sylph Company does so with its chromatic melody. One could call this melody the piece's subject and the rising and falling gesture a countersubject. While this piece's exposition does not follow standard fugue structure by having the other voices enter with the subject, the rest of the piece shows a clear association with the form. At rehearsal 1, the theme moves into a development section marked by an increase in tempo. Here the subject is diminished to half its length and separated into different octaves in the square 1 channel (see m. 11 14). Following a rising sequence, rapid changes in duty cycle and articulation fragment the melody at rehearsal 2. Though the duty cycle settings of 25% and 75% sound identical in terms of timbre, they are distinguishable through a waveform analysis that reveals Masuda's intent to seaparate the lines. At the end of this section in m. 24 - 27, he uses both diminution and a change in octave to alter the melody in the the wave table channel. Once at rehearsal 3, the piece recaptitulates the subject in its original form an octave higher and the countersubject returns as well. To close out the loop and transition back to the original tempo, the square 1 generator makes a final statement throughout a gradual ritardando. Sylph Company exhibits quite a few irregularities in its composition, but analyzing it as an altered fugue helps make sense of Masuda's approach to this antagonistic piece.
110
Sylph Company Pokémon Red and Blue
Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
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Sq. 1
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113
4 q=154
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75%
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114
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Celadon City Description ____________________________________________________
The Kanto region's largest and most populous town is none other than Celadon City. Its many businesses like the Celadon Department Store and Game Corner Casino draw in a considerable crowd and make the city a bustling metropolitan center. Whether shopping or gambling suits one's fancy, the city offers much in the way of enjoyment. Masuda composed a binary A A' B B' loop to match the lively nature of this place. The piece opens with a fast sixteenth note gesture in the square 1 channel that the wave table generator imitates immediately pitch for pitch. The A section's melody then begins in G major with both square channels moving in homophony (i.e. the same rhythm) and in contrary motion. Beneath these lines the wave table generator holds a constant eighth note pattern with the fifth scale degree (D) acting as a pedal tone. This textures evolves at rehearsal 2 where the square 1 channel features a more lyrical melody, which contrasts with the energetic line in the previous section. Additionally, the square 2 generator develops an independent line and separates itself from the first square wave. While these are just a few notable characteristics of this theme, the piece still has much to offer through a closer analysis of its form; a detailed discussion of this topic is in the description for the piece Pokémon Center. Similar to the Pokémon Center theme, Celadon City has a wave table channel that lies in the treble register and crosses with the two square wave lines. The practice of voice crossing is typically frowned upon in classical styles for its tendency to obscure the independence of the voices, but Masuda avoided such problems when writing for the Game Boy's sound chip. He chose a waveform (i.e. timbre) for the wave table generator that is different enough from a square wave for the listener to distinguish between the channels. This technique uses the same underlying principles as a concert composer separating two lines based on instrument family (strings, woodwinds, brass, etc.). Even with all three generators occupying the same pitch space the wave table line is able to cut through the mix with its unique timbre (see rehearsal 2). Celadon City is a piece that is every bit as playful and active as the town it describes. Masuda's decisions regarding form, texture and timbre give it a clear sense of character amidst all the shopping and gambling.
116
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117
Game Corner Casino Description ____________________________________________________
Celadon City is home to the Game Corner Casino, where you and other tourists alike can bet money on slot machines to your heart's content. If luck is in your favor, you can trade in your winnings for prizes like technical machines -which teach your Pokémon new moves -- or even rare Pokémon like Porygon. Masuda's music here encourages the flashy and fun atmosphere that only the Game Corner Casino can exude. The piece begins with a two measure introduction that implies an E major key with a B dominant and presents a distinct motive with the square one's trilllike figure in measure 2. This motive reappears later in the theme at key cadential moments (see m. 10, 18 and 26) and gives the piece a unique chromatic flair. Functionally speaking, the gesture is most dissonant in m. 10 and 26 where it oscillates between the natural and sharp 3 of E major (G§ and G#, respectively). But as an introductory gesture, it contributes significantly to setting the tone of the piece's playful nature. At rehearsal 1 the theme moves into its main loop, which adheres to the following form with each letter representing a four-bar phrase: A A' A A'' B B'. The A section begins with a melody characterized by a homophonic approach to the two square channels, while the B section features sequential imitation between the two square waves that bring out their individuality. Both sections, however, contain the wave table's bouncy accompaniment pattern. Masuda uses a variety of techniques and musical ideas here to inject life into the casino's theme.
