The Godfather 50Th Anniversary - The New Godfather
View chords used in this chart
Mandolin transposal. GDae tuning. Score cue released on the 1972 OST as well 2022 50th Anniversary Edition. Composed by Nino Rota, conducted by Carlo Savina.
Afinação: E A D G B ECapotraste: Sem capotraste
Track no. 10 on disc 2 of The Godfather 50th Anniversary expanded and remastered edition: The New Godfather.
Composed by Nino Rota and conducted by Carlo Savina, this track actually consists of two separate cues
finally put on the re-issue. Marry Me, Kay, which first plays in the movie as Michael is leaving the
Corleone compound to meet with Sollozzo and McCluskey and hugs his family goodbye. Sonny tells him that
he will get that girlfriend of his a message when he thinks the time is right. It plays again when Michael
later in New Hampshire, after returning from Sicily, does ask Kay to trust his business and to marry him.
Two other cues, titled Reunion and Autumn play in the same scene. The former too having been put on this
re-issue, the latter unfortunately still remaining unreleased. The other cue being The New Godfather.
So the OST version got it's title from the second half of the track. On the re-issue, it got titled
The New Godfather (Film Version). Funnily, that does not feature in the film at all, however. Comparing
them, the soundtrack version of The New Godfather starts with and plays through Marry Me, Kay in it's
entirety before ending with The New Godfather (Film Version); Which was given a slightly early fade out
here. Meaning these cues are the exact recordings used to edit together the soundtrack, not re-recordings
or re-arrangements. And they both use the melody of Michael's Theme.
To quote Franco Sciannameo from his book The Godfather Trilogy - A Film Score Guide:
"At the beginning of the Trilogy Kay appears to be totally and tenderly in love with Michael, then her
feelings turn tragically into contempt for the man, who although professing to reciprocate her total
and tender love, tragically and repeatedly shuts her out of his life. I believe that these were the
reasons why Rota did not compose a love theme that reflected the couple’s feelings for each other.
Instead he underscored their relationship with the following icy descending chromatic sequence of
intervals of parallel fifths..."
He goes on: "With this simple harmonic devise and its diaphanous instrumentation (flutes and celesta)
Rota wanted to emphasize how the Michael/Kay relationship was indeed devoid of a 'tonal' body,
stability and passion like a quasi motto for sterility. Furthermore, Rota’s use of parallel fifths
conveys an operatic allusion to Puccini’s opening of Act III of La bohéme - A moment in the opera
when the impulsively passionate Mimí/Rodolfo relationship had become ambiguously cold. Thus, without
a love theme, Rota abandons Michael and Kay’s musical characterization to be represented by their own
individual themes."
Both the 1972 [also track no, 10 there] and the 2022 soundtracks feature the same version of
The New Godfather. The latter having remastered audio, though. In my old transposal of the OST
version, I only focused on the melody line. Since completing both Marry Me Kay, and
The New Godfather (Film Version), it only made sense to join them together to complete my
tablature with the other voices I included there.
Besides the aforementioned celeste and flutes, there are also a piano, horn, cello and string
section. The latter plays with a continuous tremolo. The lead is played by an oboe and two
clarinets in the low and high octaves, which then go on to play different parts as the first
and second voices. The harp gently plays some ornaments in the background. Mandolin transposal in
GDae standard tuning.
