New Sounds in Brass: Super Mario Bros.
The title of this article is official, but it comes from a Japanese source.
If an acceptable English name is found, then the article should be moved to the new title.
| New Sounds in Brass: Super Mario Bros. | |
|---|---|
| |
| Composed by: Koji Kondo, arr. Takashi Hoshide | |
| Publisher |  Yamaha Music Media Corporation |
| Release date | April 21, 2010[1] |
New Sounds in Brass: Super Mario Bros. is a Latin-inspired wind ensemble arrangement of several pieces from Super Mario Bros. The piece was arranged by Takashi Hoshide.[1][2]
The tracks the piece arranges include, in order, "Course Clear," "Ground BGM," "Underground BGM," "Invincibility BGM," "Timer Warning," "Underwater BGM," "World Clear," "Ending" (including the extended section first seen in VS. Super Mario Bros.), and "Game Over."[3] The arrangement is around five minutes and 50 seconds long.[1]
Program Notes[edit]
| Japanese | Translation |
|---|---|
| 世界的に大ヒットし、世界でいちばん売れたゲームソフトとしてギネスブックに登録されたこともあるファミリーコンピュータ用ゲームソフト 「スーパーマリオブラザーズ」から。
1985年発売の「スーパーマリオブラザーズ」は、任天堂が1983年に発売した家庭用ゲーム機 「ファミリーコンピュータ」のソフトとして爆発的なヒットを記録、ハードの売り上げに多大な貢献をしたゲームとして知られています。ファミリーコンピュータと同年に発売された 「マリオブラザーズ」で活躍したキャラクター、マリオとルイージを主人公に、陸、空、水中等の多彩なステージを横スクロールで進んでいくスピーディーなアクションや、ブロックを叩くと登場するパワーアップアイテムなど、多くの新しい要素が支持を受け、大ブレイクしました。 BGMは誰もが一度は耳にしたことがある地上ステージのBGMから、土管をくぐっていく地下のステージ、雲を渡っていく空のステージ、水中を泳ぐステージでそれぞれ異なった魅力を持ち、コースクリアファンファーレ、最後の敵に挑む緊迫したシーンを含めバラエティーに富んでいます。このゲームは好評を得てシリーズ化され、その後発売された多くのゲーム機用の作品として進化を続けました。2009年にはスーパーマリオシリーズ最新作であるWii用ゲームソフト 「New スーパーマリオブラザーズ Wii」が発売されて話題を呼びました。作曲は任天堂の近藤浩治氏。人気ゲームソフト 「ゼルダの伝説」の音楽を手がけたことでも有名です。 |
From the Family Computer game Super Mario Bros., which became a global hit and was even listed in Guinness World Records as the best-selling video game in the world.
Released in 1985, Super Mario Bros. achieved massive success as a game released for the Family Computer launched by Nintendo in 1983, and is known to have made a significant contribution to the console's sales. Featuring Mario and Luigi, the characters who appeared in Mario Bros. which released the same year as the Family Computer, the game became a massive hit. It offered fast-paced action where players progressed through diverse stages like the land, sky, and underwater in a side-scrolling format, along with many new elements like power-ups that appeared when hitting blocks. Its background music is universally recognizable, with unique themes for each stage: the overworld music, underground pipe sections, sky stages traversing the clouds, and underwater swimming stages. The variety of music extends to the course clear fanfare and tense music played during the final battle. The game's popularity led to it creating a series, evolving through several titles released on future consoles. In 2009, the latest entry in the Super Mario series, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, was released on the Wii to great acclaim. The music was composed by Koji Kondo, who is also known for his work on The Legend of Zelda series. |
Instrumentation[edit]
| Instrumentation | Parts included | Optional? |
|---|---|---|
| Conductor Score | 1 | 
|
| Piccolo | 1 | 
|
| 1st and 2nd Flutes | 2 |
|
| Oboe | 1 |
|
| Bassoon | 1 |
|
| Clarinet in E♭ | 1 |
|
| 1st Clarinet in B♭ | 3 |
|
| 2nd Clarinet in B♭ | 3 |
|
| 3rd Clarinet in B♭ | 3 |
|
| Alto Clarinet in E♭ | 1 |
|
| Bass Clarinet in B♭ | 1 |
|
| 1st Alto Saxophone in E♭ | 1 |
|
| 2nd Alto Saxophone in E♭ | 1 |
|
| Tenor Saxophone in B♭ | 1 |
|
| Baritone Saxophone in E♭ | 1 |
|
| 1st Trumpet in B♭ | 1 |
|
| 2nd Trumpet in B♭ | 1 |
|
| 3rd Trumpet in B♭ | 1 |
|
| 1st & 2nd Horns in F | 2 |
|
| 3rd & 4th Horns in F | 2 |
|
| 1st Trombone | 1 |
|
| 2nd Trombone | 1 |
|
| 3rd Trombone | 1 |
|
| Euphonium | 2 |
|
| Bass in C | 2 |
|
| Electric Bass Guitar or String Bass | 1 |
|
| Electric Guitar | 1 |
|
| Drums | 1 |
|
| Timpani | 1 |
|
| Claves, Tambourine & Wind Chimes | 1 |
|
| Suspended Cymbal, Güiro, Timbales & Triangle | 1 |
|
| Conga & Cymbals | 1 |
|
| Marimba, Glockenspiel & Vibraphone | 3 | Marimba and Vibraphone Glockenspiel
|
Musical selections[edit]
| Section | Measures | Themes | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intro | 1-7 | Course Clear | The piece begins in the key sigature of B♭ major at a tempo of ♩=100 in common time (4 4, written as "c"), in a slow fanfare with the melody carried by the French horns and euphonium with the chords played in the saxophones and trombones and triplets outlining the chords played in the B♭ and alto clarinets. The main fanfare of "Course Clear" is then played in the high woodwinds and trumpets, with the tempo slowing until reaching the first tempo change in measure 8. |
| 8-15 | Ground BGM | The tempo changes to 𝅗𝅥=100 in half time (2 2, written as "₵"). Each part holds their note for two measures, falls, then plays the introductory bars of "Ground BGM". The drum set plays a fill during the initial hold, then an Afro-Cuban groove in the proceeding four measures begin. The güiro plays a traditional scrape-strike-strike pattern, the claves play a 3-2 son clave rhythm, and the drum set keeps a syncopated accent pattern on the hi-hat. | |
