Desert Breezes
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Desert Breezes is a composition written by Grant Kirkhope for the Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise soundtrack. It plays in the Dessert Desert at night. It was officially released on Viva Piñata Original Soundtrack (2009), Viva Piñata (2018), then rerecorded for Rare Treats: Viva Piñata Revisited (2026).
Composition
Instruments
Desert Breezes features lead melodies played on the concert flute, cor anglais, bass flute, bassoon, oboe, celesta and harp. The full breakdown is as follows.
| Instruments | Lead | Supporting |
|---|---|---|
| Concert Flute | ✔ | ✗ |
| Bass Flute | ✔ | ✗ |
| Oboe | ✔ | ✗ |
| Cor Anglais | ✔ | ✗ |
| Bassoon | ✔ | ✗ |
| Violin | ✗ | ✔ |
| Viola | ✗ | ✔ |
| Cello | ✗ | ✔ |
| Contrabass | ✗ | ✔ |
| French Horn | ✗ | ✔ |
| Tenor Trombone | ✗ | ✔ |
| Harp | ✔* | ✔ |
| Celesta | ✔ | ✔ |
| Vibraphone | ✗ | ✔ |
* Instrument plays a harmonic part in isolation.
Harmony
Scales
There are 4 different scales used in Desert Breezes. All of them have ♮3, ♮5 and ♭7 scale degrees, with most making use of ♭2, ♮4 and ♭6 scale degrees.
C Phrygian Dominant (Bars 1–15)
Phrygian Dominant (1 ♭2 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7) is used for the intro and first main melody, making up roughly half of the song. This is the most common scale used in the Dessert Desert compositions. The lead melodies for this section aren't entirely diatonic to Phrygian Dominant. There is also a non-diatonic note exclusive to the Rare Treats: Viva Piñata Revisited version of the piece.
| Scale Degree | Note | Bars |
|---|---|---|
| ♮2 | D | 4, 10 |
| ♯4 | F♯ | 6, 12 |
| ♮6 | A | 6, 12 |
| ♮7 | B | 8, 14 |
C Hungarian Major (Bars 16–19)
Hungarian Major (1 ♯2 3 ♯4 5 6 ♭7) is used as a transition section to the next main melody of the piece. Strictly speaking, the ♮6 scale degree of the Hungarian Major scale isn't used at all in this section.
F Spanish Phrygian (Bars 20–27)
The Spanish Phrygian Scale (1 ♭2 ♭3 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7) is used for the second main melody. The Spanish Phrygian Scale can be thought of as Phrygian and Phrygian Dominant mixed together, that is to say: both ♭3 and ♮3 see use. In Desert Breeze's case, the melody uses to ♭3 while the harmony reinforces the ♮3.
F Ancient (Bars 28–33)
The Ancient Scale (1 ♭2 2 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 7) is used for the final outro section. The Ancient Scale can be thought of as Phrygian Dominant and Harmonic Major mixed together, that is to say: both ♭2 and ♮2, as well as both ♭7 and ♮7 see use. Even in this nonatonic scale, non-diatonic notes still see usage in the piece.
| Scale Degree | Note | Bars |
|---|---|---|
| ♭3 | A♭ | 4, 10 |
Chords
The chords for Desert Breeze are as follows. A small dot (·) or a line break represents a new bar. An asterisk (*) represents a non-diatonic/borrowed chord. Line breaks are used to separate chord progressions.
Roman Numeral Chordal Analysis
C Phrygian Dominant
- Ⅰ♭6 · Ⅰ Ⅰ+
- Ⅰ♭6 · Ⅰ♭6 · Ⅰ♭6 · Ⅱ7* · ♭ⅡΔ7
- Ⅰ♭6 · Ⅰ♭6 · Ⅰ♭6 · Ⅰ♭6
- Ⅰ♭6 · Ⅰ♭6 · Ⅰ♭6 · Ⅱ7* · ♭ⅡΔ7
- Ⅰ♭6 · Ⅰ♭6 · Ⅰ♭6 · Ⅰ♭6
C Hungarian Major
- ♭ⅲ Ⅰ · ♭ⅲ Ⅰ
- ♭ⅲ Ⅰ · ♭ⅲ Ⅰ
F Spanish Phrygian
- Ⅰ♭6 ♭ⅶ · Ⅰ♭6 ♭ⅶ · Ⅰ♭6 ♭ⅶ · Ⅰ♭6 ♭ⅶ
- Ⅰ♭6 ♭ⅶ · Ⅰ♭6 ♭ⅶ · Ⅰ♭6 ♭ⅶ · Ⅰ♭6 ♭ⅶ · Ⅰ♭6
F Ancient
- ♭ⅶ Ⅴ · ♭ⅶ Ⅴ
- ♭ⅶ Ⅴ · ♭ⅶ Ⅴ · Ⅰ♭6
Chord Symbol Notation
C Phrygian Dominant
- C(♭6) · C C+
- C(♭6) · C(♭6) · C(♭6) · D7* · D♭Δ7
- C(♭6) · C(♭6) · C(♭6) · C(♭6)
- C(♭6) · C(♭6) · C(♭6) · D7* · D♭Δ7
- C(♭6) · C(♭6) · C(♭6) · C(♭6)
C Hungarian Major
- E♭m C · E♭m C
- E♭m C · E♭m C
F Spanish Phrygian
- F(♭6) E♭m · F(♭6) E♭m · F(♭6) E♭m · F(♭6) E♭m
- F(♭6) E♭m · F(♭6) E♭m · F(♭6) E♭m · F(♭6) E♭m · F(♭6)
F Ancient
- E♭m C · E♭m C
- E♭m C · E♭m C · F(♭6)
Analysis
Scale-Degree Distribution
The following table is a scale-degree distribution analysis of the lead melodies in Desert Breeze, where a whole note = 1 (and a quarter note = 0.25 and so on). Each bar was counted manually and, depending on the context of the key, assigned an interval. As well as this, it was determined whether or not the current note was diatonic or part of the chord currently playing (chord note).
