I remember loving this music and feeling
like I don't deserve this music. The
thing I remember most about The Sims,
the original Sims, was the music when
you were building houses. This gorgeous
kind of free like jazz inspired
piano music. [music]
[music]
>> [music]
>> Oh,
it sounds to me like the whoever is
playing the piano and I'm I'm hearing
I'm reading now that Jerry Martin and
Mark Russo and John Rur were all
involved in writing the music. Okay, it
looks like it was Jerry Martin. Sounds
like an improvisation on a chord
progression in a certain kind of scale
called a mode. Um, sorry, my You deserve
some attention. Are you a good baby?
Are you
[music]
See, she's right on her way. So,
assuming it's Jerry, he picked a chord
progression in this mode called
mixelyian, which sounds like this.
>> [music]
>> It's kind of playful and magical and
it's kind of like a major scale, but
it's got a a a sassy note in it. This
one, [music] which totally transforms
the sound.
[music]
This is like the skeleton of chords.
[music]
So those are kind of the fleshed out
versions of these intervals.
[music]
>> [music]
>> Ah, I got to figure that one out.
[music]
[music] It's cuz this is describing like
a D chord and then he's playing a C
major chord over that. So there's this
like this chord against this chord
feeling and they're right next to each
other, the D chord and the C chord. So
you get all this beautiful dissonance,
[music] but oh, how gorgeous is the
dissonance
key change again. [music] Now it's in G.
I really thought it was just going
between two keys over and over again,
but no, he's got this pattern of like
starting on E, [music] then going up to
A, then going down to D, then going up
to G. So that means the next one would
be C.
There's another one of those.
All right. and G.
[music]
Oh, [music] same dealio.
G chord on the bottom, F major chord on
top. It's [music] again the same
distance as the D and the C chord were
from each other in the other [music]
key. Such good musicians.
D. See, that's the moment where you're
like, "Oh this is jazz. [music]
Okay, now it's it's in C. [laughter]
The patterns.
[music]
There's another grace note.
[music]
But yeah, this is an improv and it's
just absolutely beautiful and flowing
and you know, it's cool because it's
like he he has an idea of what he's
going to do. He has this consistent core
progression and then his right hand can
just be free to explore the the mode
that he's in. Okay, here's the next one.
[music]
Oh my god. Right.
[music]
This is kind of melancholic. [music]
that chord. [sighs]
Wow. Sorry.
[music]
Oh my god.
>> [music]
>> D. [music]
Oh,
this chord.
[music]
This one has so much push and pull of
the of the timing.
>> [music]
>> suspension.
I think this one is also an
improvisation on a chord progression.
So, let's figure out what the chords
are. So, it starts with this minor
chord. I heard an actual G [music] minor
chord like maybe the third time around,
but this first one has tension in it. Is
it a ninth?
No. Uh, seventh [music]
and then da
[music]
and then
[music]
rider.
to an E minor 7th chord.
[music]
This is the chord I have to know.
[music]
Oh, no wonder that feels so good. Okay,
so I don't know what this is called. You
play say like in this case a minor chord
and then you [music] play you you keep
the middle note which is called the
third the same and you move the other
two notes down a half step [music] and
it becomes this major chord like this.
And I know it's [music] being spelled in
a really weird way, but so the common
tone becomes the third, but there's this
huge emotional and sonic shift because
the root of the chord, which is like its
[music] foundation, goes down a half
step, which is very chromatic and it
feels like you're getting turned upside
down. But you have [music] this one
thing to hold on to, which is the
middle. [singing]
[music]
Down.
Two. Up.
>> [music]
>> Oh, this part. [music]
[music]
Now it's Jess.
I mean this is so emotional and it's
such [music] a journey and again it just
felt guilty like what I was doing
which felt so pointless [music]
to this music.
[music]
Oh, the
so unfinished [music] sounding.
[music]
Oh, wow.
[music]
This feels [music] a lot like that first
one,
but it's a different harmony. [music]
[music]
All right. [music]
Same deal modulating
[music]
but the same chord progression.
Okay. Now,
okay. So, that'll go to B flat.
