Much of the excitement swirling around Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens — the latest addition to the seminal film franchise — centers on the details of the plot. But Star Wars wouldn’t be nearly as iconic without its famous, instantly recognizable music by John Williams.
Watch: The Star Wars theme, recreated by a one-man electric guitar “orchestra”
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The legendary composer has scored all the films in the franchise, including The Force Awakens, and in the video above, guitarist Cooper Carter pays incredible tribute to Williams’s Oscar-winning score. Carter performs every single part of the original 1977 Star Wars theme on the electric guitar, imitating everything from a flute to a trumpet to a contrabass.
On his Facebook page, Carter described the full scope of the project:
45 tracks. 31 orchestra parts. 12 shirts. 9 guitars. 1 Fractal Audio AX8. One giant tribute to John Williams and the greatest saga of all time. May the Force Be With You.
The video had been shared more than 10,000 times since he posted it on December 7.
The split screen lets you see Carter playing all 31 parts simultaneously. It’s a truly impressive feat, made all the more impressive by his array of Star Wars–themed attire — he dons a different T-shirt for each type of instrument in the score.
For comparison, here’s Williams’s original arrangement:
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By Emily St. James
By Emily St. James
