Vladimir’s Blues

Released in 2004 on the album The Blue Notebooks, “Vladimir’s Blues” is a poignant, minimalist piano piece by composer Max Richter. The song’s title is a nod to the writer, Vladimir Nabokov, who was an expert on a family of butterflies known as “the Blues” 🦋.

Vladimir’s Blues has been prominently featured in the HBO’s series, The Leftovers, throughout all of its 3 seasons. Its somber, contemplative tone complements the show’s themes of grief, loss (and human connection) after a catastrophic event.

Although Max Richter wrote volumes of new music for The Leftovers — Vladimir’s Blues was the lone piece they pulled from his earlier works. I loved that show, and that’s where I first heard that motif.

You might also like to play…

The Leftovers: Dona Nobis Pacem | fingerstyle guitar + TAB

Max Richter: The Departure | fingerstyle guitar + TAB

On the Nature of Daylight | fingerstyle guitar + TAB

How to play Vladimir’s Blues | fingerstyle guitar

The guitar tab is beautifully written across 2 pages. I recommend this arrangement for intermediate guitar players and up. Enjoy, the tab is available below:

My song structure looks like this, in accordance with the guitar tab:

You will play the entire piece straight through, twice. On the second passage, you’ll make the two subtle alterations that I have indicated at the bottom of the guitar tab as: #1 and #2.

**Max Richter: Vladimir’s Blues | fingerstyle guitar

This piece is played in standard tuning.