What makes a video game epic? The music, of course! Music sets the mood, gets us excited, and makes players feel like heroes as they control their game character through challenging quests and thrilling adventures. Today, we’ll dive deep into what makes a particular video game franchise’s music legendary. That game is none other than The Legend of Zelda.
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Zelda’s iconic music was composed by Koji Kondo, who also composed the music for Super Mario. Born in 1961 in Nagoya, Japan, Kondo started playing the Electone organ at age five and later played jazz and rock in a cover band. He was also fascinated by film music, synthesis, and LCD and arcade games.
Kondo was hired by Nintendo in 1984 and his first major project was scoring Super Mario. The NES console at the time severely limited the music you could make. Kondo was restricted to a four-minute soundtrack of segments that can be endlessly repeated. But his extraordinary sense of melody and use of open voicings made the music sound fuller than what its limitations would seem to allow.
When it came to Zelda, the original intention was to use Ravel’s Boléro as the opening theme. But the Nintendo team learned last-minute that Boléro was still under copyright. So Kondo had to take elements from the soundtrack and re-arrange it into an opening theme in one night! Missing that night’s sleep was probably worth it, though, because today, the Zelda theme is one of the best-known melodies in gaming, perhaps even popular culture.
I’ll be walking down the hallway in my house, suddenly the music pops into my head. It really doesn’t happen at work, it’s always somewhere outside of the office.
Koji Kondo, interview with Polygon
So what makes the music in the Zelda series so good? Well, it succeeds in creating the perfect atmosphere. The player feels like they’re on a Medieval quest.
Yet, the music is far from predictable. The main theme is rather traditional, with a majestic, fanfare-like opening, but the music in the Zelda games can be quite diverse. According to one music expert, Kondo combined “Gregorian chant, Hollywood fantasy, rustic folk, 20th-century classical . . . and medieval troubadour.”
And if we look at the music theory, we can really appreciate all the work that goes into making Zelda memorable.
From the 8-bit chiptune to modern orchestral arrangements, the iconic Zelda theme succeeds thanks to a heroic, descending chord pattern in the parallel minor. The progression behind the majestic theme is B♭-A♭6-G♭-D♭-C♭-B♭m-C-F. Try it yourself!
The fountain theme is interesting because while it’s beautiful, there’s an eeriness to it. It uses a technique called sequencing, where we take a phrase and then repeat it in different pitch levels. We also have a polyrhythm happening during this theme—the accompaniment is in 12/8 and the melody is in 4/4. So, there’s a slight jaggedness to the peaceful melody!
This music paints a pastoral, peaceful feeling. We get these vibes thanks to a melody based on the Lydian mode. The Lydian mode is a major scale with a raised fourth and is what gives the melody that dreamy feel with a touch of mystery.
This is the famous tune you play on the ocarina! Again, it’s based on the Lydian scale! The first few measures begin with a Cmaj7-D/C-Cmaj7-D/C progression and it’s that D major triad over C that creates the Lydian sound. Then, the next half of the song is based on a Bm-B♭maj7-Am11-D7 progression that’s reminiscent of other video game music harmonies.
The horseriding theme perfectly captures the playful, clip-cloppy feeling of riding a horse! And guess what? We’re in Lydian mode again.
Want to play Zelda music on the piano? We have full transcriptions of songs from the franchise in the Pianote Members Area. Not a Member yet? Try us out for 7 days.
As a Pianote+ Member, you’ll get access to our 10-step Method, song library, and growing community of piano players just like you. Plus: get coached by world-class pianists who have played with rock stars.
Lisa Witt has been teaching piano for more than 20 years and in that time has helped hundreds of students learn to play the songs they love. Lisa received classical piano training through the Royal Conservatory of Music, but she has since embraced popular music and playing by ear in order to accompany herself and others. Learn more about Lisa.
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