Tazarine

Tazarine is a song by Argentine composer Gustavo Santaolalla, from his 2006 Academy award winning soundtrack for Babel. Babel was directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu. The multi-narrative drama features interwoven stories taking place in Morocco, Japan, Mexico, and the United States.

The song is a haunting instrumental that features a simple melody played on an Oud; a pear-shaped, fretless guitar used commonly in Middle Eastern and North African music. Gustavo Santaolalla was unfamiliar with the Oud prior to recording music for Babel. Essentially this gave Santaolalla the “beginner’s mind” when writing music on the instrument. He wasn’t biased from culture or tradition, and was able to create something entirely original.

Tazarine has always been one of my favorites, and my arrangement is slightly expanded. If you’re a fan of Gustavo Santaolalla’s film music, I think you enjoy this :)

You might also like to play…
(some other pieces by Gustavo Santaolalla)

The Motorcycle Diaries: Apertura | fingerstyle guitar + TAB

Brokeback Mountain: Riding Horses | fingerstyle guitar + TAB

The Last of Us Part II: Longing |fingerstyle guitar + TAB

How to play Tazarine | fingerstyle guitar

The guitar tab for Tazarine is beautifully written across 2 pages. Although avant-garde, the piece is relatively easy to play and suitable for beginner guitar players. Enjoy! The guitar tab is available below:

You’ll play the guitar tab straight through, without repeats.

**Gustavo Santaolalla: Tazarine (Babel) | fingerstyle guitar

My arrangement is tuned way down (from low to high): B F# B E G# B. If you prefer to stay closer to standard tuning, try: D A D G B D.

(In either case, you’re just tuning the 1st and 6th strings to match the 4th string.)