The Origin Of The Iconic Nokia Ringtone
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Long before smartphones became ubiquitous, Nokia reigned supreme in the world of mobile phones.
Among the many features that Nokia phones were known for, one element stands out - the Nokia tune.
The Nokia tune, also known as "Grande Valse," is perhaps one of the most instantly recognizable melodies worldwide.
It's a mere three-second snippet of music that manages to evoke both irritation and nostalgia in equal measure. But where did this iconic tune come from, and who is the mind behind it?
The story starts with Francisco Tárrega, a Spanish composer and guitarist from the Romantic period. Tárrega, often hailed as 'the father of classical guitar,' composed a beautiful solo guitar piece in 1902 known as "Gran Vals."
Little did he know that a mere four bars of his composition, specifically bars 13 to 16, would achieve global recognition beyond his wildest dreams.
But here's the twist.
Tárrega wasn't the sole composer at play here. His work was inspired by Frédéric Chopin's "Grande Valse Brillante," written in 1834. Within Chopin's waltz, around the 1:33 mark, there lies a section that oddly resembles the Nokia startup theme. Tárrega, inspired by this, would go on to reinterpret it as a beautiful guitar solo nearly seven decades later.
Now, why did Nokia select this particular piece for its iconic ringtone? The answer lies in copyright laws. Nokia needed a sound that wouldn't lead to expensive legal disputes.
European law stipulates that music enters the public domain 70 years after the composer's death. Tárrega, having passed away 84 years prior, proved to be the perfect choice.
The Nokia Tune transcended being a mere ringtone; it became an electronic earcon, a distinctive auditory phrase that marked our lives. In a report from 2009, it was estimated that this tune was heard worldwide a staggering 1.8 billion times per day.
To put it into perspective, that's approximately 20,000 times every single second. It's quite possibly the most played tune in history, and it all began with the simple strumming of a Spanish guitar, coupled with some inspiration from Chopin.
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