| A | 18-23 | The piccolo, flutes, oboe, E♭ and B♭ soprano clarinets, and marimba join in playing the main melody of "Ground BGM", while the battery percussion continues its groove. In m. 23, the bassoon, baritone saxophone, tuba (labeled as "bass"), and bass (referring to the part written for string and electric bass) all begin a pickup of the bass-line going into the next section, while the drum set has a fill. | |
| B | 24-31 | The first time playing through this section, the oboe, B♭ soprano, alto, and bass clarinets, and alto and tenor saxophones carry the melody, with trumpets and trombones joining for stab chords in m. 27. At m. 31, the section then repeats back to m. 24, with the piccolo, flutes, and E♭ clarinet joining in the melody, with the marimba dropping out, except for the stabs in m. 27 (both times). the French horns and euphonium join in playing legato chords. The claves and güiro continue their rhythms while the drum set begins a groove with the congas joining in. | |
| C | 32-39 | The trumpets, oboe, and 2-3rd B♭ clarinets take over the melody at this point, with the alto and bass clarinets and saxophones holding legato chords. The trombones play a syncopated rhythm. In m. 35, the piccolo and flute play ascending sixteenth-note runs with the E♭ and 1st B♭ clarinets and glockenspiel playing in thirds, mimicking the sound effect played when Mario gains a power-up. | |
| D | 40-47 | The low clarinets and alto and tenor saxophones take over the melody, leaving the B♭ clarinets to play legato chords. In m. 36, the trombones and euphonium begin playing a syncopated rhythm. | |
| E | 48-56 | The soprano woodwinds take over the melody, with the marimba rejoining. The low clarinets, tenor saxophone, French horns, and euphonium hold chords. After the repeat in m. 55 back to 48, the trumpets and trombone join with chordal stabs and interjections. The second ending in m. 56 includes a slightly different walk-down in the bass-line and a different rhythm in the drum set. | |
| F | 57-64 | The trombones and euphonium take over the melody, leaving the low clarinets and alto and tenor saxophones holding chords. The piccolo, flutes, E♭ and B♭ clarinets have interjections throughout, with the melody in m. 60, joined with the glockenspiel, resembling the sound effect played when an extra life is earned. | |
| G | 65-72 | The melody is once again played by the soprano woodwinds and marimba, with the low clarinets, French horns, and euphonium providing chords, and trumpets and trombones playing stabs and providing small interjections. | |
| H | 73-84 | Underground BGM | The main melody of "Underground BGM" is played by the bassoon, low clarinets, saxophones, tuba, bass, and marimba. The drum set begins playing a funk beat, joined by conga, a constant beat on the cowbell, and "wah" effect from the guitar. A set of interjections is provided by the French horns and euphonium. On this section's repeat, the high woodwinds add a jazzy countermelody, which is responded to by the trumpets. |
| 85-88 | Timer Warning | While the melody from "Timer Warning" is not present, the same chord progression is used here. In m. 88, the tempo changes to 𝅗𝅥=144, with a timbale solo setting the mambo feel leading into the next section. | |
| I | 89-105 | Invincibility BGM | |
| J | 106-117 | ||
| 118-121 | Timer Warning | The piece switches to a tempo of 𝅗𝅥.=72, felt in one, in 3 4 time, changing the key signature to E♭ major. | |
| K | 122-137 | Underwater BGM | |
| L | 138-153 | ||
| M | 154-169 | ||
| N | 172-185 | ||
| O | 186-192 | World Clear | The piece switches to 6 8 time, with a ritardando going into measure 192, setting the tempo at ♩=96 in common time. |
| P | 193-200 | Ending | |
| Q | 201-210 | ||
| R | 211-213 | Ground BGM | |
| 214-217 | Game Over |
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ニュー・サウンズ・イン・ブラス NSB第38集 スーパーマリオブラザーズ[1] Nyū Saunzu in Burasu NSB Dai 38-shū Sūpā Mario Burazāzu |
New Sounds in Brass NSB Volume 38 Super Mario Bros. |
Notes[edit]
- Despite the fact that the program notes mention the music played during the final battle—"Castle BGM", the track itself is not arranged in the piece.
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d 【ヤマハ】ニュー・サウンズ・イン・ブラス NSB第38集 スーパーマリオブラザーズ - 楽譜 吹奏楽 | ヤマハの楽譜出版 ([Yamaha] New Sounds in Brass NSB Volume 38 Super Mario Bros. - Sheet Music for Wind Ensemble | Yamaha Music Publishing). Yamaha Music Media (Japanese). Retrieved October 9, 2025.
- ^ Takashi Hoshide. 吹奏楽の部屋 (Wind Ensemble Room). Japanese. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
- ^ New Sounds (November 27, 2024). SUPER MARIO BROS [Concert Band] スーパーマリオブラザーズ. Japanese. Retrieved October 9, 2025 from YouTube.
