Aftershok Composes: Hare Hare Yukai for Four Saxophones

This only proves further that I am a master at Photoshop. Who else would have thought to use the blur tool like that? Oh, that's right, NOBODY.

Yuki, Haruhi, Mikuru, and shadowy Unit-01 are back for a second helping of OP/ED rearranging shenanigans, and this time it’s the sequel to last week’s “Bouken Desho Desho?”: “Hare Hare Yukai.” Willed into existance by Haruhi herself, this sax quartet arrangement had a bit of a rocky inception.

I wasn’t kidding when I said this score had troubled beginnings; I was having some serious issues actually writing the thing. After the constant strings of inspiration and creative fervor that permeated my “Bouken Desho Desho?” arrangement, I was simply at a loss at how to transform this one into a quartet setting. Therein lies the root of my issues. I wasn’t having fun, and I was trying too hard. I felt like I was going through the motions and not really participating in the creative process, and that’s really my fault.

Well, not entirely my fault. This song is simply a different beast than “Bouken.” It just isn’t cut out to be treated the same way. I just went about it the wrong way, I think. Actually, I guess this is my fault, too.

That isn’t to say I’ve deemed this a total failure. I’m quite proud of some of the detail I’ve managed to incorporate into it, especially the stereophonics. If the original had certain melodic or echo elements come from either channel, I tried to write that into the alto part that would be mixed into that channel. There are also some difficult technical aspects of this piece that may not be immediately obvious. The bari part is wicked difficult with sections rapidly switching between low and high, especially at speeds like this.  Lining up sixteenth-note syncopations at 172bpm was a bit of a pain also. Please note the altissimo in the left channel about halfway through. Difficult!

But enough bellyaching, please take a listen. I would adore any feedback or tips to help me in the future (I’ve already begun a “Cruel Angel’s Thesis” arrangement, and I have “Tabi no Tochuu” in the pipes)!

Hare Hare Yukai for Saxophone Quartet

[audio:https://blog.animeinstrumentality.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Hare-Hare-Yukai-NEW.mp3]

Aftershok

A huge jazz nerd and unabashed fan of alternative rock, I joined Anime Instrumentality in December 2010. I tend to get very passionate when it comes to music and try my best to understand how it works. An enormous fan of The Pillows, among my favorite anime composers include Ko Otani and Yoko Kanno. My tastes in anime vary wildly, but I try to be as thoughtful about my viewing as I am about my listening. I play the saxophone.

5 thoughts on “Aftershok Composes: Hare Hare Yukai for Four Saxophones

  • May 22, 2011 at 1:36 am
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    Hahahaha awesome! <3 Good work! I totally picture the dance in my head XD

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  • May 22, 2011 at 5:15 am
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    Holy, an instant classic! It was good enough, but once it gets jazzed up.. man. Haha, but I think the Baccano opening song is better if you want jazz from anime.

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  • May 22, 2011 at 5:10 pm
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    Believe in yourself. Any song can get jazzed up. even Beethoven’s Fifth:

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  • May 22, 2011 at 9:44 pm
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    @foshizzel
    Thanks a lot! Really glad you like it.

    I wanted to do the dance, too, but zzero was totally against it. He hates dancing and happiness and joy. Plus, we need one more female staff member.

    @tomphile
    That’s not the general reaction I was expecting, but thank you! I’m unsure of how much of a “classic” this will become, but as long as someone out there enjoys this as much as I didn’t, maybe that makes up for it a little.

    @Baka-Rapture
    I do think Homer’s version of the Fifth is better than mine of “Hare Hare Yukai.” Saxophone technique, though, I think I may have the edge.

    Reply
  • May 27, 2011 at 5:17 pm
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    The only advice I have is don’t force yourself to finish a project if you’re going to be frustrated with it, especially if it isn’t a job. Other than that, it’s trial and error the whole time. You’ll probably find new techniques or passages that could work in this arrangement in a future arrangement of something completely irrelevant.

    If anything… please have fun with music, never make it a chore…

    I’ll be anticipating your upcoming arrangement. :3

    Reply

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