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i
Introduction
This book will be very helpful to the rock guitar player who wants to learn some Bach, but doesnt
know much of classical music. An advanced level of technique is required to play these pieces,but the interpretation has been done. In addition, I have written analytical insights which require a
basic understanding of music theory. The purpose of this is to teach you to how to analyze. Hope-
fully you will appreciate this music more because of it. The primary emphasis in this book is
performance.
All of the transcriptions contained in this book are found in Johann Sebastian Bachs The Well
Tempered Clavier. These are not transcriptions of classical excerpts, but complete transcriptions of
entire pieces. Since position playing is such a rare occurrence, I have included tablature.
The upper lines are notated at actual pitch (middle C=G string, first fret) and the lower lines
are notated in treble clef, transposed up an octave (middle C=A string, third fret). Tablature is
included below each staff. It would be best to have a partner to rehearse with. Each player should
learn one line thoroughly. After that, the two players should rehearse together, eventually from
memory.
Once you are satisfied with your performance of all of the pieces that you have decided to learn,
the next step for you will be to transcribe a piece on your own. This will be challenging and in
the future, I may transcribe some three and four voice fugues in a less simplified format without
the tablature. This should help facilitate the transition from being a TAB reader to being musically
literate.
Why is this book better than other TAB books available? I can play most of the pieces fluidly
from memory, they are not just possibilities, but actual performance transcriptions. I convey an
understanding of the musical intent of the composer through notation and explanation. The nota-
tion is at actual pitch, rather than transposed up an octave-the conventional method- and cluttered
with octava signs.
Why did I decide to write this book and how did I write it? While at Berklee College of Music,
I had a project consisting of three guitars and a bass. We played keyboard music by Bach, includ-
ing some of the pieces in this book and also some three and four voice pieces. Jon Finn, after
hearing my solo performance of the upper voice of the prelude in D minor, suggested that I write
out my transcriptions. I also had realized that there werent many neoclassical shred guitar books.
In making this book, I used Finale 98/2000 to notate the music, Adobe InDesign for the text and
layout, Acrobat Distiller to convert the Postscript file to PDF.
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Table of Contents
Prelude 2, C Minor
Prelude 3, C# Major
Prelude 6, D Minor
Prelude 15, G Major
Prelude 20, A Minor
1
7
14
20
24
ii
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Prelude 2, C Minor
For two six-string guitars. Because of the tempo changes and the endurance needed to get through
this piece, it is probably the most difficult one in this book to perform.
How to learn this pieceFirst, play it all the way through without stopping. Try to get through it five times. Second, Look
at the whole piece. Third, work on the sections one at a time. I have notated the upper line at pitch
and the lower line one octave higher and in treble clef.
Looking at the pieceSee that it is divided into three main sections. The first section extends through measure 24. Ill
call this section 1. Measures 25, 26, and 27 break up the sections. Ill call this the arpeggio part.
The next section begins in measure 28 and extends through measure 33, Ill call this the Presto.
Measure 34 is a kind of solo cadenza which bridges the Presto to the final section. Ill call measure
34 the Adagio part. Ill call the final section the codetta.
Now that you have looked at this and played through it, you are ready to begin working on the
individual sections. Pay attention to how it sounds. You may need to spend a lot of time on a par-
ticular measure to get it to sound right. Just as you approached the whole piece, you can approach
each section by first playing it through and then playing groups of measures. This strategy works
Section 1
Use distortion
Both guitars must play in sync
On beats one and three, give the first sixteenth note a slightly longer dura-
tion and a stronger attack.
Arpeggio part
inhale before this section to create a slight pause.
hold first note of each measure slightly longer than its notated value.
Your choice: solo, in unison, in octaves.
Presto
should be played fast and accurately at a tempo not less than 120
Adagio
The adagio part should be played rubato, either picked or legato
the lower guitar part should clean up and quiet during the adagio part
Working on the sections
1
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6
&
&
bb b
bb b
T
A
B
T
AB
Gtr I
Gtr II
34Adagio
n m b
m
15 17 15 1314 15 17 18 18 17 15 17 15 15 17 15 14 15 17 17 15 13 12 13 15 12 13 15
15 17 19 19
34 b
13 15 33 3
&
&
bbb
bbb
T
A
B
T
A
B
Gtr I
Gtr II
35 .n
9 9 12 9
8 11 10 8 8 8 11 10 810
35
.J jn( ) 43
n b b
6 58 5 6 6 5 8 5 6
7 8 7 8 5 8
n n
35 5 5
7 7 8 5 5 3 5 78 7 3
3O
n nU
4 87 8 3
6 3 6 6 3 55
6
wu3O
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Use a clean sound for both parts
Count the sixteenth note subdivisions when you play eighth notes and
when you rest. This will be especially helpful in mm 63-96.
