Hi Heuchi1,
I now also uploaded the MuseScore File up on Github, for anyone who may continue editing.
One challenge was to get the theme up to double time without speeding up the motif itself. So the actual motif of Claude Werner is more or less the same tempo as the original, except for the accompaniment.
Around 1:20 the main theme is still as is, until 1:24. From there the Variation of the "B" part takes over, also found in 00:43.
I have a version from 1:45 which has a more interesting harmonic progression (switching to E-Minor and progressing diatonically to the Dominant), with at least two harmonic changes per measure, but it reduced the "speed" and made it feel more complex, taking away the lead up to the last variation of the theme. In this bridge/lead up I took a fragment of the motiv (dottet.eight + sixteenth) and let it "dance" in the woodwinds, if that makes sense.
The 16th upbeat at the beginning is due to looping considerations. Normally the piece could start on a downbeat, but I am unsure if the sixteenth-loop-around would loop in time. That is why I put the upbeat on the beginning.
I came to this sort of Style also trying to keep true to the guidelines for music on the main website:
Stylistically, music in SuperTuxKart should be cartoony and bouncy. While the game does have a positive and light-hearted mood, try to avoid making music that is too neutral and gentle - there is still space for a few intense or aggressive moments, as long as the cartoony vibe is maintained. For the most part, focus on melody and harmonic progression, rather than making music that is purely rhythm-based or is too ambient.
Without judging its quality, there was a Supertuxcart theme before Claude Werners theme that disappeared. So to break this circle of replacement of ideas, my approach was to see, if an expansion could be possible. For me the current menu motif is a sort of improvisation over blues scale with a vamp accompaniment, which is challenging to harmonize more explicitly in its style, at least for me it is. Melodically, for me, it actually describes a melodic outline consisting of fragments heard from simultaneous playing voices. Re-imagining these is a task i reached a limit on.
So consider this proposed piece more of as a study, if a thematic expansion would be possible. Anyone who might also want to expand on this is welcome to do so:
https://github.com/OliverBurkardt/supertux_musicFor menu music I considered it like a cartoon on TV generally blabbering in the background. But I also know a lot of modern game menus resort to an unobtrusive background soundscape.
My personal style is a different one, finding more resemblance in the calm parts of this proposed piece.
Thank you for the feedback. I will now take a break from this piece and wish you all happy editing, if you wish to do so.
Kind Regards
Oliver