[music]
See, it keeps it fresh by modulating.
Okay. So, now it's [music] going to go
to B flat,
E flat.
[music]
Oh, that [music] is the original key.
All right. So, he does G,
sorry, [music]
a one, four, and a five. And then to
change key, he just goes back down to
this four chord. And that's now the new
new home [music] chord,
right? [music]
Which I don't [music] have the
confidence to do. And then
now [music] to F
whatever
[music] and then
to E B flat. See don't go down. [music]
Okay. So after this many
modulations, [music]
he decided it's time to go back
[singing] home
by way [music] of the Super Mario
cadence,
otherwise known as the [music] Doesn't
it make you feel better cadence for the
Nails fans.
>> It feels
[music]
so much like something [music] I can
never have.
>> [music]
>> Oh, I remember that note. Duh.
[music]
Oh yeah.
>> [music]
[music]
>> Da [music]
Oh, it's a Lydian, [music]
but something's about to shift. I
remember.
[music]
Oh,
no.
[music]
>> [music]
[music]
>> The pattern keeps going.
[music]
Still going.
>> [music]
[music]
>> I'm going to die.
>> [music]
>> Okay. There's a ninth right there.
There's a sixth here. Or I guess they
[music] call it Yeah. A 13th.
A flat 7 here. Right. [music]
Yeah.
And that is an 11th.
[music]
and another ninth. [music]
Okay, so it's all the notes.
[music]
How beautiful. And why is that? Why did
he go there? Cuz he's all up here.
>> [music]
[music]
>> Right.
Or something and then he goes down here.
Okay. So, how far away is that? Okay.
So, we're in C.
[music]
It's a chromatic median.
[music]
Oh god. So yeah, totally different mode.
So this is all [music] this is all Maybe
this is modal jazz. Maybe this is what
it is. C Lydian mode.
[music]
And then this mode would be what?
[music]
Mixelyian. [music]
Yeah, that's mixelyian.
[music]
Oh, yeah. Let's find the top of this.
And then
[music]
sorry.
[music]
Yeah, I think. Okay, so it's the same
pattern. I don't know how I know though
which note to go to next, but I kind of
just feel like it makes sense. Oh. Oh,
[music]
this is all this is this whole score is
improv. I mean, for this the building,
how cool. Um,
it sounds like the same type of chord
and he's just modulating, changing key
with the chord, but the spatial
relationships inside the chord stay
exactly the same as he moves up.
[music]
Is that right?
I don't want to [music] take my hand
off. I'm going to forget.
>> [music]
>> Oh,
it's not a power chord. It's another one
of [music] these big open sus twos just
like this one. Sorry. See, like that. It
just goes
[music]
same. This is constructed of two perfect
fifths. That's the spatial relation.
Well, actually, the way I'm figuring
this out, cuz I'm like I don't not
really good at reading sheet music or
anything like that. I don't even know
all the time what note names I'm playing
like in the moment. Just kind of looking
at the shapes and following my muscle
memory. But this is like a power chord,
which is like a well-worn shape, you
know?
And then I go up [music] a whole step.
I think the B flat's in there.
Maybe it might be too crunchy. [music]
It's not. But that sounds good. The B
flat's down here, though. [music]
Okay. [music] So, what is this? We got a
ninth. Or maybe it's a suspension.
Okay. It is a suspension because there's
no third
or anything. Okay. [music]
And then this is
a [music] 13th or sixth.
And then this is an 11th. [music] And I
love this shape because you get this big
open consonant interval and then this
incredibly dissonant closing [music]
interval. And they just sound so
resonant together.
You get the clash and the clarity. It's
so beautiful. And of course, this is
just one of the best chords [music] in
the world. Sus two.
Okay. So now I think this the whole
thing exactly how I have it is just
going to move [music] up and up and up.
No, it's not.
Whatever that is.
[music]
Okay.
[music]
Sorry.
Okay. Is this the same chord as before?
Suspension. [music]
Seventh. Sorry. Ninth. [music]
Wait. No. What? Where's the root?
That's the sixth again. Okay. Okay. So,
this is the same
>> [music]
>> back here.