118
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121
Team Rocket Hideout Description ____________________________________________________
Beneath the bustling Game Corner casino in Celadon City lies a fourfloored, underground complex where Team Rocket carries out its most devious operations. Entering the hideout means encountering many of Team Rocket's grunts and a battle with the organziation's boss, Giovanni. This is a place entirely unfit for the innocent protagonist, and the threatening tone of Masuda's music makes that clear. Similar to the piece Sylph Company -- another theme based around Team Rocket -- this piece focuses on a single motivic idea. The main motive is first stated in the wave table channel in measures 2 - 5 and is repeated immediately in the following four bars. It alternates in leaps and semitone descents until its last measure, making it quite recognizable for its distinct contour. In the beginning up to rehearsal 1, this melody hovers above two contrasting ostinato figures in the square wave channels. The sudden, sheer amount of activity and chromaticism present here makes the theme sound frantic and uncontrollable. At rehearsal 1 the piece moves into a more relaxed texture that features many register jumps. The wave table channel alone spans a range of three octaves in a single bar (see m. 11). These leaps mostly facilitate a pedal tonic (E) in the bass register and help separate an upper and lower voice within the same channel. Following this section the piece moves toward a climax through sequencing and fast chromatic activity (see m. 19 - 20) before arriving at rehearsal 2 with a much sparser texture. The next section starting at rehearsal 3 shares many characteristics with m. 2 - 9 in that there are two complete statements of the main motive in the wave table generator. However, the motive drops down two octaves and the two square wave channels present a melodic accompaniment as opposed to an ostinato figure. While not as active as the previous two motivic statements, this section is arguably even more jarring and dissonant due to the overlapping of the square 2 and wave table channels in terms of register. The next three measures appear to be a developed version of m. 14 - 16, and the piece then transitions back to the beginning through a measure similar to the opening bar and two measures of only the contrasting ostinatos. It is perhaps expected to find that the pieces associated with Team Rocket all share a distinct style and developed musical ideas. Both Team Rocket Hideout and Sylph Company are in the key of E minor and present a stepwise melody with a steady quarter note rhyhtm. Encounter! Bad Guy Trainer is in the key of B minor (E minor's dominant) and hints at the same intense chromaticism that the two formerly stated pieces display. These connections may or may not have been conscious on Masuda's part, but they support the claim that the composer shaped a unique sound for the Kanto region's greatest enemy.
122
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127
Encounter! Bad Guy Trainer Description ____________________________________________________
Though your character's motivations to become the best Pokémon trainer are honest and pure, one cannot say the same about all the other trainers you meet. Scientists seek to create powerful Pokémon through artificial means and members of Team Rocket -- the infamous criminal organization that plagues the Kanto region -- steal from the innocent to get what they want. These villainous people will battle you for meddling with their affairs, and Masuda's sinister theme suggests their ill intentions. Encounter! Bad Guy Trainer expresses such intentions through a chromatic melody and accented dissonances. In measures 1, 3 and 5 the square 1 channel approaches the tonic (B) step-wise from either a G§ or a D#. This gesture destabilizes the piece by clashing with either the F# in the wave table channel or the D§ in the square 2 generator. One of the most pronounced dissonances, however, comes on the second beat of measures 2 and 4. The semitone interval between the A# and B further stresses that portion of the measure beyond the extended note lengths. Masuda's deliberate use of dissonances here results in a theme that is just as mischievous as the people it describes.
128
Encounter! Bad Guy Trainer Pokémon Red and Blue
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129
Battle! Trainer Description ____________________________________________________
Out of all of the pieces in Masuda's score to Pokémon, the battle themes are the most complex in terms of structure and music theory. This should come as no surprise though, given the fact that the game's battle sequences are intense, fast-paced and unpredictable. This particular theme, Battle! Trainer, triggers when an opposing hiker, sailor, scientist -- or what have you -- challenges the player to a Pokémon battle. To begin the piece, there is a two measure chromatic flourish that represents a dissolve-to-black transition into the game's battle sequence. At rehearsal 1 the piece settles into a general key area of B, but the prominence of the flat 2 (C§) and the flat 5 (F§) in m. 3 - 10 obscures this interpretation slightly. The square 2 channel's melody stresses both of these notes, but the entrance of the square 1 channel in bar 7 tonicizes B with a sharp 7 (A#). By rehearsal 2 the piece sheds all ambiguity with a statement of a B minor chord that starts the following progression: i - bII - i - bVII - VI - bVII - VI - bVII. One will notice in this section from m. 11 - 26 that all root motion is by step with the chromatic movement from i to bII (otherwise known as the Neopolitan) standing out the most. This root motion continues into the following section at rehearsal 3, where there is a chromatic ascending sequence. The word "chromatic" refers to both the fast line in the square 2 channel and the rising chord progression: i - bii - ii - iii. Here Masuda uses a sequence to destabilize the key and ultimately modulate the piece from B minor to A minor by rehearsal 4. While this section begins in a new key, there are a couple similarities to the previous section at rehearsal 2. One will notice that the square 1 line in m. 41 42 and the melody in m. 11 - 12 are rhythmically identical, and both sections share a i - bII progression. However, the sections diverge in where they go; the beginning of the loop moves toward the bVII and VI chords whereas at rehearsal 5 the piece extends and develops the Neopolitan pitch space. Because this chord contributes significant to the harmonic content of the piece, m. 49 - 56 seem to highlight its structural importance. Though the Neopolitan appears in numerous places, its presence in the piece's second ascending sequence at rehearsal 6 is perhaps the most functionally significant. This sequence is similar to the one at rehearsal 3 in that it also rises chromatically, but while the first sequence ascends in minor chords this one ascends in major chords. In the key of A major the progression is as follows: I bII - II - bIII. The bIII chord, a C major triad, is unusual, but when analyzed in B minor it functions as that key's Neopolitan. Thus, Masuda modulates from A major to B minor (the key of the beginning of the loop) through the close semitone relationship between i and bII. Battle! Trainer stands as one of the longest and most complicated of Masuda's pieces. The deliberate use of the Neopolitan and chromatic sequences gives it an intensity and instability that is befitting for a battle theme.
