Zephyr
I initially set out to re-record Gustavo Santaolalla’s ‘Rein’ from the soundtrack of Biutiful (2009). I had shared it on my blog over a decade ago, and with much-improved sound quality, I was eager for a fresh take. But as often happens, my ear guided me in a different direction. Before I knew it, I’d composed Zephyr instead.
I think the name ‘Zephyr’ perfectly captures the song’s essence: the delicate, barely perceptible movement of air. It reflects the composition’s light, and fleeting quality. I definitely borrowed Santaolalla’s relentless right-hand fingerstyle technique for Zephyr. It’s an incredibly elegant method — creating a rich, textural soundscape, while my left hand barely moves.
This piece is available on all streaming services:
How to play Zephyr | fingerstyle guitar
The guitar tab for this piece is beautifully written across 4 pages. I recommend this piece for intermediate guitar players and up. The chord shapes are easy to play, but the right-hand fingerstyle technique is unceasing. It will take a beginner some time to build the necessary speed and stamina.
Please enjoy!, The guitar tab is available below:
My song structure looks like this, in accordance with the guitar tab:
Verse 2x, Pre-chorus, Chorus 1x, Post-chorus
End 1x
Verse 2x, Pre-chorus, Chorus 2x, Post-chorus
End 2x
[guitar tab] **Zephyr \\ Original by Evan Handyside | fingerstyle guitar
This song is tuned 1 whole step down. Your tuning will look like this from low to high: D G C F A D.