Dona Nobis Pacem
Free audio download on SoundCloud.
Dona Nobis Pacem (grant us peace, latin) is a gorgeous piece of music by composer, Max Richter. This piece is from the hit HBO series, The Leftovers. That series would also work as a perfect allegory for the pandemic:
There’s a global cataclysm where 140 million people suddenly disappear without a trace. Three years later, the residents of a small town in upstate NY are trying to maintain a sense of normalcy when “normal” no longer exists.
I think that we are fortunate to be guitar players. Even if you’re a beginner or just tinkering around. Being able to withdrawal into an instrument was a definite advantage during the last two years. We grant ourselves peace.
You might also like to play…
The Leftovers: The Departure | fingerstyle guitar + TAB
On the Nature of Daylight | fingerstyle guitar + TAB
The Theory of Everything | fingerstyle guitar + TAB
Gear used
For this piece I used my Cordoba GK Studio guitar. I’m also using a new Zoom X/Y stereo large diaphragm microphone. It’s actually two mics configured in an X/Y pattern. You can see it in the video. I’m sold. I think the tone is brilliant. You can find current list of my gear here.
My music
You can find my personal music on Spotify, Apple, and all steaming services:
The Intellimusica Spotify Playlist: Ethereal and Cinematic Music
(This playlist is curated and updated by me. It’s music that I’ve played and intend to play on Intellimusica. It flows beautifully — and additionally works as music for focus, meditation, and self-reflection.)
How to play Dona Nobis Pacem | fingerstyle guitar
(Resources: learn more about Premium Memberships here. Get my weekly posts right to your inbox.)
The guitar tab for this piece is beautifully written across 2 pages. This arrangement is relatively easy to play. The fingerstyle is kind of relentless — so I can’t imagine it for total beginners — but the chord shapes are very basic. Happy playing! The guitar tab is available below:
My order of play, in accordance with the guitar tab is:
Intro 2x
Verse 2x, Verse End
Verse 2x, Verse End, End
The Leftovers: Dona Nobis Pacem (Max Richter) | fingerstyle guitar
This piece is played in standard tuning. I use a capo on the 1st fret. You can play it in any capo position you wish.
I sometimes use a capo for the “hand feel” of the song. It usually takes me 10-12 takes to get a good performance for posting. For my bio-mechanics, a capo on the 1st fret gave me the best cost/benefit of performance and tone.