130
Battle! Trainer Pokémon Red and Blue (1996)
Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
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Dissolve to black...
75% Duty Cycle
Square 1
mf
Square 2
Wave Table
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75% Duty Cycle
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135
Victory! Trainer Description ____________________________________________________
Battling other trainers is an unavoidable aspect of one's journey through the Pokémon world. Such battles challenge the player's ability to train their Pokémon effectively and counter the strengths of her opponent. Once the opposing trainer's last Pokémon faints, the music transitions from the battle theme into one that signals victory. Because it is impossible to predict how long any one battle may take, Masuda had to figure out a way to smoothen the transition from Battle! Trainer to Victory! Trainer. One way he does so is by maintaining the same tempo of q = 170 across both pieces. While the transition may occur in an awkward bar or even in the middle of a beat, the battle theme familiarizes the listener with the tempo and makes a sudden jump into new material less conspicuous. Regarding pitch space, Masuda takes advantage of the relationship between the two keys of Battle! Trainer, B minor and A minor, and Victory! Trainer's key of D major. A comparison between D major and B minor reveals that they share the same key signature, functioning as each other's relative major or minor, respectively. The relationship between D major and A minor is perhaps even stronger than this; A is the dominant of D and thus the key of A minor tonicizes the pitch a fifth below it. The battle theme incorporates strange chromatic chords (like the bII Neopolitan) that may make a transition to D major quite jarring, but Masuda's choice of tempo and key show a conscious effort to minimize this effect. Following an introductory statement of a I chord in the first measure, the victory theme moves into an eight bar loop. Measures 2 - 5 represent a four-bar phrase that features prominent II chords, while the latter half uses a rising sequence -- which passes through a bIII chord -- to approach a climax in measure 7. The piece's major key and abundance of major chords both contribute to its celebratory atmosphere. A victory theme's success is largely dependent on its relationship to the previous battle theme; it must seamlessly replace a loop that conveys feelings of anxiety and peril with a jubilant fanfare the conveys just the opposite. Masuda's careful choices in tempo and keys allow an effortless transition between opposing moods and prevent any jarring modulation from diminishing the victory theme's powerful effect. His use of non-diatonic major chords and a tension-building sequence highlight the uplifting emotions a player feels after she has triumphed over her opponent.
136
Victory! Trainer Pokémon Red and Blue Triumphantly! (q=170)
œ˙ ° ## 4 œ œ œ œ œ & 4 50% Duty Cycle
Square 1
3
3
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Square 2
3
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Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
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137
Cycling Description ____________________________________________________
The Kanto region is a huge place with almost a dozen towns and even more winding routes. Travelling by foot is surely an option, but to move around more quickly all the player needs to do is hop on a bicycle. Doing so overrides the current music -- whether it's a route or town theme -- with Masuda's light and breezy Cycling piece. Masuda expresses the thrill of riding a bike through tall grass and villages by employing a variety of techniques and smooth melodies over a steady accompaniment in a binary AB fom loop. The nine-measure-long A section has a flowing melody in the square one channel until measure 5, at which point both square wave channels trade off a short eighth note motive. The imitation here leads to a half cadence in m. 8 - 9, which allows for a pause before transitioning into the second half of the piece. Rehearsal 1 marks the beginning of the B section, which contains a contrasting melody and uses sequences. In m. 10 - 11 one can see a descending sequence in the square 1 generator, while in m. 16 - 17 both square wave channels outline an ascending sequence. The latter case represents the climax of the piece due to it's quicker harmonic pace (a chord change occurs every half measure as opposed to every measure) and build up to a melodic peak in bar 18. While the two sections display many different musical ideas, they also share a few aspects in common. Perhaps the most obvious is the continuous, offbeat percussion and the bouncy eighth note figure in the wave table line. In terms of the piece's harmonic structure, they share a tonicization of the subdominant with a prominent V7/IV chord. However, the secondary dominant in measure 4 resolves to a IV chord in contrast to the same chord in bar 15 that deceptively moves to a ii chord. The similar textures and harmonic tendencies lend Cycling a sturdy framework upon which Masuda can ornament with melodies, sequences and imitation. Listening to this piece gives the impression of riding on a bumpy trail with the wind in your hair and beautiful, iconic scenery flashing by on either side.
