Now We Are Free

“Now We Are Free” is one of Hans Zimmer’s most iconic themes, right up there with “Time” from Inception. Originally composed with vocalist Lisa Gerrard for Gladiator, the piece captures the Roman concept of the afterlife—Elysium—and the protagonist’s final journey home.

From an arrangement standpoint, Zimmer is a master of “less is more.” He relies on foundational chord progressions that allow the melody to do the heavy lifting. This makes his work particularly rewarding to adapt for fingerstyle guitar; the chords and Lisa Gerrard’s vocal lines fell into place quite…