H4

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Ｈ４
Dragon Ball begins.
Tonality	D Minor
Length	0:42
BGM Data
Catalog Number	K-2
Composition	Shunsuke Kikuchi
Theme Groups	Chinese traditional
Debut and Release
Debut Year	1986
First Appears	Dragon Ball Episode 1
Last Appears	Dragon Ball Episode 133
Debut Release	Ongakushū (1986 vinyl) Daizenshuu (1994 CD)
BGM Suite	The Great Wilderness

H4 is the official catalogue number of a piece of background music (BGM) composed by Shunsuke Kikuchi for the Dragon Ball anime in 1986. The piece debuted in Dragon Ball Episode 1 which was broadcast on 26 February 1986.

Overview

H4 is written in a style that embodies the popular conception of Chinese traditional music. With the exception of one tone of the high-pitched background keyboard synth, every note falls within a minor pentatonic scale pattern (see also: Chinese musicology) and the violin imitates the erhu.

Some of the synth instrumentation might employ sounds meant to imitate other Chinese instruments, but the sounds are from an era when faithful electronic sounds were not widely available. No actual Chinese instruments appear to have been used.

The settings for H4 are invariably scenic, far away from civilization, or both. The full composition is part d of the suite entitled "The Great Wilderness", which is track #7 on both the Ongakushū record and disc #2 of the Daizenshuu.

H4 was made with the image of a Chinese sunset, and the emotional tune is evocative of evening in the vastness of China.
— Dragon Ball & Dragon Ball Z Daizenshuu

H4 is given the title "DragonBall Begins" on The Suburbs of kenisu's Magicant, the most common source for fan titles of Kikuchi's compositions. H4 is attributed to the wrong scene for episode 62 on kenisu's site. The piece was assigned the Kanzenshuu catalogue number of K-2 based on its placement in the series.

Compositional Analysis

The high-pitched keyboard synth on the dissonant interval of a minor 2nd (E and F) is the first sound in the piece. Both notes strike simultaneously and percussively like a piano but the tones swell and sustain a string sound. This E is the only note in the piece that does not fit the D minor pentatonic (D-F-G-A-C).

After the background of the sustained string sound is set, the piece progresses in a recitation style, without a strict meter. The synth melody calls on D-F-C-A; the violin responds an octave higher with D-C-A. (D ascends to C; C descends with a slide to A.) A flute alternates C-A-C—A-C, mirrored in a lower octave by another woodwind instrument. This repeats, and then the piece ends with a F-G-D-A melody resolving on a D-minor chord.

In some instances, there appear to be slight alterations of the woodwind parts compared to the official track. In episode 1, the woodwinds progress to C# on the first iteration of their part, breaking out of pentatonic and temporarily implying a dominant: C-A-C—A-C-C#—. The C# is sustained for a few beats. A gong sounds just before the C# sounds so it is possible that this is a sound effect of some sort, though it appears to be the same instruments. In episode 22, the flute part seems to briefly and softly resolve to a D, but this is only heard in the Japanese audio. It does not appear to be from the voice of Namu's brother, who is breathing heavily.

Usage and Variations

For further information, see Dragon Ball Music.

Below is a table of every usage of H4 in Dragon Ball.

Scene	Length and Variations	Setting
Dragon Ball Episode 1: Prologue narration.	0:38: The beginning of the piece overlaps with the opening harp of H1. There is an alteration in the woodwind parts which is not present in the official track: the final C resolves to C#, implying a dominant. The full track is used, but the ending reverb is either cut off or lost in the sound of the waterfall.
Dragon Ball Episode 6: Spending the night in Oolong's camper capsule.	0:14: The music fades after the first woodwind statement (no C#).
Dragon Ball Episode 22 (A): Namu thinks of the plight of his village.	0:55: After the first woodwind statement, the flute appears to resolve to D, but this is only heard in the Japanese track. Then the music jumps back to the violin statement that came before it. The music fades abruptly on the final resolution.
Dragon Ball Episode 22 (B): The Turtle Hermit reads Namu's mind.	0:23: The track fades into the audience noise on the second violin statement.
Dragon Ball Episode 39: Sno worries about Goku.	0:13: The track fades on the first woodwind statement.
Dragon Ball Episode 62: Upa fetches water beneath Karin Tower.	0:32: The second woodwind statement is cut.
Dragon Ball Episode 123: An egg floats down a river.	0:23: After the second synth melody statement, it cuts to the last two notes of the piece.
Dragon Ball Episode 133: Last call for registration at the 23rd Tenka'ichi Budōkai.	0:18: The piece fades on the second synth melody statement.