Here’s a cutesy post: another drum chart and practice loop courtesy of Nintendo. We’re going back to Super Mario Odyssey, with the Steam Gardens level:

Rather than a bombastic big band tune, this one is sleeker and more subdued, with a 50s rockabilly/surf rock kind of sound, complete with some dated low–fi production. Well, to be specific, the tune opens with a grand orchestral sound before transitioning into the old–school rock and roll vibe. I actually can’t tell if the drums on the track are live or MIDI — either way, they’ve had a lot of life squeezed out of them with EQ and compression.

Per usual, the video I’ve linked is a seamless 30–minute loop of a song that’s only about a minute and fifty seconds long (here’s my backup MP3 in case the video gets yanked). Much like Mario Kart, the tempo is bright on this one, so it’ll be a workout if you can get through all 30 minutes of the video.

A couple of guitar riffs are what really drive this song, with a few background horn licks. For variety, I wrote the little keyboard solo as an open repeat. In jazz chart parlance, “open” means to repeat indefinitely, until you’re cued by either the director or a soloist to move on. For those of you who actually read these things, the repeat is taken eight times on the recording (if you feel like penciling that in). 

For even more fun, I wrote the horn cue at the start of the chart. While the playing is majestic, it is in time, so I figured the cue would help anyone from getting lost right off the bat. There is no cymbal roll on the track, but if I were the drummer, I’d play one there. Use sticks or mallets — whatever you feel like. You’ll only play it once after all. 

Not much more to say. Before I go, let me ask: does one of the guitar riffs from this number sound familiar? Maybe from a British rock band circa 2008? Here’s a hint; just listen to the first 20 seconds…

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