138
Cycling Pokémon Red and Blue 50% Duty Cycle œ ° 4œ ™œ œ œ &4 J ™
On a Scenic Trail (q=132)
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Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
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141
Ocean Description ____________________________________________________
Commonly known as the "surfing theme," Ocean plays whenever you hop on the back of one of your water Pokémon and go for a swim. To convey the feeling of bouncing around on top of waves, Masuda structures his piece using a traditional dance form called the waltz. This dance form has all of its strong beats divided in three (called triple meter) as the 6/8 time signature implies. Triple meter creates the sense of swaying back and forth whereas duple meter -which has every strong beat divided into two -- can feel more rigid and mechanical. Masuda composed his water-themed waltz as a binary form piece with the following phrase structure: (Intro) A A' B B'. In the A section the square 1 channel hold the melody while the square 2 channel plays an offbeat accompaniment figure. The following B section features a contrasting melody in the square 1 generator -- which develops the rhythm in the first measure of the piece -- and a smooth, stepwise line that enters in the square 2 generator. Common to both sections is the triplet pattern in the wave table channel that emphasizes the theme's triple meter. While using a waltz form for a water theme is quite fitting, it was hardly a revolutionary idea in 1996; another popular Nintendo game called Super Mario Bros. used the exact idea more than a decade ago. Composer Koji Kondo wrote an iconic Underwater theme in triple time that perhaps most famously created the water-waltz association in video games. It does not seem that there are enough similarities between the two themes to say that Masuda directly quoted Kondo's piece, but the composer's choice to use the waltz creates an unavoidable connection to one of the most popular video games of its time. Whether or not Masuda drew inspiration from Kondo, Ocean still stands unique in its melody and emotive in its theoretical construction.
142
Ocean Pokémon Red and Blue 75% Duty Cycle ° ### 6 & 8 œ œ™ œ œ™ œ™
Floating (q.=79)
Square 1
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Cinnabar Island Description ____________________________________________________
Just a short swim south from Pallet Town lies an island with a dormant volcano, one that many people just so happen to call home. Blaine, the eighth and final gym leader, trains his fire-type Pokémon on Cinnabar Island across from a group of scientists who conduct research on reviving ancient fossils. While the burned and abandoned mansion on the island's shore creates a mysterious atmosphere, the town is warm and welcoming to visitors from all walks of life. When Masuda sat down to compose Cinnabar Island, he needed to answer an important question whether he was conscious of it or not: What aspect of the town do I want my music to highlight? Looking at his other town themes he addresses this question quite clearly; Lavender Town accentuates the supernatural aura of the local Pokémon grave sites while Pallet Town emphasizes the nostalgia associated with where one calls their home. These two places benefit from having a prevalent theme that the music should naturally reinforce. However, in the case of Cinnabar Island, several concepts compete for priority. There is the enigmatic mansion in the corner of the island, the dangerous volcano that threatens to erupt at any moment, and the quiet, charming character of Blaine and the other residents. Cinnabar Island is a town of many faces, and Masuda had to choose which mask to wear. Upon listening to this piece, it is obvious that his music highlights the people rather than the places. The theme's G major key, flowing melody and sprightly accompaniment bring about thoughts of peaceful living and lovable people. No hint of mystery or danger even dares to show its face, though one can argue that the secrets behind the Pokémon Mansion are the most significant part of Cinnibar Island due to its contribution to the game's narrative (see the description of Pokémon Mansion for more information). Why Masuda chose to highlight this aspect of the town is not clear. Perhaps he wrote this theme without knowing the full backstory of the island or maybe he felt fond of this specific theme. No matter his thinking, his music affects how the player perceives Cinnabar Island and its inhabitants. Beyond the music-mood associations in this piece, Masuda uses the square generator to create an echoing effect. In bar 8 the square 2 channel plays a threenote, stepwise gesture and repeats it while fading the volume. This technique is a manual implementation of delay, which uses the concept of fractional feedback to progressively decay a sound. Because the Game Boy's sound chip does not have the plug-in capabilities of modern digital audio workstations (DAWs), Masuda uses its volume manipulation to imitate a more complex effect. Every choice a composer makes contributes to the mood of the piece whether its about form, key, melody or structure. Masuda's decision to write a pleasant theme for Cinnabar Island reveals that the development team wanted the player to focus on the town's charming atmosphere rather than the looming volcano or the abandoned mansion in the distance.
