Sgt. Pepper Shoelaces - Solo Guitar

Sgt. Pepper Shoelaces was written by Randy Newman for Marriage Story (Netflix).

This tune is very short and used only in a single scene of the movie. But the harmony and melodies are so beautiful that I could not help but make a solo guitar arrangement.

Now, let me share the meaningful experience with you.

Marriage Story

This is a love story about divorce made by Netflix. The production value is so high, and it's a very powerful movie with great talents such as Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, and Laura Dern.

There is one very memorable scene where Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson have an intense argument, which is especially powerful and real. I think he would have won the Oscars if it wasn't released in the same year as Joker. No spoilers but, it'll probably make you cry.

Either way, the movie won a number of awards. So, if you've heard of it but haven't seen it, highly recommended.

Randy Newman

On top of the amazing performance by these actors, Randy Newman adds another layer of depth and greatness to the movie. He is also known for writing music for Toy Story.

Even though the movie is about divorce, his simple and heartwarming music makes it feel like it's filled with so much love. His ability to weave such lyrical melodies out of simple progressions always amazes me. Nothing but respect.

Sgt. Pepper Shoelaces

The original version is for solo piano, and the timbre is tender and brilliant. Also, the key of C major feels gentle and happy I would say.

For guitars, the melody is a bit too high so I dropped one octave down.

Playing Tips

It's a short piece a little over a minute. You can aim to imitate the piano sound which is soft and round but with a strong core.

Also, I made an arrangement with the use of open strings, and play the same tone with multiple strings to optimize guitar characteristics.

The progression itself is quite simple. So it would be easy to add another layer of harmony on guitar, but it's nice to play just the third interval sometimes. It sounds sophisticated and feels fun!

Anyway, just focus on letting your guitar sing the lyrical melody, and otherwise play as you feel with no overthinking.

Enjoy playing!