Team Fortress 2 (Main Theme) (Soundtrack)
"Team Fortress 2" is one of the song titles featured on the official Team Fortress 2 Soundtrack, listed as track number one, as well as being track two on The Orange Box Original Soundtrack. Known as the 'theme tune' of the game, it is the song featured in the Meet the Heavy short (with the ending flourish being featured at every Meet the Team video) and Trailer 1, as well as being one of 33 different main menu themes. A blues cover is also included in the soundtrack for Poker Night at the Inventory.
Contents
Video
Guitar transcription
The following is an abridged transcription of the song. The bass plays the exact same thing, coming in after the intro.
For best results, play in bridge position. Pick closer to bridge for closer tonality but keep tremolo picking as even as possible.
Main Theme | time = 4/4 130bpm | Standard E-tuning | E Major with chromatic shifts down to Eb Major Intro Fig. 1 Fig. 2 e ||----------------------------------------|--------------------------|-------------------------------| B ||----------------------------------------|--------------------------|-------------------------------| G ||----------------------------------------|--------------------------|-------------------------------| D ||----------------------------------------|--------------------------|-------------------------------| A ||----------------------------------------|--------------------------|-------------------------------| E ||--5h-777-5h-777-5h-777-777-7--6--5--3---|--0--0--0--3--3--3--0--0--|--0--7--7--7--5--5--5b6--5b7---| 8th-16th notes 8th notes gradually bend up Tremolo picking with slight gallop slight accent on 2 Intro Alternative |----------------------------------------| |----------------------------------------| |----------------------------------------| |--1h-222-1h-222-1h-222-222-2--1--0------| |------------------------------------3---|
Fig. 1 Fig. 3 Fig. 1 Fig. 4 |------------------------|---------------------------|--------------------------|---------------------------| |------------------------|---------------------------|--------------------------|---------------------------| |------------------------|---------------------------|--------------------------|---------------------------| |------------------------|---------------------------|--------------------------|---------------------------| |------------------------|---------------------------|--------------------------|---------------------------| |--0--0--0--3--3--3--0--0|--0--7--7--7--6--6--5--5---|--0--0--0--3--3--3--0--0--|--0--0--1--1--2--2--3--3---|
Analysis
This song is in 4/4 time at 130 beats per minute. The song is in the key of E Major. The chords in the song are E Major, G5, and Eb Major. The lead guitar plays a pentatonic melody using the notes E, G, B, Ab, and A. The notes Ab and A are borrowed from the Eb Major pentatonic scale, which mirrors the chords in the song shifting chromatically down from E Major to Eb Major.
This song also features horn sections, which plays the root note of each chord alongside some embellishments. The drums play a standard kick-snare rock rhythm, with the kick drum grounding the pattern on the 1 of each measure. On top of this, the hi-hat plays a 16th note rhythm, mixed with shakers and possibly a tambourine.
Trivia
- One of the defining features of the Team Fortress 2 (Main Theme) is the prominent semitone at the end of every phrase in this song. The direction of this semitone is also the characterizing difference between the domination sound cue, and the revenge sound cue.
- The ending flourish is used in the match winning theme as it is behind the cheering.
- The ending flourish is also used in both Playing With Danger and Rocket Jump Waltz, with the latter shortening it to just the last 5 beats.
- Some similar parts are used in some Casual Mode level ups.