Bringing Westeros Back: A Deep Dive into Dan Romer's A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Score
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
The article is written by the pianist, Torby Brand
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (also known as "Dunk and Egg") is the newest Game of Thrones spin-off, based on George R. R. Martin's novellas of the same name. In stark contrast to both Thrones and House of the Dragon, these are short stories, and much more lighthearted at that. It's not for me to say whether this weighed in on HBO's decision to hire a new composer, but one thing's for sure: it worked. And in this article, I will be using two of my own piano arrangements to illustrate why!
Dan Romer brings a fresh, new sound to the franchise. As many lost faith in House of the Dragon after its slower, cut-short second season, this new energy is exactly what the series needed. At first it might sound similar: acoustic, string-heavy pieces, drums, and so on. But the key lies in the vibe. As the first scene of the series proves, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms doesn't take itself as seriously as its predecessors. And this can be heard in the score.
“We’re using a lot of guitar, we’re using a good amount of piano, we were trying to not make the music feel… quite as grand in scope as the original Game of Thrones.
It’s a smaller story…it’s a more contained story about Dunk and Egg. So we wanted to create this sort of, handheld, brawler, middle class kind of music, and not as much of this gigantic, royal music.”
-Dan Romer, from the official Game of Thrones podcast.
Though I'd classify several pieces as "noble" or "heroic" sounding, there's also something Game of Thrones never really had: slice of life. Through the political intrigue, excitement, and impending doom, there was never really any time for that. Dan Romer tackled this head-on by introducing a brand-new instrument to the universe. Whistling!
"Quieter Accommodations"
In this piece, we're treated to a completely laid-back, three-beat rhythm with a relaxing whistling melody on top. Written in 3/4 time at a moderate 98 BPM in B♭ major, the bass line establishes a buoyant foundation: a quarter-note kicks off a triplet figure ascending to an eighth-note, before resolving upward into two stacked major-third quarter notes, the second punctuated with a playful staccato. To start, the piece simply sways between the tonic B♭ and the subdominant E♭, a gentle rocking motion that makes it feel warm and folksy.
The melody mirrors this lightheartedness. Marching up the scale in bar 7 before easing back is what gives the piece its slightly pompous character, perfectly offset by the staccato bounce and the breezy whistling. There's even a comical quality to it; staccato was typically used in Thrones for dramatic tension, but here there's no drama, no climax, no building emotion. Just vibes. It perfectly supports the character-building that Romer wanted for our two titular heroes.
"Arrival in Ashford" (Main Theme)
Next, we have the more serious "Arrival in Ashford," also known as the main theme. The piece unfolds in 6/8, and the guitar arpeggios ripple in continuous eighth notes, tracing an arch. In the first bar, this outlines an Em voicing (E–G–B) and creates a wistful feeling. The second bar shifts to E–B–E ascending before stepping down to D, then lifting again through D–A — opening new harmonic space and pulling toward the dominant.
Over this undulating foundation, the melody breathes in longer values. The interplay between cyclical arpeggios and the spacious melody creates a natural counterpoint: motion and stillness coexisting. Though the theme takes itself more seriously, there's a sense of ease in those ascending and descending arpeggios as the heroic, knightly melody plays atop them. It leans into simplicity more than Thrones ever did, and that fits the story of our two protagonists, who offer a much smaller-scale view of the world of Westeros. Just as Romer intended. The building, swelling strings bring us into a beautiful new world, one that captures us without needing to borrow from its predecessor! That said, we did get a wonderful blend of this theme with the original Thrones theme in the track "Let the Gods Decide," where the different melodies merge in a majestic manner. But it's a one-off, saved for a pivotal moment in the series, and it's become a fan favourite. As long as they keep the original at arm's length and continue leaning into Romer's new direction, I think people will keep falling in love with it.
Oh. Don't get me started on the random jazz piece, though. If we get a season 2 without any sexy trumpets or saxophones, that's fine by me!
Both of the pictured piano arrangements are made by yours truly, and available in the store. They are both simple to play, so if you’d like, give them a try! Thanks for reading, and I hope you’re looking forward to season 2 of the show!
Quieter Accommodations: https://mymusic5.com/torbybrand/354039
Arrival in Ashford: https://mymusic5.com/torbybrand/352924
Over 400,000 sheets with various songs and instruments, and 15 different local payment methods, mymusic5 provides the most convenient platform service for those of you who love music.
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