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AT YOUR OWN TEMPO

The Godfather love theme — opening study

Nino Rota Film music

Easy#film#a-minor#left-hand-chords

A newly prepared short opening study in A minor, with simple LH accompaniments. This is not the 20-bar arrangement from our earlier chat: that exact table could not be recovered. It omits the later sections and fast runs, and should not be treated as a replacement transcription of your previous sheet.

C4 is middle C. G# is the black key immediately above G. Columns mark note events rather than fixed beats: follow the familiar flowing melody, with a longer final note in each phrase. Start the first E4 lightly as a pickup. Hold LH notes until the next LH entry; release both hands before restarting.

1. First phrase

Begin RH alone on E4. Bring in the LH with A4. Let the last E4 linger.

LH1: -    A2         -    -    -    -    -
LH2: -    A2+E3      -    -    -    -    -
LH3: -    A2+C3+E3   -    -    -    -    -
RH:  E4   A4         C5   B4   A4   C5   A4
LH1: -    -    D3         -    A2
LH2: -    -    D3+A3      -    A2+E3
LH3: -    -    D3+F3+A3   -    A2+C3+E3
RH:  B4   A4   F4         G4   E4

2. Second phrase

Begin the same way, then let the melody fall to D4.

LH1: -    A2         -    -    -    -    -
LH2: -    A2+E3      -    -    -    -    -
LH3: -    A2+C3+E3   -    -    -    -    -
RH:  E4   A4         C5   B4   A4   C5   A4
LH1: -    -    D3         -    -
LH2: -    -    D3+A3      -    -
LH3: -    -    D3+F3+A3   -    -
RH:  B4   A4   F4         E4   D4

3. Rising reply

G#4 belongs to the E-major harmony. Hold B4 at the end of the first line, and A4 at the end of the second.

LH1: E3          -    -     -
LH2: E3+B3       -    -     -
LH3: E3+G#3+B3   -    -     -
RH:  D4          F4   G#4   B4
LH1: E3          -    -     A2
LH2: E3+B3       -    -     A2+E3
LH3: E3+G#3+B3   -    -     A2+C3+E3
RH:  D4          F4   G#4   A4

Practice idea

Play the RH alone first. Add single LH notes, then try the open fifths. The three-note E chord includes G#3; do not substitute G3. The last A4 is a convenient practice stopping point, not the end of the complete theme.

Melody cross-check: Fariborz Lachini’s published sample score. This study transposes the opening melody to A minor and uses newly simplified accompaniment, rather than reproducing that score’s piano texture.

Slow is a good place to start. Repeat a little, then take a breath.