I am not a great guitar player; I’m merely a good guitar player. I would only consider myself “great” at transcribing and arranging music for the guitar — but only within my capacity to do so. For the most part, I’m a musician who happens […]

From an recent interview with Access WOBI, in which Gustavo Santaolalla was asked what advice he would give to a young artist: “I would focus on three fundamental qualities. First of all, discipline. The famous “80% perspiration and 20% inspiration”. The second thing is to […]

I sort-of created my own style for nylon string guitar.  I don’t have long fingernails (creepy), and I’ve never really learned the different right hand techniques.  For that matter, I can play a little bit of Cannon In D, and Fur Elise — but that’s […]

I imagine that Gustavo Santaolalla charges a serious fee for his composition work. The Quarantine Zone illustrates precisely why that fee is worth it — for any production company. When it comes to music, I value genius over prowess.  Guitar chops and fast licks really don’t […]

I’m still pumped about Bajofondo’s excellent performance in Pittsburgh last week. I find myself listening to their new album, Presente with an even greater depth of understanding –– having now seen Bajofondo live and watched Gustavo Santaolalla’s unique guitar wizardry from about two feet away. (Note: I […]

Intro, from Bajofondo’s newest release Presente, is originally from the film Les Yeux De Sa Mere (His Mother’s Eyes). Although Les Yeux De Sa Mere is little known in the states, I find it to be one of Gustavo Santaolalla’s best scores — if you’re into […]

Comprised from a collection of  instruments and guitars, Apertura serves as a powerful opening to The Motorcycle Diaries. This post is an all-in-one arrangement for solo guitar of Gustavo Santaolalla’s classic song. I use my middle finger to “swipe” the high notes in the beginning (and […]

Update 11/14/16: This is my all time favorite piece to play, and I’ve rewritten and updated the guitar tab for Brokeback Mountain Suite. The old guitar tab was sufficient, but I wanted to lay it out a little better. Please enjoy. July 2012: Encuentro en […]

Riding Horses (This post and tab have been updated as of 8/31/20) Riding Horses is one of my favorite selections from Gustavo Santaolalla’s iconic, Academy Award winning score for Brokeback Mountain. It’s truly one Gustavo Santaolalla’s most beautiful melodies. The actual piece is two separate […]

[Updated: August 2017] Lima Lima is one of my favorite tracks from Gustavo Santaolalla’s The Motorcycle Diaries soundtrack. Rather than (his usual) simple playing approach, Lima really displays Santaolalla’s guitar prowess. I had an opportunity to see Gustavo Santaolalla play live in Pittsburgh with his band Bajofondo. […]

[Updated September 2017] Biutiful Biutiful stars Javier Bardem and is directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu (The Revenant, Birdman). Biutiful is a love story between a father and his children. Uxbal (Bardem) is a conflicted man who struggles to reconcile fatherhood, guilt, and mortality amidst the […]

[Updated post and tab: May 2017] The Motorcycle Diaries The Motorcycle Diaries is considered to be one of Gustavo Santaolalla’s greatest film scores. Film synopsis (edited from the official Focus Features site): The Motorcycle Diaries, depicts the rich, complex human and social landscape of early […]