Pension Spur

“Kamaitachi no Yoru” (Banshee’s Last Cry) was released back when I was in junior high school.

Inheriting key elements from “Otogirisou,” it was a sound novel that offered great replayability despite being a mystery, thanks to its abundant side stories.

The serial murders that take place in the main story’s pension were absolutely terrifying and shrouded in mystery. I had no idea who the culprit was; no matter how many times I played, most of the characters ended up dead, and I found myself stuck in a loop of bad endings.

Once you actually crack the mystery, it turns out you can reach a happy ending quite early on with zero casualties, but it was an incredibly difficult puzzle to solve.

Since the internet didn’t really exist back then, I remember having to figure everything out entirely on my own.

The Brilliance of the BGM

Back when I was in junior high school, I used to create MIDI covers of video game music and rock bands using a synthesizer.

I always felt that the music playing at Pension Spur in “Kamaitachi no Yoru” was magnificent, but because the scales were so complex (and, of course, there was no sheet music available), I never attempted to cover it at the time.

Years later, after hearing various piano arrangements of “Pension Spur” on YouTube, I was reminded of just how great the song is. This inspired me to create my own solo guitar arrangement, and I first wrote the tablature for it in 2016.

The guitar tabs attached here are the result of several rounds of re-arranging and fine-tuning that original version.

Tips for Performance

Make no mistake—this is an ultra-high difficulty piece, a true “5-star” challenge.

While the tempo is a relatively slow 128 BPM, both hands are forced into extremely complex movements.

This is a fingerstyle piece, and to achieve a smooth, flowing sound, you will need to make full use of your right hand, including the ring finger.

The original track had a Bossa Nova feel, so I’ve kept that in mind for this arrangement. You’ll find it helpful to approach the performance with a Bossa Nova rhythm and sensibility.

Given the extreme difficulty, it’s perfectly normal if you can’t play it right away. Start by practicing very slowly and accurately. You’ll need to master not only the fingering for the left hand but also the coordination of your right ring finger.

I have included fingering numbers for the more complex sections, so please use them as a reference.

By the way, I believe the original key was D♭, but since this is a guitar arrangement, I have transposed it down a half-step to the key of C.

YouTube Video

Check out “Kamaitachi no Yoru” on music stores

Pension Spur Guitar Tabs