Small Ensemble Bass Guitar,Drum Set,Electric Violin,Voice - Level 5 - Digital Download
SKU: A0.845983
By Avenged Sevenfold. By Brian Haner, Jr., Jonathan Seward, Matthew Sanders, and Zachary Baker. Arranged by Kyle Pudenz. Rock. Score and parts. 28 pages. ViolinVagabond Music #6022455. Published by ViolinVagabond Music (A0.845983).
While Hail To The King will never be A7X's most popular or Critically Acclaimed (...see what I did there) record, it did provide us with some of the catchiest guitar hooks & drum grooves in this band's entire catalog. The opening track, Shepherd of Fire, is an absolute banger of a crossover tune that appeals to rock & metal fans alike. Consequently, like so many Avenged hits, it plays quite well as an instrumental cover and can be adapted to some interesting instrumentations beyond the original 2-guitar, bass, drums format in which it was recorded.
Some years ago, I performed this tune with a 4-piece band on my college recital and it was an absolute blast! Whether out of sentimentality or just sheer boredom (I write this as we are right in the thick of the Covid-19 pandemic and gigs are... scarce, to say the least), I decided to resurrect that arrangement and clean up my shorthand charts into some real parts so that you, too, might have the joy of bringing this hard rock anthem to life with your own ensemble.
The purchase of this chart includes:
- Fully notated parts for drum set, bass, & rhythm guitar
- Fully notated Lead part that merges the brass, lead guitar, & vocal parts into one cohesive chart
- Lyrics & vocal melodies notated on lead part (if using a vocalist)
- Full transcription of Synyster Gates's original guitar solo! (printed on lead part)
This arrangement can be performed by as few as 4 instrumentalists. My original performance was with electric violin, guitar, bass & drums, but with the updated Lead chart the violin could easily be replaced by keyboards, a second guitar, or any instrumentalist that can read at concert pitch. The original 4-piece recording can be found at the YouTube link above, but expansion and imagination are highly encouraged!
Enjoy the chart, and if you have questions, comments or suggestions, you can contact me via my website www.kylepudenz.com/ or on Instagram @theviolinvagabond
