Rocky VI

I know what a lot of people are thinking. They’re thinking this:

When actually they should be expecting this.

To think he’s 60! It’s quite impressive. Having grown up on the Rocky films, I knew I had to see the 6th one in the cinema. I don’t usually go to the expensive cinema. I usually just get the film and watch it at home on my TV.

Rocky is different. There are dozens of reasons to like it. Not only was it one of the first Hollywood “underdog” stories (the many imitations can get tiring), but the music (especially the music while he’s training) is incredible.

Despite your typically simplistic chords, Bill Conti has written incredible themes.

One of the main ones “Gonna Fly Now” has the following chord progression (which took me all of 2 listens through it to figure it out – and that’s only b/c someone sent me a txt msg during my first listen through)

Am – Em – Am – Em – Dm – Am – F – E

then it repeats….

Those of you with a Piano/Guitar should play through these. It brings back memories.

For those of you who don’t know how to play chords, I’ll explain a little.

For a C chord, you’d play the triad (the 1st, 3rd & 5th notes in the scale) which in this case would be C E G

For a Cm (C minor) you’d just flatten the 3rd, which means you play one half tone less than the 3rd, instead of the third. So you’d play C Eb G (where Eb is E Flat)

That’s all you need to know for this piece, but just in case you’re not musically inclined, I’ll write out the chords for you.

Am –> A C E

Em –> E G B

Dm –> D F A

F —–> F A C

E —-> E G# B (shocker! you have to play a black note!)

Back to the film!

Without ruining it, I think it’s important to realise the true purpose of the film. It’s not about Rocky coming back out of retirement to become the world heavy-weight champion again. it’s about him doing what he loves to do, and proving that he’s not old, useless and decrepit.