146
Cinnabar Island Pokémon Red and Blue
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147
Pokémon Mansion Description ____________________________________________________
Once the majestic home of Dr. Fuji -- the scientist who cloned Mew to create Mewtwo -- the Pokémon Mansion is now abandoned and destroyed following the escape of the scientist's creation and the eruption of Cinnabar Island's volcano. The player explores the ruins of this mansion, finding journal entries that document the birth of Mewtwo and battling other scientists and burgulars who have come to pilfer the building's secrets. For a place that exudes a palpable sense of mystery, Masuda's music is just as ominous. His piece opens with a high square wave that leaps haphazardly over a steady base line (note: square wave 2 transposes up an octave). Compared to tracks like Cerulean City and Pallet Town which begin with a catchy melody, Pokémon Mansion opens with the complete opposite. The square 2 channel here is so unmelodic and rhythmically so difficult that one could hardly expect to sing it like many of Masuda's other tunes. The chromatic line that enters at measure 9 in the square 1 channel gives the piece a more melodic basis, but the unpredictable rhythmic background distinguishes it from the game's other tracks. One aspect of Pokémon Mansion that captures its unsettling tone is its untraditional structure. Rather than being based on strict phrase units, it contains an independent loop in each channel in terms of length, pitch and rhythm that all overlap to create a texture that is evolving constantly -- what I call a nested loop. I use the word "nested" in particular because in some cases (like this one) you can find even smaller loops within each channel's overall loop akin to a Russian nesting doll. For example, the square 2's overall loop is 21 and 5/16ths measures long, but its first 1 and 5/16ths measures represents a smaller loop that repeats 14 times in a row. That example is a rather extreme one, but I reference it because Pokémon Mansion is a rather extreme piece. The square 1 loop is 16 bars long (starting at m. 9), the square 2 loop is 21 and 9/16ths bars long, the wave table loop is 36 bars long, and finally the noise loop is 2 bars long (starting at m. 3). Because of the absurd variation in loop lengths, it would take 16,568 bars or over 8 hours for Pokémon Mansion to loop once! Lavender Town, Viridian Forest, and Professor Oak's Lab are the only other pieces in which Masuda uses this technique but not nearly on the same level of complexity or scale. To simplify this transcription, the score only shows a single repetition of each channel's loop. Presenting the piece in its entirety would take an astounding 1,755 pages of sheet music -- I know that because I've made a score of the piece of that exact length and trust me, it's NOT worth your time! This discussion here is just scratching the surface of nested loops. For more information check out my talk, "Loops Within Loops: A Modular Approach to Mystery in Pokémon Red and Blue" on my YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/VOF-SijlAU8. The advanced concepts I introduce there can help you identify this structure in other pieces and even implement it in your own compositions.
148
Pokémon Mansion Pokémon Red and Blue
Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
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151
The Final Road Description ____________________________________________________
Once the player has collected the eight gym badges in the Kanto region, it is time to head to Indigo Plateau where the strongest Pokémon trainers await them: the Elite Four. However, the journey to Indigo Plateau is not without challenges, and traversing The Final Road is the first of many steps to getting there. By the looks of the homophonic, quarter note texture that dominates this piece, taking those first steps may be exactly what Masuda is trying to convey. The deliberate, steady rhythm and repetition of notes imitate the player's footsteps as she heads toward Indigo Plateau. Such an intimidating place can (and should) give the player some amount of anxiety, but the beat encourages her to keep moving forward. The piece seems to support these emotions through punctuated dissonances on the fourth beat of a measure (see m. 6) and a motivating chordal statement in the final two bars. For a piece that the player will hear toward the end of the game -- as its name suggests -- The Final Road has a number of striking similarities to Opening Battle!, the very first track of the game. Resemblances include the key of D minor, a homophonic texture, the use of flat-2 dissonances (see m. 2 and 6), and the utilization of the out-of-key #III chord (see m. 10). Additionally, both pieces have a two bar statement of chords in half notes (m. 17 - 18 here and m. 4 - 5 in Opening Battle!). Though these connections may simply indicate that Masuda wrote the pieces concurrently with no narrative implication, both pieces appear to be associated with the Elite Four. As a reminder, the game's opening scene has a Gengar (on the player's side of the screen) battling either a Nidoran or a Jigglypuff depending on the version. Curiously enough, one of the Elite Four members, Agatha, owns not one but two Gengars in her party. Could the opening battle scene be from Agatha's perspective and the Nidoran or Jigglypuff be the player's Pokémon? If so, The Final Road foreshadows the player's encounter with Agatha and gives deeper meaning to the opening scene that at first seems inconsequential. Were it not for Masuda's reoccurring musical ideas, such an association would not be possible.
152
The Final Road Pokémon Red and Blue
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Final Battle! Rival Description ____________________________________________________
Eight gym leaders and four Elite trainers later, you are standing face-toface with the Pokémon League Champion: your hometown rival Gary. He has always been a step ahead of you throughout your journey, and that includes reaching your goal of becoming the best Pokémon trainer in the Kanto region. However all that can change. In this moment all it takes is one final battle to seize your dream and prove once and for all that no other trainer can stand in your way. For the single most important battle in the entire game, Masuda wrote a unique theme that captures its atmosphere of tension and anxiety through a build up of texture and development of motives. After two bars of frantic chromatic motion, Final Battle! Rival settles on a minimal homophonic texture that stresses the pitch E on the strong beats. Over m. 3 - 10, Masuda builds the texture by adding accented notes on the off-beats and a fast 16th note line in the square 1 channel. While the pedal E and leading tone of D# here imply a key of E minor, the presence of the flat 2 (F§) gives the section a dissonant character. Masuda reveals the true chromatic nature of the piece at rehearsal 2, where all three voices trace a descending motive in parallel motion: E - D# - D§ B - A# - B. The square 1 channel most clearly states the gesture, while the square 2 and wave table lines disguise it amongst a more active part. This motive has unusual harmonic implications as shown by a chord progression analysis of the section: i - #vii - bvii - v - V/V - v. Following a restatement of the build-up section in m. 21 - 24, the piece moves into a rising sequence at rehearsal 3. Like the other battle themes that use sequences, the chord progression moves chromatically up, each time by a semitone (see Battle! Trainer, rehearsal 3). In this case, however, the sequence stops after a third statement, instead using a phrase extension to settle on a ii chord. The section at rehearsal 4 continues the rising harmonic motion, which modulates the theme to A major and climaxes on that key's bII chord before stabilizing on its tonic. The section starting at rehearsal 5 moves the piece back to E minor, first through a IIIM7 chord and then by recapitulating the descending motive in m. 44 - 46. The subsequent bars leading to the theme's loop point restate the gesture another two times -- once in the square wave channels in m. 48 - 50 and again in m. 52 - 53 in the wave table generator. The fact that Masuda recapitulates the melody three times here shows its importance to both the structure and intense character of the piece. For the game's final battle against your longtime rival, Masuda wrote a theme that does justice to its difficulty and narrative significance. The introduction builds up tension by gradually adding to the texture, and the main melody uses chromatic motion and untraditional harmony to represent your struggles as you confront the final obstacle of your adventure.
