[Piano Sheet] Vinland Saga OST - 錆びた剣 (Rusty Sword) - Yutaka Yamada

This is an original piano arrangement of Rusty Sword (錆びた剣), composed by Yutaka Hamada for the Vinland Saga soundtrack.

To me, this reflective and emotional piece has become a representation of loss, transition and acceptance; death. I remember it best when it fully played in Season Two, at the moment of Gardar's passing being held and accompanied by Arhneid in the carriage.

The quiet yearning nature of the first half of the piece feels like retelling - a remembering and reflection of life that was lived, with its ups and downs. This nostalgic atmosphere comes to an end when the piece briefly modulates to C#, sounding firm and sort of satisfied. Then, that same C# that was shining before strikes again, but this time much more solemn; by itself. It starts a scale downward down to F#, turning to C#m instead of the E mood that was present before. This to me means the realization and coming of death; coming back to reality. The piece then begins to alternate between anxiety and quiet reflection, as is struggling to accept the hardships that have been lived, what was never lived, what could have been, and what is coming. All this turbulence culminates in a final yearning, a climax represented with the arpeggiated runs and those painful chords beginning with the A major chord. Finally, the piece culminates in E, in a very graceful, but nostalgic and still melancholic fasion; at last, the acceptance of destiny.

Every time i play this piece or listen to it i'm reminded of the anime and all the tragedy that surrounds it, represented by this piece. I will always admire Yutaka Hamada and the ability he has to paint such a realistic and raw picture with just the piano, and his interpretation is straight up otherworldly. I'm very grateful i have gotten the chance to experience this anime and Hamada's work!

Thank you so much for supporting my arrangement.
This is my first time sharing a sheet arrangement publicly, and your interest means the world to me.

If this music moves you, I’d love to hear your performance or feedback. And if you choose to pay more — thank you deeply for your generosity. Every bit helps me continue to arrange and share more pieces like this. Also, feel free to request what piece i should arrange next!

It is very important to note that Yutaka Yamada's piano pieces tend to be very interpretative and improvisatory. For this reason, this sheet music serves as a guide and reference, not as a strict metric of how it should be played. Feel free to listen to the original performance of mine when reading the sheet! I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer:
This sheet music is a fan-made arrangement for educational and personal use only.
All rights to the original composition belong to Yutaka Yamada and the creators of Vinland Saga.
No copyright infringement is intended.