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.
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The Leftovers: The Departure | fingerstyle guitar + TAB
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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 streaming services:
The Intellimusica Spotify Playlist: Ethereal & Cinematic Guitar
Deep cuts from artists like Gustavo Santaolalla, Hans Zimmer, Jeff Buckley, and Radiohead – combine to create a heady flow of music for focus, meditation, and self-reflection. This is a Guitar focused (but not exclusive) playlist that elicits the emotional, captivating quality of modern film scores.
How to play Dona Nobis Pacem | fingerstyle guitar
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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.