156
Final Battle! Rival Pokémon Red and Blue Intensely (q=170)
Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
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Sq. 1
Sq. 2
Wave
1 Battle!
#
& œ œ ‰ Œ nœ œ ‰ Œ
# & ¢ œœ‰ Œ œœ‰ Œ
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nœ œ ‰ Œ #œ œ ‰ #œj ‰ . -œ -œ -œ œ- œ œ ‰ ‰ ‰ œœ œœ œœ œœ
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mp
œ-œ
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° # ™˙ & ™
Sq. 1
157
2
11
#˙
n˙
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mf
Sq. 2
# ™ & ™œ œ
Wave
? # ™™ œ ‰ ¢ ° #˙ & 15
Sq. 1
Sq. 2
Wave
Sq. 2
#œ ‰
#˙
r œœ œ ≈ œ œ≈ n œ œ œ nœ#œ nœ #œ
˙
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n˙
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Sq. 1
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#œ œ
n˙
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& œ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ Œ œ œ ‰ Œ mf
Wave
# œ & ¢ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
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Sq. 1
Sq. 2
Wave
# & ¢ œ œ ‰ œ- œ œ œ œ -
œ œ ‰ œ-
œ œ ‰ nœ-
œ œ ‰ œ-
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158
° # œ nœ#œ ˙ & 25
Sq. 1
Sq. 2
Wave
Sq. 2
Wave
Sq. 2
Wave
# œ œ œ œ & ¢ œ œ œ œ ° # #œ &
Sq. 2
Wave
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p
mf
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w
mf
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# #œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ#œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ & œ œ œ œ œ œ ¢ ° # & w
nw
˙
b˙
#
bw
n˙
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Sq. 1
#œ œ ˙
& œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ ‰ œ œ ‰ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œnœ œ ‰ œ œ ‰ œ œ ‰ œ œ
33
Sq. 1
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#
29
Sq. 1
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3
& w
w #œ œ ˙
w œ #œ ˙
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° # œ#œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ#œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. & 42
Sq. 1
Sq. 2
5
˙
# œ#œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ#œ œ œ œ œ œ œ &
œ
p
Wave
Sq. 2
Wave
° # ˙ & # & ˙
Sq. 2
Wave
˙
˙
mp
mf
˙
œ
#
¢ & œ œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ ° # & #œ 50
Sq. 1
mf
#˙ œ
n˙
˙
#œ œ ˙
#œ #œ nœ nœ œ œ #œ œ ˙
# œ œ œ œ œ œ œ & ¢ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ#œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œnœ#œnœ #œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 47
Sq. 1
159
œ
#
& #œ #
¢& œ
˙
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˙ œ
œ
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œ
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#˙ œ
#œ
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n˙
mp
mf
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nœ
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161
Hall of Fame Description ____________________________________________________
Defeating the Elite Four and the League Champion is the final step to becoming the best Pokémon trainer in the Kanto region. Successfully beating them is a huge accomplishment, and your long-time mentor Professor Oak congratulates you on your victory after the final battle. He guides you to a console in the next room which records your name and the names of your Pokémon in the Hall of Fame. As the game recognizes your team in a short cut scene, Masuda's celebratory theme plays in the background. As a nod to the beginning of the game and how far you have come as a player, the basic harmonic progression here is the same as the one in Title Screen and Pokémon Gym: I - bVII. The piece is structured as four statements of a four-bar phrase with the subtonic chord arriving on the fourth measure of each statement (see square channels in m. 4, 8, 12 and 16). What complicates the harmony is the fact that the wave table channel holds a pedal I for the first 12 measures and later shifts accompaniment in the last 4 bars. The melody in the square 2 channel also contains dissonant notes in relation to the wave table's pedal tones, which makes a chordal analysis more difficult. However, the altered accompaniment in the last four measures seems to imply the following progression (disregarding inversions): I - IV - V bVII. Masuda takes a simple harmonic idea and develops it through pedal tones and non-chord notes to create a unique theme for your greatest victory.
