gustavo santaolalla

[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 dangerous criminal underworld of modern Barcelona.

Although Uxbal is a career criminal, and his livelihood is earned out of bounds — his sacrifice for his children knows no bounds.

When Uxbal is diagnosed with terminal cancer, he’s given weeks, if not days to live. His journey is a desperate race against time to settle his affairs and leave some security behind for his children’s future.

Gustavo Santaolalla’s Lait is one of the principle songs from Biutiful. It’s loosely played on a ronroco which is a small Andean guitar.

The song has a circular structure to it, beginning with the end, which is emblematic of Uxbal’s journey — and the human experience. 

You may also like my arrangement of Gustavo Santaolalla’s Epilogue, also from Biutiful.

Gear Used

For Lait I used my Cordoba GK Studio. It’s truly my best sounding guitar.

You can find a current list of my gear, here.

How to play Lait, by Gustavo Santaolalla

(Note: This is my premium material. Please subscribe to my YouTube channel, or click here to be updated on all of my latest guitar tabs.)

Lait is relatively easy to play, as nearly the entire song is played on the first three frets. However, having been originally played on a small Andean guitar called a Ronroco, there’s some Santaolalla-esque nuance that may be difficult for beginner guitar players. 

The guitar tab is three pages long. You’ll begin with page one, taking care to |: repeat :| the Intro 2x. You’ll then follow the tab where you’ll play the Refrain 2x.

Follow the guitar tab again to where I indicate to play the refrain again (1x) then the Intro again 2x. Finish with the End section.

I believe this song favors intermediate guitar players and up, but beginner guitar players will most likely be just fine. 

I LOVE playing this, and it’s one of Gustavo Santaolalla all time greatest pieces.

Please enjoy, the guitar tab is available below:

Lait is played in standard tuning with a capo on the 7th fret.

Gustavo Santaolalla: Lait (Biutiful) for guitar