Video Game and Movie Music

Tetris Theme - Easy Version

This catchy tune, based on a traditional Russian melody called Korobeiniki, has become one of the most well-known video game songs of all time.   This version has been simplified to make it more accessible to young or new players.

Complete with tabs, sheet music, and chords.

Gravity Falls - Title Theme

This rocking intro to the Gravity Falls theme has  motivated my young students to practice probably more than any other song.   To sound like the original, place a capo on the 5th fret.  If you don't have a capo, it will still sound good.  For some students, I'll let them skip the first line until they have a bit more experience, and just start on measure five, where the main melody begins.  

Complete with tabs, sheet music, and chords.

The Last of Us - Title Theme

This eerie fingerstyle guitar intro was the perfect moodsetter for a game/TV show in which humans infected with a lethal fungus take down civilization.   

The guitar part goes all the way up to the 16th fret.  If you don't have a cut-away on your guitar, you may have a hard time hitting those high frets. 

The Lost Woods (Sariah's Song) - Easy Version

This song comes from Ocarina of Time, which is probably the most famous Zelda game of all time.    The melody is all very simple, up until the last line.   So even though the beginning is easy, set a slow beat so that the last line is not too tough for you.

Complete with tabs, sheet music, and chords.

Tetris Theme - Intermediate Version

The same catchy song, but now with harmonies, pull-offs, new fingerings, and some syncopated rhythms.  This one sounds closer to the original.

Complete with tabs, sheet music, and chords.

The Lost Woods (Sariah's Song) - Intermediate Version

The same tabs as the easy version, only this one uses hammer-ons and pull-offs.   It's a fun song to to introduce new students to those techniques.  

Complete with tabs, sheet music, and chords.

Hedwig's Theme (Easy)

Here's the same song, but just the first page.  This first section can be played even by those who are just beginning to read tabs.

Hedwig's Theme (Intermediate)

This song is perfect for students who are  learning to play melodies outside of first position.  Watch the finger numbers VERY carefully, and you'll see that that I've arranged it to minimize excess movement.   Students who are used to keeping their fingers spread out, one finger per fret, in various positions, will have a much easier time with this one.  Those who need work on this technique could benefit from this lesson on "Spider Exercises" from my book "Easy Scales and Warm Ups".

Super Mario Bros. 2 - Overworld Theme (intermediate)

Koji Kondo has released some of the most memorable video game music ever created.  This song was released in the US in 1988, and was one of the first games he worked on for Nintendo.   He's since composed music for most, if not all, of the "Mario" games and "The Legend of Zelda" games.  

This song is quite challenging for new players but it a lot of fun for those who are closer to an intermediate level.

Accompaniment chords are also provided.

The Office - Main Theme

This theme has become of the most popular and easily recognizable T.V. show themes of all time.  Watch the fingerings carefully in the sheet music to make it sound as smooth as possible.  

The chords have been simplified a bit.  This version uses D chords instead of Bm chords.

Kass's Song from "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild"

In the game, this song is played by Kass on an accordion.  This fingerstyle arrangement has a slightly simplified rhythm so it can be played by early intermediate players.  You can listen to the original here.

Misty Mountains from "The Hobbit"

This somber melody from the movie "The Hobbit" was written by Howard Shore, the renowned film composer.   This song has, perhaps, become more popular than the movie it was featured in!

This is an easy fingerstyle arrangement with usually only two notes at a time, so it can be played by those just being introduced to fingerstyle music.