Original release: https://youtu.be/Kn16ocS89WM?si=J0fJySP1N1MnFZ8Q
Link to my video lesson: https://youtu.be/2o61qsx5pHs
[0:01 1st clarinet - higher octave]
e|-0~---3--2----------------0--------------|
a|------------6~-----2--5~-----5--2~-------|
D|-----------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------|
[simult. oboe - lower octave]
e|-----------------------------------------|
a|-----------------------------------------|
D|-2~---5--4--1~--------0~--2--0------1~---|
G|-------------------4------------4--------|
[simult. horn]
e|-----------------------------------------|
a|--2~----------2~--------2~--------2~-----|
D|-----------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------|
[simult. 2nd clarinet]
e|-----------------------------------------|
a|-----------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------5--4~-|
G|-----------------------------------------|
[0:10 cont. clarinet - higher octave]
e|-5~---8--7--4~-----0--3~---5--3-------|
a|---------------------------------6~---|
D|--------------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------------|
[simult. oboe - lower octave]
e|--------------------------------------|
a|-0~---3--2-----------------0----------|
D|------------6~-----2--5~------5--1~---|
G|--------------------------------------|
[simult. horn]
e|--------------------------------------|
a|--------------------------------------|
D|--2~---------2~--------2~-------5--4~-|
G|--------------------------------------|
[0:21 cont. clarinet]
e|-0~---2--3---------3~---5--7--3~---5--7--3~-|
a|------------6~------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------------------|
[simult. strings w/ tremolo]
e|-12--------17----------------11--12-----15-|
a|------------------14-----------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------------|
[simult. horn]
e|--------------------------------------------|
a|-----------------------------2---2----------|
D|-2--------------------------------------5~--|
G|--------------------------------------------|
[simult. oboe]
e|--------------------------------0-----------|
a|----------------------------6---------------|
D|--------------------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------------------|
[simult. cello]
e|--------------------------------------------|
a|--------------------------------------------|
D|----------------------------1---2-----------|
G|--------------------------------------------|
[0:34 cont. clarinet & strings together]
e|-7~---10--9--6~--------------7-----------|
a|--------------------9--12~-----12--9~----|
D|-----------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------|
[simult. horn]
e|-----------------------------------------|
a|-----------------------0~----------------|
D|-4~--------4~---------------------2~-----|
G|-----------------------------------------|
[simult. cello]
e|----------------------------------------|
a|----------------------------------------|
D|-4----------4----------4-----------4----|
G|----------------------------------------|
[simult. oboe]
e|-----------------------------------------|
a|-----------------------------------5--4~-|
D|-----------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------|
[0:47 1st flute]
e|-12~---15--14--11~-------10~---12--10-----|
a|----------------------14--------------13~-|
D|------------------------------------------|
G|------------------------------------------|
[simult. 2nd flute]
e|------------------------------------------|
a|-2~-----------2~--------2~----------------|
D|------------------------------------------|
G|------------------------------------------|
[simult. clarinet]
e|-0~-----------------------------------0~--|
a|--------------6~--------5~----------------|
D|------------------------------------------|
G|------------------------------------------|
[simult. cello]
e|------------------------------------------|
a|------------------------------------------|
D|-2-----------2----------------------------|
G|------------------------------------------|
[0:54 celeste]
e|-14--13--9--12--11----10--9----8--7-|
a|-------------------14-------12------|
D|------------------------------------|
G|------------------------------------|
[1:01 1st flute - middle octave]
e|-2--1-----0--------------------------------|
a|-------4-----6--2--5--4---0---3----2-------|
D|-------------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------------------|
[1:01 2nd flute - low octave]
e|-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------|
D|-4--3-----2--1-----0-----------------------|
G|-------6--------4-----6--2--5--4-----------|
[simult. piano - high octave]
e|-(14--13--9--12--11-------10--9-------8--7)-|
a|---------------------(14---------12)--------|
D|--------------------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------------------|
[1:12 piano]
[x17] [x1]
e|------| |-----------|
a|------| |-----------|
D|------| |-----------|
G|-5--5-| |-(5--5--5)-|
[simult. clarinet - higher octave]
[1:19]
e|-----------------|-------------------------------------------|
a|-----------------|-3~----6--5--2~--------1~----3--1----------|
D|-----------------|--------------------5--------------4~------|
G|-----------------|-------------------------------------------|
[simult. oboe - lower octave]
[1:19]
e|-----------------|-------------------------------------------|
a|-----------------|-------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------|--------1--0-------------------------------|
G|-----------------|--5~---------4~-----0---3~----5------------|
[simult. horn]
[1:25]
e|-----------------|-------------3---------(3~)---3-.----------|
a|-----------------|-------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------|-------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------|-------------------------------------------|
[simult. brass]
[1:35]
e|-----------------|-------------------------------------------|
a|-----------------|-------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------|-------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------|------------------------------5-----4-5-6~-|
Tab legend:
() ghost note at lower volume
~ let note ring
. stop note
simult. simultaneously
cont. continued
tremolo rapid, alternating down and up picking
How to play The Godfather 50Th Anniversary - The New Godfather
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.