Jan/26/12
50comments

Sherlock’s Theme (Tab)

David Arnold – Sherlock’s Theme (Tab)

There’s a lot to love about the BBC’s updating of Sherlock Holmes (and a few things – like all the tilt shifting – to hate) and one of the parts I love most is the music (by David ‘James Bond’ Arnold and Michael Price).

It’s interesting to hear how similar the score for Sherlock is to the music for the film version of Sherlock Holmes by Hans Zimmer despite the music for the TV version being written before the film came out.

My version of Sherlock’s Theme is all done with fingerpicking. After the intro, it’s all:

C-string = thumb.
E-string = index finger.
A-string = middle finger.

Make sure the melody stands out from the backing (the notes in brackets)

Melody Version

Sherlock’s Theme (Melody Tab)

My arrangement of the tune is quite tricky. So here’s the plain melody for the tune (without the intro). You can play it as it is or jazz it up in any way you see fit.

Buy the DVD

You are reading Sherlock’s Theme (Tab) - permalink
View Comments

50 Comments

  1. maria January 26th, 2012 7:11 pm

    Wonderful, wonderful! This made my day. Thank you so much.

  2. Woodshed January 26th, 2012 10:34 pm

    maria: Thanks! Glad you like it.

  3. Carrie Griffin January 26th, 2012 10:58 pm

    Why look at that stunning beardsmanship!

  4. pepamahina January 27th, 2012 12:00 am

    This IS a tricky one. Measures 8 and 9 are killing me a little bit, but it’s worth it. So that’s why you’ve been hiding – saving us from the stubbly period? And what is beardsmanship anyway? Is that like horsemanship?

  5. alnapp January 27th, 2012 8:59 am

    At the risk of repeating myself, Lovely. Thank you

  6. Rebekah January 27th, 2012 9:47 am

    I was going to go cold turkey on all things Sherlock but, hey, who sticks to resolutions anymore?
    Thanks for the tab, man. I’ll get practicing.

  7. Woodshed January 27th, 2012 6:14 pm

    Carrie: Why look at that stunning beardsmanship?

    pepamahina: I’ve been hiding because I’ve been doing my taxes!

    alnapp: You’re welcome!

    Rebekah: Glad I could break your willpower!

  8. Carrie Griffin January 27th, 2012 10:52 pm

    Just for the sake of clarity: obviously beardsmanship is the at of growing and successfully wielding a beard. Obviously.

    I doubt that actually cleared anything up but I can give an even more vague and confusing description if you’d like.

  9. Tom Cunliffe January 27th, 2012 11:42 pm

    It works really well and makes a great Uke solo – but whether they’ll ask you to play for the third film is debatable!

  10. pepamahina January 27th, 2012 11:48 pm

    Ah, so it’s like swordsmanship, rather than horsemanship. Wow. I mean, sure, I thought it looked quite handsome, but you mean that Al can actually “wield” this beard? That has the makings of a truly brilliant riposte I must admit. This is going to be even more exciting than I thought!

  11. Sahds January 28th, 2012 10:58 pm

    That is brilliant! Just got the Sherlock dvd’s yesterday to re-live it, but trying to play this on the uke will also be a good option :)

  12. Woodshed January 29th, 2012 2:54 pm

    Tom: Well, I wasn’t really aiming for that.

    Sahds: Thanks! Enjoy watching and playing.

  13. Vegard January 29th, 2012 8:45 pm

    Can you make a tab for the Sherlock Holmes movie. “Discombulate” by Hans zimmer, i think.

  14. Marcie January 30th, 2012 7:11 pm

    Oh God, thank you so so much for this, my obsessed heart is crying tears of happiness.

  15. Woodshed January 31st, 2012 9:07 am

    Vegard: Probably not, I’m afraid.

    Marcie: You should see a doctor about that!

  16. Lizzie January 31st, 2012 8:19 pm

    i dont know if it just me being stupid but on the 2nd line thing where it says 2,0-3-4 i can’t hear the 4 bit being played on the uke in the video so im getting well confused…. :S
    ?

  17. Woodshed January 31st, 2012 10:42 pm

    Lizzie: It is definitely there.

  18. Lizzie February 1st, 2012 7:57 pm

    ok i got it now , sorry my bad. it was just me being stupid as i was listening to the wrong bit :P
    thanks :)

  19. Woodshed February 1st, 2012 10:39 pm

    No worries, Lizze. Good luck with it!

  20. Olive February 1st, 2012 11:47 pm

    Me being a bituva dunce, here. But I’ve been playing the bracketed notes as normal, (for instance the (3)’s and such) as I’m not positive what they represent. I assumed at first that it was either to play them quieter, or try to keep them going longer but I’d like to know for sure. Any tips from anybody?

  21. Woodshed February 2nd, 2012 12:01 am

    Olive: Yeah, play them quieter. They’re background notes. The ones not in brackets are the melody notes.