Slow it down. [music]
Oh.
Oh, drama.
Oh my god.
Is that a flat six [music] chord? If it
is, I'm
Lydian. Goodness. I think that's a flat
six chord.
Oh god. [laughter]
Okay,
here we go. This is [music] like one of
those seventh chords with the ninth
suspension thing. But I love this cuz
here's the here's the cool thing. You
got a power chord [music] on the bottom
and then you have this major chord
sitting on top of it. Together they
create [music]
a whole chord and you can give it a
name. But it also does kind of sound
[music] like like this over this is
going to go back to C.
[music]
The Lydian thing. Oh, so beautiful.
Okay. Oh my gosh. How many are there?
It sounds [music] like Dorian.
Oh. Oh, it's a flat six though. Oh, but
it's
We did not deserve this.
[music] This chord.
[music]
back. Okay, so this is another one where
he's got this beautiful chord
progression that has again the timing is
super loose and emotional pushpull gives
you so much space to improvise and play
around with the current chord, you know?
So, it's like a C
[music] minor chord with a bunch of
extensions and things
probably or maybe a ninth chord or but I
also feel like it could have an 11th so
whatever. But it's a minor [music] chord
and then it goes to I think it's like a
flat six chord a flat but it's got like
a
[music] dominant seventh chord thing but
it's even weirder than that. It's like
[music]
What the
is that?
>> [music]
>> Okay. Well, there's a six.
Here's a flat 7. Here's [music] a ninth
and a sharp 11. I don't know what to
call that. [music]
to a sharp
would I say?
Yeah, I would say a D flat. Sorry.
And this is maybe [music] is this a
Lydian.
[music] And then
Oh [music] yes, the rhythm.
>> [music]
>> Oh yeah.
Oh my god. It's It's turning into five.
[music]
Oh, I love this part.
[music]
>> [music]
>> It feels like a flat six as well. It
must [music] be the relationship from
the part before it.
[music]
Oh no, [music] am I crying?
[music]
>> [music]
>> Oh, I see why.
[music]
See, those are all like fourths and
fifths.
[music]
>> [music]
>> Yes.
Oh.
[music]
New chord. [music] New chord alert.
Oh.
>> [music]
>> Man, this one is so beautiful. [music]
[music] Jerry, I hope that you're
getting residuals. I hope you got paid
for this [music] gift.
>> [music]
>> Oh,
[music]
so tempestuous now.
[music]
And now [music] the clouds are parting.
It's clearing up.
[music]
Back to the original chord progression.
[music]
>> [music]
[music]
>> Dizzy
so clean.
[music]
>> [music]
>> Oh, the dynamics.
[snorts]
[music]
Oh my god, building mode five goes so
hard. I wonder if that's going to be my
favorite one. Cuz I remember that I had
favorites. You know, I'd be going to
build my house and be like, "Oo, I love
this one." Oh, can you imagine how many
other tracks there were that they just
didn't use? All the different
improvisations. We got to find what else
this man has done. Building mode five.
Let's see if anything can top this.
>> [music]
>> Oh.
[music]
Oh.
[music]
D.
>> [music]
>> All right.
[music]
Oh.
[music]
Oh god, [music]
this is even better than I me. This is
it.
Ah.
[music]
Oh. [music]
>> [music]
[music]
>> I keep getting excited for the change to
the lower [music] chord
there.
Five, six,
and then this four. [music]
[music]
Oh,
[music]
are so beautiful. Oh.
D.
[music]
There's a like a [music] additional beat
there or something.
They just every time.
[music]
I mean, so he clearly wrote this piece
and then gave himself space to improvise
in it. So, this one might be the most um
pre-written of of them all. How
beautiful is this? God mode mixture.
Okay, so my favorite one was build five.
Build mode five. That was the one that
the one that almost made me cry. All
right, in the comments, if you're one of
if you're one of us, if you love this
music, you've loved it for 20 plus
years, you've been dreaming of it,
you've been thinking about it, it sticks
with you, I want to hear from you.
Thanks for watching. I've got a Patreon
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see you next time. Bye.