Theory Notes
Rhythm Notes
Emphasize the downbeat of each measure.Practice with a metronome set for qk =62-68 and feel three as one.There is a trade-off of the motor rhythm between the voices in beginning
at measure 60, and this is where the metronome will really help.
Performance Notes
An inverted major third is a minor sixth, minor thirds inverted become
major sixths.
7
Prelude 3, C# MajorFor two six-string guitars. I have transposed this piece down a diminished unison to the key of C.
This is one of the easiest pieces in this book to play.How to Learn this PieceFirst, play all the way through it without stopping. Try to get through it correctly five times. You
should not be able to do this in one session, but at most, it should take one week Second, Look
at the whole piece. I have notated the upper line at pitch and the lower line one octave higher and
in treble clef. Remember, notated at pitch means that it should be played an octave higher than
guitars written pitch. (See TAB)
Looking at the PieceThe first eight measures have been reused, transposed, inverted and modified up to measure 96.
This reuse will make memorizing the 100 plus measures a lot easier. The keys ascend in fifths
every eight bars and the voices, which are written in double counterpoint, trade the melody andthe accompaniment back and forth. Measure 55 begins an exact restatement of the head. Likewise,
mm 87-96 correspond to mm 63-72.
Double CounterpointLook at the first beat of the first measure. Notice how the lower note in the bass, C, harmonizes
with the top note of the upper line, E. This interval, C-E, is a major third. Look at the second
measure. D in the bass harmonizes with F in the upper line (D-F), a minor third. Look at measure
3. See the pattern? In measure 9, the first notes are B and G, a minor sixth. Here, what was the
lower line in measure one is now the upper line in measure 9 transposed up a fifth (C to G), and
the upper line in measure 1 is now the lower line in measure 9 transposed up a fifth (E to B). Play-
ing measure one, lower line and then measure 9, upper line will help you see the pattern on the
fret board. The reason that measure 9 has a minor sixth is that G and B form a third interval, but
inverted, you get B and G; a minor sixth. This process of reusing material where the top line and
bottom line switch is called double counterpoint.
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&
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A
B
Gtr. I
Gtr. II
63 r r R R1612 12 12
63 j J Jj j j
1012
10
r r R R1612 12 12j J Jj j j
1012
10
r r R R1312 12 12j J Jj j j
910
10
r r R R1312 12 12j J Jj j j
910
10
r r R R
13
12 12 12
j J Jj j j
79
10
r r R R
13
12 12 12
j J Jj j j
79
10
r r R R
12
12 12 12
j J Jj j j
910
10
&
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A
B
Gtr. I
Gtr. II
70 r r
R R12
12 12 12
70 j J J
j j j9 1010
# r r
R R14
14 14 14
j Jb J
j j j8 1010
# r r
R R14
14 14 14
j Jb J
j j j8 1010
R R R R
1512 12 12
j J J
j j j7 910
R R R R
1512 12 12
j J J
j j j7 910
r R
R R15
13 1312
j J J
j j j9 1010
R R R
R R R12 15 17
j j jj j j
10 710
&
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A
B
Gtr. I
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77b 181715
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77 j# j jj j
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79
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9 1211
r r
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15
j j jj j j8
10 8
b b 161513
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107 10
b b
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J J Jj j j
7 109
Rb R R R
1513 16 13
Jb J jbj j j8 5
6
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13
&
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A
B
Gtr. I
Gtr. II
84 rb r R
R R R15
1315
84 j J Jj j j
79
8
r r
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66
rb r rR R R
1315 12
j j jj j j3
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r r R R
910 10 10
jj j
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53
r r R R
910 10 10
jj j
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53
r r R R
1010 10 10
jj j
jj j2
33
r r R R
1010 10 10
jj j
jj j2
33
&
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B
Gtr. I
Gtr. II
91 r r
R R
10
10 10 10
91 jj j
j j j5 23
r r
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10
10 10 10
jj j
j j j5 23
r r
R R
9
10 10 10
jj j
j j j2 33
r r
R R
9
10 10 10
jj j
j j j2 33
# r r
R R
11
12 12 12
jjb j
j j j1 33
# r r
R R
11
12 12 12
jjb j
j j j1 33
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A
B
Gtr. I
Gtr. II
97
sl.
b
3 6 953 7
97
b #sl.
b
11
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...023
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Rhythm Notes
Although it can be felt as 24/16, The upper line was originally notated in 4/4 Count each measure as four groups of six, rather than eight groups of three
Solo Cadenza
inhale before this section to create a slight pause
hold first note of each measure slightly longer than its notated value
Play this part faster than the rest of the piece
measure 28 utilizes a Dmaj.7 Shape with tapping on each four note group
Prelude 6, D MinorFor six and seven string guitar. This upper line can work as a solo piece, and is perhaps more
difficult to perform than either line of the Prelude in C Minor.
