Sir Roger Moore, who played 007 in seven James Bond movies, has died. The instant I heard the unfortunate news I also heard the James Bond Theme in my head.
Is it possible to play the entire theme on an ukulele with a low-G bass string?
I’m on a journey to playing so-called chord melody arrangements where the melody is embedded in the chord. I searched high and low for a version for ukulele and found a video and associated tablature but not chord melody. Meanwhile, there were plenty of arrangements for orchestra, piano, and guitar but none showing chord diagrams, notation, and tablature.
So I decided to write my own, converting the one for guitar in G minor into its replica for the low-G tenor ukulele. I haven’t yet written the exact chord names though the chord diagrams reflect what’s in the notes and tabs.
The opening riff of the electric guitar is distinctive. Composer Monty Norman describes the rhythm as “dum di-di dum dum” and thus claimed the rights to the royalties between 1976 and 1999. As the late John Barry arranged the famous theme in “Dr No” and 10 other James Bond movies, he has been given much credit for the music of James Bond. That aside, I wonder how I can make it distinctive on my Tiny Tenor ukulele!
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