I have been doing video game guitar covers for years, and there is something that always comes to me while listening: nostalgia. Yes, nostalgia is the biggest reason why I make the arrangements. It first started as an experiment. Maybe, something to attract people to listen to my classical music (which never happened). But with time, I just fell in love with creating and sharing it with many people of the same music taste. So I decided to upload to YouTube every week, and it all started with this video. Yes, I love Zelda music, and I get the most nostalgia from this video game. Many memories of watching my brother playing the games. Music impacts our lives and daily undertakings in many incredible ways.

What is the process I use to create the covers?

I always wanted to do covers before, but it seemed too complicated. I thought that it was impossible. I would watch the piano covers, and I would think the guitar was too limited to do it. Then, I discovered Super Guitar Bros videos, and man, I was amazed (check out Sam Griffin covers!). Years later, I decided to upload on YouTube, and that was the moment I got a mentality that I use even today. And it is the following "I'm going to create this cover even if it takes years." What I mean by this is that once I begin to create an arrangement, it doesn’t matter how long it takes. I'm going to finish it. It doesn't matter if I have to do it little by little, note by note. I'm going to do it.

I use many ways to create arrangements, and I'm going to explain them very briefly. First, I look for score music, and I make some changes with a music program. In this, I used Sibelius, but you can use other software. Most of the time, I change the bass clef to treble clef. After this, I change keys If I have to. For example, most of the music sounds the best on the guitar on E, G, D, and A major or in a, e, or b minor. The second option would be to try to create the arrangement from a piano score without change it. This process would be slower than the first one. Lastly, I would create the cover by ear. Here I would do note by note. I would slow the video on youtube most of the time and repeat a section like 100 times until I get the right notes and harmony. This process is challenging, but it works well. An important key: always find the bass and melody first. Then after that, you can add the other notes. Remember, it is your cover, and you can do it your way. It doesn't need to sound identical to the original music.

Why is this music so pleasant to our ears?

Well, the magic comes from nostalgia. Yes, it is somewhere in your childhood memories. Do you remember the hidden chest that you or your brother found after hours of searching? Or even the first time you heard the intro or also the end of the game? Or better yet, that time that you stopped in the same spot just that you could listen to the music. I do remember like yesterday. And when it comes to guitar, there is something special about plugging the strings and the ability to hear an instrument that can sound like a piano. Or if you like to listen to it on an electric guitar in a metal version. Also, the beauty is that a guitar many times is not that expensive, and we have tabs. And yes, the ability to learn your favorite songs with tabs makes things even better. Reading tabs is easier than sheet music. I began to play guitar with tabs more than 20 years ago. All thanks to pages like gametabs.net. Here you can find an extensive collection of your favorite video game music.

Here is my favorite video game cover with the tabs that I uploaded to gametabs.net. I hope you enjoy it!

Jone Ruiz
www.joneruizguitar.com