Crraaackkkk!
The door bursts open.
Shards of splinters fill the air.
Standing triumphantly in the doorway is a charming British man…
“It can’t be,” you say to yourself.
He’s a blend of Hugh Grant’s charm, Liam Gallagher’s swagger, with a sprinkle of Ricky Gervais’ wit.
From Birmingham (UK, not Alabama)… It is indeed, Dan Thorpe.
Thorpe puffs out his chest.
He flicks his custom made guitar pick like a precision missile toward the Gatekeeper.
A scream of anguish erupts as the pick finds its mark… It’s a bullseye struck directly in the eye of the Gatekeeper.
“Pick on someone your own size, Gatekeeper!”
The Gatekeeper drops to the floor, clutching his eye.
Thorpe tells the Gatekeeper…
“I heard you playing Layla, and I’ve heard better notes from a dial-up modem!”
It‘s a rallying cry in the face of darkness
“Your rhythm is so shaky, it’s like a maraca in the hands of a caffeinated squirrel!”
The Gatekeeper shrieks in anguish.
Thorpe swings his Yamaha acoustic from behind his back…
…And plays the most beautiful sound you’ve ever heard
It is a version of “Amazing Grace” like you’ve never heard before.
The transformative power of the music brings joy to the grimy walls of the Acoustic Asylum.
But then…the Gatekeeper retaliates…
He hurls a sharpened capo like a dagger at Thorpe, striking him in the hand.
In agony, Thorpe swiftly throws his guitar towards you.
You clumsily drop Thorpe’s precious guitar. “Err, sorry,” you mutter. Thorpe tells you…
“You have to finish playing the song! It’s the only way to beat him.”
“My hand is injured. Play this ‘No Chord Fingerstyle’ arrangement of ‘Amazing Grace’. Even if you’re a beginner, you can play this… But you must not rush. The joyous melody will weaken the dark soul of the Gatekeeper.”
You look at the TAB below and realise the urgency of the situation.
This is how the piece sounds when you play it (listen below).
Thorpe, as agile as a panther, pounces on his fallen adversary.
He is buying you time to tune up the guitar that you dropped.
“Tuning up every time you play is key,” Thorpe splutters as the Gatekeeper grabs him by the throat.
In a whirlwind, Thorpe and the Gatekeeper tumble, arms entangled, locked in a battle of celestial proportions…
Good versus evil in a symphony of chaos.
You must now decide do you: