![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nyankoframeThis is the second piece which I originally wanted to do earlier this morning together with the first one, but I ran out of time. :P
My analysis is based on the piano version, but the vocal version is similar in its underlying harmonies and melodies. As always, this analysis may contain mistakes, and it's not meant to be definitive in any way or form. It's just my attempt to understand why I like this song. :)
Title: Modokashii Sekai no Ue de (Sasakura Yuugo arr. Shimada Masanori / Makino Yui)
Key: G major
I can't take any credit for transliterating the lyrics into romaji, which must instead go to a very good friend of mine who offered her services.
Moshi mo ashita
Kono sekai ga owaru to shite mo
Kimi no koto dakara
"Sore nara sore de mo ii ka" sukkinai taido toru no ka na?
Muri suru koto wa nai kedo
Tama ni de mo ii kara kao wo agete
Kocchi o mite yo
Watashi o mite
Chibboke na sekai na no ni
Naze darou
Kono ryoute ni wa ooki sugiru
Hateshinai sekai na no ni
Naze darou
Kono ryoute ni wa chiisa sugiru
Ne~
Modokashii asa no hikari no naka de
Kimi to waraitai
Itsu kara darou
Jibun ni usotsuite mo jishin ga motenakute
Nigemichi o tsukutteta hazu na no ni
Kizuitara meiro o tsukutteta
Kimi no nageku sugata wa
Egao e tsuzuite yukunda yo ne?
Shinjite mitai
Watashi o mite
Chibboke na sekai na no ni
Doushite
Kitai ni mune ga fukuramu no?
Hateshinai sekai na no ni
Doushite
Nan ni mo kitai ga motenai no?
Ne~
Modokashii tsuki no hikari no shita de
Kimi to waraitai
tomadoi no kisetsu ga meguru
Naze darou
Chibboke na sekai na no ni...
Chibboke na sekai na no ni...
Sore na no ni
Chibboke na sekai na no ni
Naze darou
Kono ryoute ni wa ooki sugiru
Hateshinai sekai na no ni
Naze darou
Kono ryoute ni wa chiisa sugiru
Chibboke na sekai na no ni
Doushite
Kitai ni mune ga fukuramu no?
Chibboke na sekai dakara
Mou sukoshi
Saki made aruite mi you ka
Modokashii sekai no ue de
Kimi to waratteitai yo
All chord notations are based upon Roman numerals corresponding to the notes of the scale. Thus for G major, I (the tonic) is G, II (the supertonic) is A, III (submediant) is B, IV (subdominant) is C, V (dominant) is D, VI (mediant) is E and VII ("leading note", which leads to the tonic) is F♯.
The song starts with an introductory section in G major, in the following chord progression:
a) I - VI [embellished] - IV - V
There are three repeating chord progressions for the main melody:
b) [I - VI - IV - III♮ - IV] x2
c) V - IV - III♮ - VI♯ - VII (C♯)
d) II - V
The refrain follows the pattern of:
e) [I - VI - IV - V] x2
f) VI - V - IV - I - V - I (with a chromatically descending progression from VI to IV)
And the ending is as follows:
g) I - [IV - V]x3 - V - I
In tonal classical music, the "perfect cadence" (V - I) is one of the most common ways to end a piece or a section of music, because it represents a finality of the musical flow as the piece returns to its "home" in the tonic chord I (with the tonic and the dominant) from a chord (V) that contains both the leading note and dominant.
Apart from the use of G major as this piece's key -- a key which conveys a feeling of optimism and upbeat outlook -- the use of perfect cadences in f) and g) helps convey a feeling of closure to their respective sections. In the case of the refrain f), it marks the end of the refrain and allows the next section to start without sounding like a continuation of the refrain. At g), the perfect cadence ends the piece as a whole.
The interrupted cadences (chord progressions ending in V) in a), d) and e) are not as "powerful" as a perfect cadence would be, but they also serve a similar purpose in concluding their respective sections. Arguably, replacing these cadences with a perfect cadence in each case destroys the character of the music, because the melody no longer flows from each section to its subsequent refrain at d), and placing a perfect cadence at a) doesn't serve much purpose.
Progressions b) and c) are interesting in their musical development. Although b) contains an altered chord (the III♮, which is B - D - F♮), and c) adds two more altered chords (VI♯, E - G♯ - B and VII(C♯), F♯ - A - C♯), they still sound like perfectly natural progressions in the context of the key. There's also a sense of buildup from the I at the beginning of b) through to the VII at the end of c), with the last IV chord in b) and the first V chord of c) acting as a form of bridge between the two progressions, and this buildup manifests itself in the powerful II (minor) chord followed by a V (major). The vocals also correspondingly build up from the beginning of each verse to the end, before breaking out into the refrain.
So, in short, the reason (or at least, one of the reasons) why I like this piece is because it employs a lot of tonal concepts - concepts that seem to be somewhat "outdated" now with the rise of pop- or rock-themed songs that don't generally subscribe to concepts of tonality, and especially in a genre such as anime.
This song is most definitely a keeper. :)
My analysis is based on the piano version, but the vocal version is similar in its underlying harmonies and melodies. As always, this analysis may contain mistakes, and it's not meant to be definitive in any way or form. It's just my attempt to understand why I like this song. :)
Title: Modokashii Sekai no Ue de (Sasakura Yuugo arr. Shimada Masanori / Makino Yui)
Key: G major
I can't take any credit for transliterating the lyrics into romaji, which must instead go to a very good friend of mine who offered her services.
Moshi mo ashita
Kono sekai ga owaru to shite mo
Kimi no koto dakara
"Sore nara sore de mo ii ka" sukkinai taido toru no ka na?
Muri suru koto wa nai kedo
Tama ni de mo ii kara kao wo agete
Kocchi o mite yo
Watashi o mite
Chibboke na sekai na no ni
Naze darou
Kono ryoute ni wa ooki sugiru
Hateshinai sekai na no ni
Naze darou
Kono ryoute ni wa chiisa sugiru
Ne~
Modokashii asa no hikari no naka de
Kimi to waraitai
Itsu kara darou
Jibun ni usotsuite mo jishin ga motenakute
Nigemichi o tsukutteta hazu na no ni
Kizuitara meiro o tsukutteta
Kimi no nageku sugata wa
Egao e tsuzuite yukunda yo ne?
Shinjite mitai
Watashi o mite
Chibboke na sekai na no ni
Doushite
Kitai ni mune ga fukuramu no?
Hateshinai sekai na no ni
Doushite
Nan ni mo kitai ga motenai no?
Ne~
Modokashii tsuki no hikari no shita de
Kimi to waraitai
tomadoi no kisetsu ga meguru
Naze darou
Chibboke na sekai na no ni...
Chibboke na sekai na no ni...
Sore na no ni
Chibboke na sekai na no ni
Naze darou
Kono ryoute ni wa ooki sugiru
Hateshinai sekai na no ni
Naze darou
Kono ryoute ni wa chiisa sugiru
Chibboke na sekai na no ni
Doushite
Kitai ni mune ga fukuramu no?
Chibboke na sekai dakara
Mou sukoshi
Saki made aruite mi you ka
Modokashii sekai no ue de
Kimi to waratteitai yo
All chord notations are based upon Roman numerals corresponding to the notes of the scale. Thus for G major, I (the tonic) is G, II (the supertonic) is A, III (submediant) is B, IV (subdominant) is C, V (dominant) is D, VI (mediant) is E and VII ("leading note", which leads to the tonic) is F♯.
The song starts with an introductory section in G major, in the following chord progression:
a) I - VI [embellished] - IV - V
There are three repeating chord progressions for the main melody:
b) [I - VI - IV - III♮ - IV] x2
c) V - IV - III♮ - VI♯ - VII (C♯)
d) II - V
The refrain follows the pattern of:
e) [I - VI - IV - V] x2
f) VI - V - IV - I - V - I (with a chromatically descending progression from VI to IV)
And the ending is as follows:
g) I - [IV - V]x3 - V - I
In tonal classical music, the "perfect cadence" (V - I) is one of the most common ways to end a piece or a section of music, because it represents a finality of the musical flow as the piece returns to its "home" in the tonic chord I (with the tonic and the dominant) from a chord (V) that contains both the leading note and dominant.
Apart from the use of G major as this piece's key -- a key which conveys a feeling of optimism and upbeat outlook -- the use of perfect cadences in f) and g) helps convey a feeling of closure to their respective sections. In the case of the refrain f), it marks the end of the refrain and allows the next section to start without sounding like a continuation of the refrain. At g), the perfect cadence ends the piece as a whole.
The interrupted cadences (chord progressions ending in V) in a), d) and e) are not as "powerful" as a perfect cadence would be, but they also serve a similar purpose in concluding their respective sections. Arguably, replacing these cadences with a perfect cadence in each case destroys the character of the music, because the melody no longer flows from each section to its subsequent refrain at d), and placing a perfect cadence at a) doesn't serve much purpose.
Progressions b) and c) are interesting in their musical development. Although b) contains an altered chord (the III♮, which is B - D - F♮), and c) adds two more altered chords (VI♯, E - G♯ - B and VII(C♯), F♯ - A - C♯), they still sound like perfectly natural progressions in the context of the key. There's also a sense of buildup from the I at the beginning of b) through to the VII at the end of c), with the last IV chord in b) and the first V chord of c) acting as a form of bridge between the two progressions, and this buildup manifests itself in the powerful II (minor) chord followed by a V (major). The vocals also correspondingly build up from the beginning of each verse to the end, before breaking out into the refrain.
So, in short, the reason (or at least, one of the reasons) why I like this piece is because it employs a lot of tonal concepts - concepts that seem to be somewhat "outdated" now with the rise of pop- or rock-themed songs that don't generally subscribe to concepts of tonality, and especially in a genre such as anime.
This song is most definitely a keeper. :)
