The Godfather 50Th Anniversary - Main Title Corleone Waltz 1
View chords used in this chart
5 Guitar Amps for Beginners That Are Actually Great
Afinação: E A D G B ECapotraste: Sem capotraste
Track no. 1 on disc 1 of The Godfather 50th Anniversary expanded and remastered edition:
Main Title / Corleone Waltz #1. Composed by Nino Rota and conducted by Carlo Savina for the movie.
Combining this track no. 1 with & no. 17 (Corleone Waltz #2) & no. 27 (Corleone Waltz #3) of the 2022
re-release gives us the entire piece that was track no. 8 (The Godfather Waltz) on the 1972 release - Just in
different order (OST segments: Main Title - Corleone Waltz #3 - Corleone Waltz #1 - Corleone Waltz #2).
These all being the same recordings and not re-recordings or re-arrangements. If you pay attention to the
OST version, you will hear three very brief pauses. That is where they edited the Waltz together from
these three shorter cues. Adding all this information up, the cornet solo is the Main Title and the first
segment of OST version of The Godfather Waltz. Main Title is referred to as "Titolo" in Rota's notes. After
that, the orchestra joins and the actual Waltz portion begins. To make matters more confusing, he also called
other score cues of the Waltz melody that play at points in the movie "The Godfather Waltz #4 and 5#".
NOT "Corleone Waltz"... These are not included on the re-release.
Comparing this one to that version, after the Main Title, Corleone Waltz #1 is identical to the third segment
of The Godfather Waltz timestamped at 2:35-3:14. When I published my tab of the OST Waltz some years ago, I
focused on transcribing the melody line of the mandolin and transposing that of the other lead instruments.
For the re-release, I'd like to expand and include the second voices and counter melodies. In this version,
the cornet opens the song and is then joined by a guitar, bass, piano and drums. Shortly after, a mandolin
and accordion too join. Said mandolin will be playing the lead voice in a continuous tremolo. Transcript and
transposal in standard tuning, GDae.
Original release: https://youtu.be/aT6xjLIzEA8?si=G3uYzP9ZwtDhL9uw&t=2
Link to video lesson: https://youtu.be/aoI0LqlKCNE?si=1qvBkIuUNQJbbNa4
[0:01 Cornet]
e|-------------------------|--------------------------|------------------------------------------------|
a|-3---2--3--4---3---3-----|-3---2--3--4---3---3------|-3----2--3-6----3--2---5--3------------3---2----|
D|----------------------6~-|-----------------------5~-|-------------------------------6-5--6--------5~-|
G|-------------------------|--------------------------|------------------------------------------------|
[0:39 Fade out]
[0:40 Guitar, piano, bass & drums]
Dm
e|----1.-1.--|----1.-1.--|
a|----0.-0.--|----0.-0.--|
D|----0.-0.--|----0.-0.--|
G|--2--------|--2--------|
[0:43 Mandolin w/ tremolo - 1st voice]
e|-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------|
a|-5---4--5--6---5--5--1~------------------------|--5---4--5--5h6---5--5--0~---|
D|-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------|
[Simult. accordion - 2nd voice]
G5
e|-----------------------------------------------|-------------------------------0-3p1-0-1-3-5-|
a|-0--------6--4/5-5---1-------0-1h3p1-0-1-3-5---|-5----------1---------------0-5--------------|
D|-----3-.-----------------0-5-----------------0-|-5-------5--------5--------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------|-----0.--------------------------------------|
[Cont. mandolin w/ tremolo]
e|------------1-------------------------|------------------------|
a|--5---4--5------5--4--5h7--5~---------|--1--0--1--5---4--0~--y-|
D|--------------------------------------|------------------------|
G|--------------------------------------|------------------------|
[Simult. cont. accordion]
A#/G#
e|------------1------------------0-1----|-3-------------------0-1-3-4/5-4-5-1----|
a|-5-------------5--4--4/7-5-4-5----(5)-|-1-5-0--1-(3)-5----5----------------5-0-|
D|------0-------------------------------|------5-------5-------------------------|
G|--------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
[Cont. mandolin w/ tremolo]
e|---------------0--1~-------------------|-1---0---------------|
a|--0---2--4--5--------------------------|--------5--4---5--5~-|
D|---------------------------------------|---------------------|
G|---------------------------------------|---------------------|
[Simult. 2nd voice accordion]
G/A A5 D/D
e|---0-----------------------------------|----------------------|
a|-0-0--------------5-0-0-5-7/8--5-1---1-|-1-------------5------|
D|-5-------------------3------------3-0--|--5--5--5---5--0~-----|
G|---------------------------------------|----------------------|
[1:20 FIN]
Tab legend:
h hammer on
p pull off
/ slide up
. stop note from ringing out
~ let note ring throughout bar
simult. simultaneously
tremolo rapid, alternating down and up picking
How to play The Godfather 50Th Anniversary - Main Title Corleone Waltz 1
Use the controls above to change the key and text size. Follow the highlighted chords while listening, then practice each section slowly before playing at the original tempo.
What is the starting chord?
The first identified chord is E. You can transpose without leaving the page.
Can I play it on guitar or keyboard?
Yes. The chord progression works on acoustic guitar, electric guitar and keyboard. Adapt the voicings to your instrument and level.