#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE--------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the#
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research.#
#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------#

"LARGO" from an aria performed in Handel's Xerxes (pronounced Serse)

Music by George Frederic Handel (1685-1759)
Arranged and transcribed by Geoff Phillips - lphillips@dmv.com - April 2002

This is a short, beautiful arrangement based on an aria from Handel's opera
Xerxes that I have been playing on the keyboard for some time. You might have
heard it in church or synagogue, and the melody is quite frankly ingenious.
In fact, I thought that it was so great that it should be transcribed for all
instruments, including the bagpipes (just kidding)! I have tried my best to
preserve the correct voice leading so that it sounds pleasant and have scored
it in drop D tuning for the reason just mentioned.  Follow the dynamics
indicated by > and <, and play it slowly, hence the name!  Make sure to
accentuate the melody.  Refer to the notation legend and listen to the midi
next to the link if you need to verify something.  It is not a full score of
the aria, just my arrangement of the basic melody and harmonies.  Please feel
free to email me with complements and/or constructive/deconstructive criticism.
I would like to do more transcriptions, so let me know.

Here is my arrangement of "Largo" for guitar, I hope you enjoy it.  

HWV 40, Serse (Xerxes) - 3. aria: Ombra mai fu (Never was a shade)

tuning: D A D G B E          time: 3/4          tempo: Q=64

Softly at first.. 

1 Q   Q  Q    Q  Q  E. S   Q   Q  Q    Q  Q  E. S   Q  Q  Q
|-----------|------------|-----------|------------|----------|
|-3---------|------------|-----------|------------|----------|
|-0---0--0--|-4--2--2--0-|-0---0--0--|-0----------|----------|
|-0---0--0--|-4--4--4----|-2---2--2--|-0--4--2--0-|-0--0--0--|
|-2---2--2--|-5--5--5----|-2---2--2--|-2--5--3----|-2--2--2--|
|-5---5--5--|-0--0--0----|-2---2--2--|----4--2----|-5--5--5--|
  H.                       H.

        |-3-|               <                                         >
6 Q  Q  E E E   Q  E E Q    Q  Q  Q    Q  E E Q    E E Q  E E   Q  Q  Q
|-------------|-----------|-0--0--2--|-3---------|------------|------------|
|-------------|-----------|-------3--|-3----3-3--|---5-1------|------------|
|-------0-2-4-|-2----0-2--|-2--2--2--|-0--0---0--|-0---0----4-|-0--0--0----|
|-2--4--------|-4--4-2-4--|-4--4-----|-----------|-2---2--4---|-0--0--0----|
|-3--3--2-----|-5--5---5--|-3--3--3--|-2--2---2--|-3---0--5---|-2--2--2----|
|-5--4--5-----|-0------0--|----------|-----------|--------0---|------------|
                                       H

                                                   <
12 Q   Q  E. S   Q  Q  Q    Q  Q  Q    Q  E E Q    Q  Q  Q    Q  E S S Q
|--------------|----------|----------|-----------|-2--2-----|------0--------|
|--------------|----------|-1--1-----|-----------|-------5--|-4------4-5----|
|--0-----------|----------|-0--2--4--|-2----0-0--|-5--5--4--|-2--2-----0----|
|------4--2--0-|-0--0--0--|-2--0--0--|-2--0---0--|-4--4--2--|-1--1-----2----|
|--3---3--3----|-2--2--2--|----------|-3--3---2--|-0--0-----|----2-----3----|
|--5---4--2----|-5--5--5--|-2--4--5--|-----------|-------5--|-4-------------|
   Q.

  time: 3/4
18 E E Q  E E   Q  Q  Q    Q  E E Q    E. S Q  Q    +Q   Q  E. S
|-------------|----------|-----------|---------0--|-(0)----------|
|-------------|----1-----|-1---------|------------|------3--1--0-|
|--5-2--------|----2--0--|----4-2-4--|-2--0-2--2--|-(2)--0--2----|
|--2---4--1-2-|-2--2--2--|-4--0---0--|-4--2-4--4--|-(4)--0--4----|
|--0---7--2---|-2--0--0--|----5---5--|-5----5--3--|-(3)--2-------|
|------4--4---|-2--------|-0--5---5--|-0----------|---------0----|

                                                              H.=H
  time: 3/4
   <                                               <
23 Q  Q  Q    Q  Q  Q    Q  E. S Q    E E Q  E E   Q  E E Q    E E Q  E  E
|-----------|-3--3--2--|------------|------------|-----------|-----------2-|
|--------3--|-3--3--3--|-7--5--3-3--|-3-2-2----2-|-3----5-3--|-1-0-------3-|
|--4--0-----|-0--0--0--|-5--5-------|-----0--0---|--------0--|-0---2-----2-|
|-----0--4--|-0--0--0--|-5--5----4--|-5---2--2---|-4--4------|-2---0--4----|
|--5-----0--|-2--2--2--|-3--3----0--|-0---0--0---|-0--3---2--|--------5----|
|--5-----0--|----------|---------0--|------------|-0---------|-2---4--0----|

                                    Q=64
                                    |-3-|
29 Q   E   E   Q     +H.        E E E Q  E. S   H.        +H     Q
|--3--(3)-(3)-(3)--|-(3)------|---------------|---------|-------------||
|--3---1---0---1---|-(1)------|---------------|---------|-------------||
|--0--(0)-(0)-(0)--|-(0)------|-2-4-5-4--2--0-|-0-------|-(0)---------||
|--2--(2)-(2)-(2)--|-(2)------|-2-----4--4----|---------|-------------||
|------------------|----------|-3-----5--0----|-2-------|-(2)---------||
|--2--(2)-(2)-(2)--|-(2)------|-------0--0----|-5-------|-(5)---------||

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Duration Legend
---------------

H - half    Q - quarter    E - 8th    S - 16th

+ - note tied to previous    . - note dotted

Irregular groupings are notated above the duration line.
Duration letters will always appear directly above the note/fret numbers
they represents the duration for.
Low melody durations appear below the staff.

 <  - louder
 >  - softer
 |  - bar
||  - double bar
()  - tied note (previous note held, not replayed)

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generated using Power Tab - http://powertab.guitarnetwork.org
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