"A True True Friend": Resolving Conflicts

[Inactive01 5,298]

With all the conflict and suspense "What my Cutie Mark is Telling Me" brought to the show, Ingram needed a musical number that would resolve the core issues that lied with the episode. That's why "A True, True Friend" had the perfect timing: just after Fluttershy regained her cutie mark. Let's start.

 

 

Right from the start, I noticed how similar this number's patterns are to "Winter Wrap Up". The guitar chord progressions are similar between both pieces and both of them also have a more homey and comfortable feeling. It plays to this number's advantage because Ingram needed something that shows friendship wins and something that leaves us all in happy tears. 

 

Although the chord progressions and melody remains the same throughout the number, it's the instrumentation that causes a buildup to the climax: Pinkie Pie turning back to her true self and reunited with her cutie mark. At the beginning, only the higher pitched guitars are sounding. The bass still exists, but it doesn't resound because we're just beginning to turn things back to normal with Fluttershy. When we get to turn Rarity back to normal at around 1:16, the drums and bass guitars are added to give the melody more power and resonance. It makes sense because more of the ponies are getting their correct cutie marks.

 

Before I keep going, I'd like to mention that Ingram makes another homage to "Art of the Dress" at 1:41. Listen carefully at the rhythm and notes resounding at the guitar. Now what intrigues me is why they changed the melody when we're in the process of returning Applejack back to normal. The melody becomes extremely tense starting at 1:57, probably because Applejack's farm is in complete disrepair compared to the other ponies' troubles. Those bass drums and timpani really do a good job forming that tension until the original melody returns at 2:13 when Applejack becomes her old self again.

 

The key change when Applejack sings really acts as the climax. Because we all know, when Pinkie Pie's back to normal, the entire town's morale is raised above the skies. All the way to the end, the melodies get louder and louder, and it seems like the whole orchestra wants a piece of the climax for themselves. It's amazing how everything builds to the key change to B major when Applejack sings from the original key of B flat major.

 

The only criticism I have is the ending. Why end with a plagal cadence when the number can be rounded off so beautifully with a perfect cadence instead? It' resolves everything and you'd have the most epic ending to a musical number this show's ever had! Imagine the Mane 6 singing high F#s and high Bs. It would be so amazing we'd be too overwhelmed to even continue watching the episode (maybe that's why Ingram didn't do it then eh?)