  22. carreg wastad February 3rd, 2012 12:03 pm

    ‘Make sure the melody stands out from the backing (the notes in brackets)’

    any hints?

  23. Olive February 3rd, 2012 8:06 pm

    Bah -.- How did I miss that? Thanks, carreg.
    And thanks Woodshed for not calling my blindness and helping out anyway ;) much obliged, as always, for the excellent tab! Sounds outstanding

  24. Woodshed February 4th, 2012 6:45 am

    carreg: Play the melody notes louder and the backing notes quieter.

    Olive: Don’t worry! I added that bit in later.

  25. CY February 5th, 2012 9:07 am

    Love this, thanks :)

  26. Woodshed February 7th, 2012 10:43 am

    CY: You’re welcome.

  27. Jessica February 12th, 2012 8:17 pm

    This is like a late Christmas present! What a lovely arrangement – I’m having so much fun learning this. Thank you!

  28. nisox March 11th, 2012 6:59 pm

    love love love the show and can’t wait for it to continue in may here in the states. thanks for this tidbit. wish i was good enough to play this now. i agree it did sound a lot like the movie’s score but the show is so brilliant that it out performs the movies and now with this uke version the movie just can’t compare.

  29. Woodshed March 12th, 2012 6:21 am

    Jessica: You’re welcome. And Merry Christmas!

    nisox: I’m glad there’s one show we get way before the US!

  30. Laura May 11th, 2012 9:56 pm

    You and your tabs are amazing and I absolutely love sherlock! So extreme thanks for making it! Thank goodness I work in a uke shop and can practice all day :)

  31. Woodshed May 16th, 2012 10:46 am

    Laura: Thanks so much! Good luck with the practicing.

  32. Vannah May 17th, 2012 1:45 am

    Could you make a tutorial video because I am not good at reading tabs

  33. Olive July 9th, 2012 4:32 am

    I’m finally buckling down to learn this RIGHT, after catching up in the new series, it’s become a necessity. Though your contrast between the Hans’ and Arnold’s subsequent themes is rather scary. It’s like a different take on the same theme. It got me thinking — would you ever tab out Hans Zimmer’s song?

  34. Woodshed July 9th, 2012 10:20 pm

    Olive: Yeah, I’ve considered doing the Pirates theme he did with Rodrigo Y Gabriela. So that may turn up some day.

  35. Juliane August 3rd, 2012 4:05 pm

    Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!

  36. Nik July 28th, 2013 7:27 pm

    Have you done the Top Gear theme yet? That would be fun…
    Thanks for all the awesome tabs! Keep it up!

  37. Woodshed July 29th, 2013 7:26 am

    Nik: Not yet but I will keep it in mind.

  38. Seoyoung August 1st, 2013 4:14 am

    oh my god! I love the song and I love your performace!

  39. Woodshed August 1st, 2013 7:35 am

    Seoyoung: Glad you enjoyed it!

  40. laurensuke January 2nd, 2014 6:30 pm

    I love your tabs! Have any of you seen the Empty Hearse? It’s a brilliant episode!
    Happy New Year and keep it up!

  41. Woodshed January 3rd, 2014 8:16 am

    laurensuke: I did! [spoilers a-coming] But it was annoying we didn’t definitely find out how he did it. I choose to the believe the make-out version.

  42. Anna January 21st, 2014 6:34 pm

    I adore this version. Thank you so much for taking the time to writing it down.

    Speaking of BBC detective series, it would be amazing if you could write down the theme song from, “Dirk Gently”

  43. Woodshed January 22nd, 2014 11:20 am

    Anna: Thanks! No plans to, I’m afraid, but I’ll keep it in mind.

  44. Monty2.0 March 22nd, 2014 7:26 pm

    Thanks for the melody it is amazing but I cant figure out the theme song. It is there twice and the first on just by David Arnold dosnt seem to follow although that could just be my fault. The second one is just backround and dosnt sound good unless it is played with the music

  45. Woodshed March 23rd, 2014 6:47 am

    Monty2.0: The first tab is exactly what’s played in the video. The tab in the second shows just the melody. It’s best played as a duet with the chords but you can play it alone and it should sound okay.

  46. Monty2.0 March 23rd, 2014 11:53 pm

    ok you are right I was screwing up thanks a lot man

  47. Emma May 24th, 2014 11:36 pm

    Thank you Woodshed for everything that you have put into this website, I love it here! I love Sherlock, though I live in the U.S. and I can’t get the episodes earlier. I agree, I believe the make-out version (both ones)

  48. Woodshed May 25th, 2014 8:47 am

    Emma: Thanks very much!

  49. Becky January 23rd, 2016 5:36 am

    Excellent tab, I love it!! I practiced it all week now Its burned into my memory :) Thanks for all the work you put into your tabs. I really appreciate it :)!!!

  50. Woodshed January 23rd, 2016 7:02 am

    Becky: That’s great! Thanks!

Sorry, Comments Are Broken Right Now

You must be logged in to post a comment.