Uploaded July 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Composer: Nobuo Uematsu
Arranger: Shirou Sagisu
JereMii
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Phantom Train - FFVI Piano Collections
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![21 - Under Martial Law [Sheet Music] - Final Fantasy VI - Aural Transcription](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/uAbJ-HhwvkU/mqdefault.jpg "21 - Under Martial Law [Sheet Music] - Final Fantasy VI - Aural Transcription
Aural Transcription. Link to the original soundtrack here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AhqyAGGpog
Completed with lots of programs and stuff. :P
Alright, so heres a theme of oppression. Harmonically speaking, it starts out with an 8-bar intro in G minor that brings us to the main melody in E minor. This is a very common technique used by Uematsu to use direct modulation and arrive a minor 3rd away from the previous tonic.
Because the cadences after each phrase are identical and the melodic structure is practically the same, the melody in E minor takes on the form of a repeated period. After this the piece uses direct modulation yet again; however, this time Uematsu chooses to modulate to C minor, a major 3rd away from the previous tonic (or rather the key of bVI). This type of DIRECT modulation is much more uncommon in Uematsus music.
Overall, the piece consists of an 8-bar intro followed by a repeated period followed by the exact same repeated period but in the key of bVI.")
![20 - Kids Run Through the City Corner [Sheet Music] Final Fantasy VI - Aural Transcription](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/upNZLH-HEjg/mqdefault.jpg "20 - Kids Run Through the City Corner [Sheet Music] Final Fantasy VI - Aural Transcription
Aural Transcription. Everything youre hearing is a recreation of the original soundtrack by ear. Check out the original track here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpZDSFitwQg
Analysis
The average town theme is typically a more simplistic and often soothing tune representing the peacefulness within the lives of the townspeople. This piece is in G major and has a simple AB structure. Although the first time through the A section is repeated (making it AAB), after the loop point the structure remains AB throughout.
The chord progression incorporates a nice bVII sound whose root is then raised a half-step to create the leading tone of the dominant chord which resolves back to the tonic. Represented as follows: I - vi - I - iii - IV - ii - bVII - V7. This half-cadence concludes the first phrase (a) of the parallel period which constitutes the entire A section. Following this we have the phrase a (a prime) which is as follows: I - vi - iii - V7/IV - IV - V - viiº(4/3) - I. The diminished 7 chord is also a nice moment incorporating the lowered 6th scale degree (Eb) which is often heard in the context of a iv or a iiø resolving to I However, due to the F# on the third beat of the measure, I decided to analyze the entire measure as a single chord (viiº7) resolving to I.
In the B section we get the following chord progression in the first phrase: IV - V - iii - I - IV - ii - I - iii. The second phrase (which can be called b) incorporates the use of secondary dominants as well as the bVII again: vi - V/V - vi - bVII - IV - V7 - viiº4/3 - I. Notice how in the melody the b phrase in the B section ends the same exact way as the a phrase during the A section.
Melodically speaking, this piece is full of patterns that are repeated throughout. During the entrance of the second flute, the melody is almost entirely a tonal transposition up a third, though near the cadence some contrary motion is added. At the beginning of the B section, the strings also take on the same shape as the melody except transposed down a tonal third.
Accompanimentally, the electric bass is playing roots just about the entire time and the acoustic guitar is arpeggiating the chord progression throughout. The string section is also playing chord tones for the most part, but it does add a nice texture to the piece.
Download sheet music here!
http://www.mediafire.com/download/31cjpcsvvbq8z7x/20 Kids_Run_Through_the_City_Corner.pdf")
![14 - The Unforgiven [Sheet Music] Final Fantasy VI - Aural Transcription](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wvvB7gFGT48/mqdefault.jpg "14 - The Unforgiven [Sheet Music] Final Fantasy VI - Aural Transcription
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!
This is an aural transcription meaning that everything you hear was created entirely by ear using only the original soundtrack recording for reference.
Compare to the original recording here!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfif5WT8NgM
Track 14: The Unforgiven
Composer: Nobuo Uematsu
For this project I used:
-Sibelius 6
-SynthFont
-Total Recorder
-SwitchSound File Converter
-Customized soundfont by Mathew Valente (the Chrono Trigger Resurrection guy)
-GarageBand
-iShowU
-iMovies
Watch in HD!
Analysis
Heres an interesting piece that at first glance sounds much more complex than the few instruments that are needed. This has a very heavy rhythmic feel and is actually notated in 10/8 or 3 + 3 + 4. Percussion definitely drives this piece and pushes it along giving it the frantic feel it has. The strings are also an interesting feature. Though they serve mostly as an accompaniment figure, the rapid and unpredictable ascending/descending figures help add to the overall effect.
This piece also modulates quite frequently. It begins in F minor, though it sounds like C minor with a lowered 9th. After the initial theme (in the horn and timpani), the piece modulates up a 4th and repeats the theme again. Now in B-flat minor, when the piece finishes the statement of the theme again, the flute comes in on a B-flat minor descending scale which soon modulates up a 4th again to E-flat minor where the trombone takes over the melodic line. (Could this be implicative of extended quartal structure)?
An interesting thing to note is that when the snare drum is playing under the trombone melody in measure 15, the timpani takes over the same rhythm in measure 17. Kind of a cool technique I thought.
After this, there is chromatic descent in whole notes from the horn, trombone and timpani (for the most part), whereas the strings descend much more frantically with 16th notes. In addition, after a 4 note figure in the string descent, the descend will start again a half step higher than the last note of the previous descent.
Download the full score pdf here!
http://www.mediafire.com/?522o4cffuy9igu4")
