Découvrez la vidéo Official PlayStation Used Game Instructional Video Theme de Video Game Pianist sur Le Fil YouTube de Piano Partage.

Please enjoy my performance of the Official PlayStation Used Game Instructional Video Theme!

The Official PlayStation Used Game Instructional Video can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWSIFh8ICaA

Let's identify and examine the compositional techniques used in the Official PlayStation Used Game Instructional Video Theme! Please refer to the following video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWSIFh8ICaA and sheet music http://www.videogamepianist.com/sheetmusic/ps4_used_game_instructional_video.pdf .

The opening chord is a C minor seventh chord in first inversion with an added fourth. The added fourth partially negates the sad emotions associated with the minor mode. The seventh suggests a laidback feeling.

There is a surprise when the mode changes from minor to major when the strings start playing a harmonic progression. The harmonic progression is a minor vi7, F Major IV Sus9, C Major I Sus9, and G Major V Sus4. This progression can be looped ad finitum, since G Major can logically go to a minor, and a minor is the first chord of the progression.

The progression goes by once and returns to a minor. In the video I extended the progression to further establish a peaceful mood. The chords do not occur at every quarter note. Instead, the 7/8 meter adds a gentle swaying feeling to the rhythm. The pattern is 3 + 4 and 3 + 5.

Suddenly the music changes. The lull of the harmonic progression is broken. The words "Play-Sta-tion" are spoken and there is a surprising harmony of a G tritone! This is a big deal since the tritone interval is one of the most dissonant intervals. It was once thought of being the devil's interval in the Baroque period and a "no-no" interval for composers. There is a D-flat for "Play," a C for "Sta," and a G for "tion." Notice the tritone interval between D-flat and G! The music suddenly stops.

There is a three against two resultant rhythm when "Play-Sta-tion" is spoken. I hear a G pitch in the three portion, and I added the D-flat tritone in the right hand to complement the tritone interval in the left hand.

After the previous peaceful and calm harmonic progression, there is a sharp contrast just as contrasting as the black and white PlayStation logo! The tritone dramatically appears!

The use of the tritone in a game logo is unusual. For the Nintendo GameCube startup sound, a lot of fourths and pentatonic harmonies were used. The ending chord did have a tritone in it, however, it was concealed well in a C dominant seventh chord in 4/2 position! The Intel theme is based on a perfect fourth and a perfect fifth. The Windows XP startup sound effect also contains fourths and fifths and no tritone.

Piano master class:

Enjoy the various harmonies. Pay attention to the rests! Have fun!

Technical challenges: shaping and connecting the chords in the harmonic progression, playing a three against two rhythm, and staccato and legato playing.

Musical challenges: expressing the dissonances, giving the chords direction, and hearing the inner voices.

Official PlayStation Used Game Instructional Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWSIFh8ICaA
PlayStation 3 Logo sound effect: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyYwLUQdN3M
Nintendo GameCube startup sound: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3Mv4_nDNyo
Intel Leap ahead theme: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRLyMjvug1M
Windows XP Startup Sound: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nQ2oiVqKHw
Sheet music: http://www.videogamepianist.com/sheetmusic/ps4_used_game_instructional_video.pdf
Video Game Pianist official site: http://www.videogamepianist.com