Awesome: 'MLP: FiM: For the New Lunar Old Republic' by Goatmon

Goatmon

  Imperfect likes this Post written by Goatmon

about a year ago

"Music theory = catching a REALLY subtle in-joke/double-meaning. Good catch!"

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Good Idea wrote: »

Wandering Idiot wrote: »

Good Idea wrote: »

Huh. Wikipedia has this to say on Cadence:

In Western musical theory, a cadence (Latin cadentia, "a falling") is, "a melodic or harmonic configuration that creates a sense of repose or resolution [finality or pause]."

Finality. End of season. Coincidence? There's also something called a

Spoiler:

Deceptive Cadence

Ponies teach me things about music theory. Who would have thought.

I think it's more a reference to this. Which is a related meaning, but more relevant.

Ah yes, the obvious horse pun. Which I totally missed. Also, apparently it's the name of an executive's daughter.

edit: Turn out there is, in fact, more to it. Daniel Ingram is a very clever composer, and of course he knows all about cadences and such.

Spoiler:

There was actually a double meaning in the song. The song is in the key of Db Major (just like winter wrap up and smile!) . That means that the root chord is a Db major chord. Usually, a Ab major chord will lead into a Db major. This is the V-I chord progression and it is also known as the Authentic Cadence (stick with me here). Now, it seems to resolve to a sadder chord at the end of the phrase. Instead of ending on Eb major around 1:16, it lands on Bb minor: the relative minor of Db major. Now, when a chord progression seems to be heading to the root chord but lands on the relative minor instead, that is called a...
...
Deceptive Cadence
Also worth noting, listen to how Twilight sings the last "forever" in the song. Her little cadenza (I am seriously not making these words up) quotes the opening notes of the theme song
edit: did my transposing wrong

DisruptedCapitalist

clever.

Goatmon

I didn't actually wite that post, fyi. I followed a link that was posted in the aforementioned tumblr, which leads to a reddit page that contains the stuff I quoted in the spoiler.

I understand if you missed that, since the quote box isn't as obvious inside the spoiler tag.

RoyceSraphim

Wait, what?

Goatmon

Cadence is both a musical term, and Princess Cadenza's nickname, you see.

There's a musical technique used in the song BBBFF (Big Brother Best friend Forever), that actually references something hat happens later on in the show.

I'll try to simplify it a bit.

Spoiler:

Before we ever find out that Princess Cadence is actually an imposter, there is a reference to this in the song, BBBFF.

In music, Cadence is the term for a bit at the end of a song that resolves the melody. Brings it home, if you will.

When a song done in a major chord resolves to a relative minor (the song is upbeat, but it ends on a sad note) that is called a Deceptive Cadence.

In other words, the ending of the song foreshadowed what was going to happen later, but only someone who really knows musical theory would pick up on that.

This would have just been fun speculation, but the composer of the music confirmed that this was deliberate.

Salvation122

If, as a grown man, you have enough time to break down the chord progression of My Little Pony in order to find an obscure pun, you have entirely too much goddamn time on your hands.

Bendery It Like Beckham

Or maybe you watch ponies because they are good, and are also in to making music.