162
Hall of Fame Pokémon Red and Blue
° #4 & 4œœœœ˙
Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
Congratulations! (q=170) 75% Duty Cycle
Square 1
#4 & 4
Square 2
Wave Table
œœœœœœœœ œœœœ˙
mf
∑
∑
∑
nœ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ
75% Duty Cycle
Ó
Œ
œ œnœ#œ
mf
#4 & ¢ 4œœœœœœœœ œœœœœœœœ œœœœœœœœ œœœœœœœ œ mf
° # & œ œ œ œ ˙ 5
Sq. 1
Sq. 2
Wave
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙
#w &
Sq. 2
Wave
¢& œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ° # & œ œ œ œ ˙
Sq. 2
Wave
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙
#w &
#w
w
nœ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ nw
#
¢& œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ° # & œ œ œ œ ˙
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙
# & ¢ œ
œ
13
Sq. 1
nw
#
9
Sq. 1
#w
w
nœ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ
#w &
œ
œ œ
#w
w
œ
œ
œ
œ
œ
œ œ
nœ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ nw œ
œ
œ
œ
° # ™ & ™œ œ œ œ ˙
163
17
Sq. 1
Sq. 2
Wave
# ™ & ™
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙
mf
∑
∑
nœ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ
∑
∑
# ™ ™œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ & ¢ mf
° # & œ œ œ œ ˙ 21
Sq. 1
Sq. 2
Wave
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙
#w &
Sq. 2
Wave
Sq. 2
Wave
nw
# & ¢ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ° # & œ œ œ œ ˙
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙
#w &
nœ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ
#w
w
nw
# & ¢ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ° # & œ œ œ œ ˙
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙
# & ¢ œ
œ
29
Sq. 1
#w
w
25
Sq. 1
nœ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ
#w &
œ
œ œ
#w
w
œ
œ
œ
œ
œ
œ œ
nœ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ ™™ ™™
nw œ
œ
œ
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™™
165
End Credits Description ____________________________________________________
All great adventures must one day come to an end. Defeating the Pokémon Champion and getting inducted into the Hall of Fame completes the Pokémon adventure and brings the player to the end credits. The producers, artists and programmers who are responsible for bringing the game world to life are listed and thanked, each in turn. As a way to send off the player, Masuda composed a minute and a half long finale which stands as one of the longest pieces on the soundtrack and a rare instance of unlooping music. To convey a nostalgic mood, this piece recapitulates and develops established motivic and harmonic ideas. In terms of narrative, this serves to remind the player of the obstacles they overcame and the many places they visited throughout their journey. Just from the first two measures of End Credits, which features the pervasive [q. xx] rhythm, one can recall the themes of many other pieces. Both Pokémon Gym and Victory! Gym Leader begin with two bars featuring the same rhythmic motive, and other pieces like To Bill's Origin - From Cerulean City emphasize the motive in its melodies. Though these associations are quite telling, the gesture most significantly connects this piece to the Title Screen music. The opening piece contains the first statement of this rhythmic motive but in a form that descends chromatically by step. From the many instances of this exact gesture in End Credits (see m. 25 - 26 and 49 - 50 for example), one can see that Masuda linked the two pieces as a pair: an overture and a finale. This motive, however, is not the only connection to Title Screen. The overture's main melody begins with a different gesture, one that traces an ascending major triad in the following rhythm: [q. eh]. Looking at bars 11 - 14 and 52 - 53 for example, Masuda clearly references this motive in End Credits. As even more evidence of the overture-finale pairing, the harmonic motion from I to bVII -- which Masuda focuses on in Title Screen -- happens so many times in this piece that one might as well cite the entire score. Another motive that Masuda references here is the rhythm in m. 3 - 4 and 54 - 56. If one is familiar with the track Road to Cerulean City - From Mt. Moon, one would recognize this rhythm as the pattern in the wave table channel of that piece. Because the Road theme accompanies the player while they are on a route, the quote here conjures the memory of exploring the Kanto region. In the final moments of End Credits, all three channels state this motive on a tonic A across two different octaves. Though this ending gives proper resolution to the piece and the score as a whole, one can also interpret it as a reference to the ending of Opening Battle!, which concludes with D's across three different octaves. End Credits proves to be an amalgamation of established motives and gestures -- a piece that stands upon the shoulders of Masuda's most prominent musical ideas. While this track does not offer many new musical ideas, it does offer a fair share of nostalgia and a final trip down memory lane.
