Bilbo's Last Song

[Alatar]

So, I've been listening to Stephen Oliver's lovely version of "Bilbo's Last Song" and noodling around a little with it on Guitar. I'm happy enough that I have the basic chords, but I'd be interested to see if my musical Halofirien friends could help to flesh it out a little.

Here's the song. I'll post my chords later, but in the meantime would anyone like to have a stab at as arrangement?

[Jude]

Do you have a music notations program, such as Finale?

[Alatar]

Nope, I was just looking at simple chording with fingerpicking.

[Alatar]

Here's where I am

Intro:

Am G Am G (Rocking bass line)

This pattern continuing under the first line

Code: Select all

         Am    G      Am    
Day is ended, dim my eyes,
             F              E
but journey long before me lies.
             Am      G         Am 
Farewell, friends! I hear the call.
             G                 Am
The ship's beside the stony wall.
Am Am/B  C        Fmaj7       C
Foam is white and waves are grey;
?           Dm7              Am
beyond the sunset leads my way.
Dm7      Am       Dm7    Am
Foam is salt, the wind is free;
Am/B     C     E         Am
I hear the rising of the Sea.

[Jude]

I don't have access to a piano at the moment, but can you try the 1st and 3rd lines with Am - Dm - Am instead of Am - G - Am?

I can be more use when I get back to Canada...

[Sunsilver]

I've always loved this ....well, I guess it's supposed to be a poster. {edit, yes, it's a poster by Pauline Baynes}

Here's Donald Swann's setting, which I find much easier to listen to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp6nmOjqXAo

[Alatar]

It sort of works with Dm, but feels better with the brightness of the G.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Shouldn't this thread be in the Shibboleth forum? Any objection to my moving it?

[Alatar]

I thought it might have a better chance of a response here. Its really more music related than Tolkien related?

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Fair enough! That's why I asked rather than just going ahead and moving it. I'll leave it here, and continue to read with interest, even though I have nothing of substance to add.

[kzer_za]

So I've started working on learning this for guitar. It'll take me a little time, because both the vocals and chords are more complex than what I usually sing/play, but thanks for posting it!

[kzer_za]

So here's me doing the first verse on guitar using Alatar's chords. It's recorded on my laptop mic, has a couple mistakes, and is a pretty simple arrangement. So it's a rough take:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/5mjtgz8hwebls ... t.wav?dl=0