Pico-8 Celeste Update #2 – Sheet Music!

Attached is sheet music for the first 10 tracks of the Celeste OST:

• 01 Prologue
• 02 First Steps
• 03 Resurrections
• 04 Awake
• 05 Postcard from Celeste Mountain
• 06 Checking In
• 07 Spirit of Hospitality
• 08 Scattered and Lost
• 09 Golden
• 10 Anxiety

These sheets are very fresh, so there may be a few typos and mistakes. When I start the Pico-8 projects, I’ll probably catch some, but in the meantime, if you find any, please let me know!

--

Writing sheet music is an art in and of itself.

As I’m transcribing the Celeste soundtrack and inputting everything into sheet music, I’m balancing a number of different things. 

First, is acknowledging what sheet music is good at, and what it’s NOT good at.  In general, sheet music is good for translating pitch, rhythm, and meter into readable symbols.  For acoustic music, it’s also good at differentiating between layers of sound (brass, strings, piano, drums etc).  When different people have the same sheet music, it acts as good common ground for creating music socially (with friends, in a band etc). 

Sheet music isn’t great for electronic music.  How would you notate an automated high-pass filter?  How would you notate changing volume envelopes?  How would you notate a reversed sample?  Further, how practical would this kind of information be for a guitarist, who just wants to play the tune? (Sheet music can’t predict everyone’s musical circumstances).

Considering this, there’s a lot of information in these Celeste sheets, but lots of information is missing too.  I’ve intentionally left details out either because they're not relevant to my Pico-8 arrangements, not relevant to reading and creating music socially, or because it’d be way too time consuming to transcribe every little detail.

If you’re a classical musician, and prefer reading all the notes, there’s probably not enough information in these sheets to generate a performance.  You’ll probably have to do some improvising or arranging yourself to learn how to play it.  If you’re a jazz or improvising musician who can play by ear, there’s probably TOO much information in these sheets.  You’ll have to filter out some parts and layers that aren’t relevant to your music circumstances.  If you’re an electronic musician and/or producer, obviously these sheets don’t have any samples or information about wave forms, ADSR, filters, delays etc. You’ll have to use your ears and your own samples to make your arrangements. 

It’s impossible to satisfy everyone’s circumstances with sheet music, but I’ve done my best with certain compromises.  If nobody’s satisfied, it’s a success! ;) 

Seriously though, if you have any questions or need guidance on these sheets in any way, let me know.  I’d even be happy to make a piano specific arrangement if anybody prefers that style of sheet music.

-

July 21/19 Update: Uploaded a new version of Checking In - fixed the chord/melody phrasing in the first 24 bars. 

July 25/19 Update: Uploaded new versions of Spirit of Hospitality and Scattered and Lost - only a few note corrections