166
End Credits Pokémon Red and Blue 75% Duty Cycle ™ œ # ° ## 4 œ œ nœ ™ œ œ ˙ ™ & 4
Composed by Junichi Masuda (1996) Transcribed by Mark Benis (2016)
Looking to the Future, yet Nostalgic (q=136)
Square 1
#œ œ œ -œ j œ. ‰ œ œ œ. œ. œ. ‰ œ. œ. ‰ œ œ œ. œ. œ œ œ œ
mf
### 4 œ™ œ œ ™ œ œ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ . œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œj ‰ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œnœ & 4 nœ œ . . . . . . . . . mf . ### 4 œ™ œ œ ™ œ œ œ ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œJ ‰ Œ Ó ∑ œ ¢& 4 75% Duty Cycle
Square 2
Wave Table
mf
° ### œ™ & 5
Sq. 1
### & œ
Sq. 2
Wave
1
¢
### &
° ### œ™ & ### & œ
Sq. 2
Wave
¢
### &
Sq. 1
Sq. 2
Wave
nœ
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œ
Ϫ
j œ˙
œ nœ œ œ œ ™ œ
j œœ
œ
œ
j˙ œ
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œ
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œ
nœ
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Ϫ
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jœ œ
œ
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j˙ œ
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œ
œ œ œ œ nœ œ
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° ### œ ™ & 13
œ œ nœ
œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ
9
Sq. 1
œœœ
2
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œ J
n˙
nœ ™
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j˙ œ
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j œ nœ
œ
w
œ
nœ
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œ
œ
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° ### œ ™ & 17
Sq. 1
### & nœ
Sq. 2
Wave
œ J œ
n˙
œœœœœ
° ### w & ### & n˙
Sq. 2
Wave
j˙ œ
Ϫ
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j œ nœ œ
œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ ™
˙
˙
w
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˙
27
Sq. 1
### &
Sq. 2
Wave
¢
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Sq. 2
Wave
w
Ϫ
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w
nœ ™ #œnœ
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Ó
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Ϫ
nœ œ w
Ϫ
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w
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° ### w &
˙
### & nœ ™
j œ œ n˙ œ œ
32
Sq. 1
nœ ™ #œnœ ˙
### ¢& œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ° ### & w
œ œnœ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ
3
w
nœ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ
### œœœ œœœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ & n œ œ œ œ n œ œ œ œ ¢ 22
Sq. 1
nœ ™
˙
167
œ™ œ #œ
œ œ ˙™ ˙
œ ˙
4
w ˙
œ
˙™ ˙
>˙
>˙
### ¢ & œnœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œnœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
168
° ### & ˙
˙
˙™
>˙
˙
37
Sq. 1
### &
Sq. 2
Wave
¢
### &
>˙
Sq. 2
Wave
° ### ˙ ™ & ### & n˙
nœ n˙
Sq. 2
Wave
° ### & w ### &
Sq. 2
Wave
˙™
˙
˙
˙
œ
n˙
˙
˙
n˙
˙
˙
˙
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w
w
˙
˙
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œ ˙
nœ ™ #œnœ ˙ ™
nœ ™
œ ˙ J
Ϫ
j nœ œ œ
5
w
Ϫ
œnœ ™ #œnœ ˙ J
œ œ œ œ
### ¢& œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ° ### & nœ ™ 52
Sq. 1
˙
### œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ¢ & nœ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 47
Sq. 1
˙
˙
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œnœ œ œ œ œ œ
42
Sq. 1
œ
### & Ϫ
œ ˙ J j nœ œ œ
Ϫ
œn˙ J
œ œ œ œ
œ
œœœœœœœœ
nœ ™ #œnœ ˙
œ œ
œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ
œœœœœœœœ
œœœœœœœœ
w
w
œ. œ. œ œ œ. ‰ J ‰Œ
w
w
j œ. œ. ‰ œ œ œ. ‰ Œ
### œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ j‰ j‰ j‰ Œ ‰ ‰ ‰ œ œ œœœ œ œ œ œ œœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ & n œ œ œ œ n œ œ œ œ . . . . . . . . . . . . . ¢
171
Conclusion ____________________________________________________
Even after browsing through these transcriptions one thing should be patently clear: Masuda's score to Pokémon Red and Blue is anything but simple. He introduces and develops a plethora of catchy themes and motivic material from beginning to end; the harmonies and chromaticism in the battle themes are surprisingly daring; and complex structural choices -- especially in Pokémon Mansion and Lavender Town -- give us a glimpse into the mind of a composer who wasn't afraid to take risks. For a game made over two decades ago on technology that wouldn't pass for even the most primitive flip phone Masuda pushed his music to the limits. Rather than using the sound chip as an excuse he used it as inspiration. I often wonder what Pokémon music would sound like had Masuda written for an orchestra instead of a sound chip and frankly I'm glad we don't live in that timeline. What makes his music so fascinating and worth studying is how it embraces the Game Boy's technology and works around it in creative and innovative ways. After spending an unspeakable amount of time with this score I can reduce what I've learned from it to three words: limitations breed creativity. Whether you're a pixel artist using only four shades of green, a programmer with only so much memory or a composer with three voices and percussion, limitations can only limit you if you let them. Pokémon Red and Blue may be over two decades old but the lessons we can learn from Masuda are truly timeless.
172
173
About the Author ____________________________________________________
Mark Benis is a composer, conductor and researcher from New York, NY with a passion for films and video games. His dual-degree education in music and engineering -- as well as his background as a pianist and violinist -- makes him a capable orchestrator, score editor and music producer of both concert and visual media works. Recently Mark presented a paper on Pokémon titled, "Loops Within Loops: A Modular Approach to Mystery in Pokémon Red and Blue" at the North American Conference Conference on Video Game Music (NACVGM). Besides continuing his research on video games, Mark plans to release an album of 8-bit music in 2017, and in the fall he will pursue a Masters in Film and Video Game Scoring at NYU. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------If you'd like to see more of my work and stay up to date on my projects check out my website, markbenis.com, or shoot me a follow @mark_benis. Your support means so much to me and it allows me to do what I love -- which obviously includes nerding out about Pokémon music. Questions or comments? Feel free to contact me at:
[email protected]. All the best on your adventures! Mark
