Maximus, guitar transcription

"Education replaces an empty mind with an open one"

Gladiator Collage

I have a special place in my heart for great movie scores such as Cavatina, Chi mai, The Mission, Gladiator.... for one thing, most composers include the guitar in some parts of the score and the caliber of some of these composers is simply as good as it gets. I think that Ennio Morricone is a genius. Once upon a time in America, one of his co-paticipations with the Italian director Sergio Leone, is an orchestrated piece of work between images and music. Hans Zimmer reaches the same grandeur with Maximus.

The theme appears during the movie played on guitar by the Brasilian player Heitor Pereira.
Once again, I could not resist the beauty of the piece and it will be part of my concert programs.

Enjoy it.

Hear Maximus
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Hear how to do this by clicking on the real audio image below

Click here for TAB

Video 1:

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Analysis:
The opening section- Tambora (drums)- resembles the distant rumbling of drums and explosions.... stretch the tempo to your pleasure to add drama and sweetness. Tambora is performed hitting softly but swiftly the strings in the bridge area. You hit as many strings as the music requires. Experiment hitting at different distances from the bridge and you will discover a variety of tones... Sometimes tambora can be played with the outside part of the right thumb by keeping the RH almost parallel to the soundboard and rotating the wrist counterclockwise causing the thumb to hit the strings.
Elbow

Whenever a finger has to reach elusive notes on the upper strings, help your playing by using the whole plying apparatus. The elbow reaches closer to the side of your body and finger 3 reaches comfortably.

Asuncion, Friday, August 13th 2004

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