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Yesterdays post lacked a postscript. Actually it’s a lot more than that, as it is the link which originally prompted the writing of that whole goddamn thing. It’s a transcription (PDF alert) of the Mario Brothers theme so that all you budding orchestrators and orchestrators-in-development can write versions for the instruments which it hasn’t been played on yet. All two of them.
Tags: mario brothersThere are some melodies that most people will instantly recognize. On the one hand there are the classical: da-da-da-dum; the Ode to Joy; O Fortuna; etc. On the other are songs from popular music: Smoke on the Water, Hey Jude, Oops… I Did it Again.
And then there is a third group containing everything else.
For the Gen X/Y crowd this 3rd group is far from an afterthought — it contains some of our most striking examples. There are pieces in this category that have so strongly influenced us that there are over 800 different renditions for piano, and over 1000 for guitar just on youtube. These are pieces which we have listened to continuously for hours at a time, over the course of days, weeks, months, years.
And here is the most ubiquitous of the bunch:
Even a cursory glance through youtube gives you an idea of the influence of this particular piece. There are versions for orchestra (with over 280,000 views):
Beatboxing flute (over 10,000,000 views):
A version for bare hands:
Tesla coil:
As well as versions for RC car and bottles, ocarina, ruler, accordion, balalaika, theremin, pipe organ, 11-string bass, electric guitar, classical guitar, tuba, clarinet, wind trio, a capella, bassoon, trombone, viola, violin, piano, and many many more…
The influence and reach of that little theme is quite remarkable.
Tags: mario brothers, music, nintendo, youtube