| Desert Breezes | Interval | Tension | ||||||||||||||
| 1 | ♭2 | 2 | ♭3 | 3 | 4 | ♯4 | 5 | ♭6 | 6 | ♭7 | 7 | Diatonic Note | Chord Note | All Notes | 𝄽 | |
| 1 | 0.25 | 0.21 | 0.29 | 0.25 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | ||||||||
| 2 | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.88 | |||||||||||
| 3 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | 0.50 | 0.13 | 0.38 | 0.88 | 0.88 | 1.00 | 0.00 | |||||||||
| 5 | 0.50 | 0.50 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | ||||||||||
| 6 | 0.63 | 0.38 | 0.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | ||||||||||
| 7 | 0.44 | 0.19 | 0.38 | 1.00 | 0.81 | 1.00 | 0.00 | |||||||||
| 8 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.58 | 0.08 | 0.17 | 0.92 | 0.67 | 1.00 | 0.00 | |||||||
| 9 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | |||||||||||
| 10 | 0.50 | 0.13 | 0.38 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | |||||||||
| 11 | 0.50 | 0.50 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | ||||||||||
| 12 | 0.63 | 0.38 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | ||||||||||
| 13 | 0.44 | 0.19 | 0.38 | 1.00 | 0.81 | 1.00 | 0.00 | |||||||||
| 14 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.58 | 0.08 | 0.17 | 0.92 | 0.67 | 1.00 | 0.00 | |||||||
| 15 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | |||||||||||
| 16 | 0.25 | 0.25 | 0.25 | 0.25 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | ||||||||
| 17 | 0.25 | 0.25 | 0.25 | 0.25 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | ||||||||
| 18 | 0.25 | 0.25 | 0.25 | 0.25 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | ||||||||
| 19 | 0.25 | 0.25 | 0.25 | 0.25 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | ||||||||
| 20 | 0.08 | 0.17 | 0.60 | 0.15 | 1.00 | 0.67 | 1.00 | 0.00 | ||||||||
| 21 | 0.08 | 0.17 | 0.65 | 0.10 | 1.00 | 0.92 | 1.00 | 0.00 | ||||||||
| 22 | 0.63 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.13 | 1.00 | 0.67 | 1.00 | 0.00 | |||||||
| 23 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | |||||||||||
| 24 | 0.08 | 0.17 | 0.69 | 0.06 | 1.00 | 0.67 | 1.00 | 0.00 | ||||||||
| 25 | 0.08 | 0.17 | 0.65 | 0.10 | 1.00 | 0.92 | 1.00 | 0.00 | ||||||||
| 26 | 0.63 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.13 | 1.00 | 0.67 | 1.00 | 0.00 | |||||||
| 27 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | |||||||||||
| 28 | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.25 | 0.25 | 0.25 | 1.00 | 0.88 | 1.00 | 0.00 | |||||||
| 29 | 0.25 | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.38 | 0.88 | 0.88 | 1.00 | 0.00 | |||||||
| 30 | 0.25 | 0.38 | 0.13 | 0.25 | 1.00 | 0.75 | 1.00 | 0.00 | ||||||||
| 31 | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.50 | 0.25 | 1.00 | 0.88 | 1.00 | 0.00 | ||||||||
| 32 | 0.50 | 0.50 | 0.50 | 0.50 | 0.50 | |||||||||||
| 33 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 8.42 | 1.17 | 1.13 | 1.04 | 2.38 | 2.08 | 2.42 | 6.13 | 2.54 | 0.75 | 1.08 | 0.50 | 95.22% | 88.89% | 29.63 | 3.38 |
| Total (%) | 28.41% | 3.94% | 3.80% | 3.52% | 8.02% | 7.03% | 8.16% | 20.68% | 8.58% | 2.53% | 3.66% | 1.69% | ||||
Chordal Distribution
The following table is a chordal distribution analysis of the chords in Desert Breeze. Each bar was counted manually per bar depending on the context of the key. There is a header for the specific chord configuration, but also a header for the simplified triad forms of any and all chords (in this case, only relevant for the merging of the I and I♭6 chords).
| Desert Breezes | Triad | Bars | % | Chord | Bars | % |
| Ⅰ | 26.50 | 67.95% | Ⅰ | 2.50 | 6.41% | |
| Ⅰ♭6 | 24.00 | 61.54% | ||||
| Ⅰ+ | 0.50 | 1.28% | Ⅰ+ | 0.50 | 1.28% | |
| ♭Ⅱ | 2 | 5.13% | ♭ⅡΔ7 | 2 | 5.13% | |
| Ⅱ | 2.00 | 5.13% | Ⅱ7 | 2 | 5.13% | |
| ♭ⅲ | 2 | 5.13% | ♭ⅲ | 2 | 5.13% | |
| Ⅴ | 2.00 | 5.13% | Ⅴ | 2.00 | 5.13% | |
| ♭ⅶ | 4 | 10.26% | ♭ⅶ | 4 | 10.26% |
Trivia
- Desert Breezes is the only Dessert Desert night composition to be released in all main soundtrack releases.
- Desert Breezes is the 3rd Dessert Desert night composition that Grant Kirkhope wrote.
- Desert Breezes is the only composition to have harmonic changes made to it out of all the Rare Treats: Viva Piñata Revisited rerecorded versions. In this case, an accidental was added in bars 8 (0:32) and 14 (0:56).
- Desert Breezes is the only composition to use the cor anglais and bass flute.
- This also makes it the composition with the most unique instruments out of the main soundtrack, with 2.