How to Learn this PieceFirst, play it all the way through without stopping. Try to get through it five times. Second, Look
at the whole piece. Third, work on the difficult parts. Like the other pieces in this book, the upper
line is notated at pitch. Here, the lower line is also notated at pitch is bass clef. The tablature of the
lower line is for a seven-string guitar, but is easy enough for a bass player to learn. Remember, the
bass line is notated at pitch, which means that it should be played an octave higher than bass usual
written pitch. Use distortion on the upper line. Although the tempo indicated in the Bach Gesell-
schaft edition is 76, try to play at 80 to 96 bpm. Note: the solo cadenza is the authors improvisation
based on unplayable chords.
Looking at the PieceThe upper line is a compound line of three voices all the way through. This creates some difficult
fingerings on the guitar and makes position playing an infrequent option. See how measures 6 and
7 relate to measures 8 and 9. Measure 20 has a descending diminished lick. It is very easy to play
this by moving down one fret for each triplet figure. Pay attention to how it sounds. You may need
to spend a lot of time with new fingerings to be able to execute these difficult harpsichord licks.
Try to make the hardest part your strongest part. By doing this, you will be able to eliminate weak
spots. Once you learn the arpeggio shapes, not only will you be able to play this piece more fluidly,
you will be know some cool arpeggio shapes to plug into your own playing.
14
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Prelude 15, G MajorFor six and seven string guitar. The upper line works well as a solo piece. The lower line is more
difficult to play than the upper line. The upper line is notated at pitch and the lower line is notated
one octave higher an treble clef To play the arpeggios at the speed required (q .=96), I use botheconomy and alternate picking. As with the other pieces, I recommend first playing through thepiece entirely.
Looking at this PieceThe first thing to be noticed is that there are two time signatures. The upper line has a time signa-
ture of 24/16 while the lower line has a time signature of 4/4. This is an old notation style which I
have chosen to preserve from the original copy. This notation shows the relationship between the
two time signatures.
24/16 Time Signature24/16 can be felt as four groups of six. I have separated each beat with a dotted
line. This is how the measure is divided.one two three four
Economy PickingWhen two consecutive notes fall on adjacent strings, pick the strings with the
same picking direction and stroke.
& #
T
AB
#v
v
v
v
v
v
77 8 10 10 87 6 7 9 6 7 6 7 6 7 6 7 6 7 6 7 6 7
String Crossing
Outside string cross
Inside string cross
&
&
#
#1624
c
j
j
Picking Techniques Used
Lets face it, Alternate picking doesnt always work. Try the picking I have indicated. If you find
another way that works better for you, then use it.
20
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Prelude 20, A MinorHow to Learn this Piece
First, read this. Next, try to play through it once or twice. To be able to do this, youll have to know
how to feel 9/8. If youre not sure about how to feel 9/8, then first read the 9/8 time signature
explanation in the box below. I have notated the upper line at pitch and the lower line one octave
higher and in treble clef.
Looking at the PieceYou have noticed by now that this piece is in 9/8. Another thing that will catch your ears attention
is sound of the pedal on A with the G# neighbor tone in the Bass of the first three measures. This
pedal point is held against other harmony. The harmonic rhythm is one harmony, or chord per
measure. The first measure outlines A minor, important for establishing the A minor tonality, or
key of the piece. The second measure outlines B diminished harmony with A in the bass, which
makes it B half diminished, in third inversion. But look at the bass clef, the arpeggio figure on
beat three has been changed to a D minor triad (D,F,A). Is this a polychord? No, the note A workshere because it is suspended and treated as a pedal point, and the notes D and F are a part of the B
diminished harmony. The third chord is G# diminished with the A pedal in the bass. Beat three of
measure three still has the A pedal, but it also has two chord tones D, the diminished fifth, and F,
the diminished seventh. After the cadence, or harmonic resolution to the tonic occurs in measure
four, the piece modulates to the key of the fifth scale degree, E minor. Another four measures of
repeated material, this time in the key of E minor, takes us to the development of the piece,
where the head motives are used in new ways.
Performance Notes
Make sure to play this fast enough, qk=72-80, otherwise, each measure will havea tendency to sound like three measures of 3/4 and the piece will drag.
Use a clean sound
24
one e and a two and a three and a& 89
9/8 Time Signature9/8= three groups of three, like triplets in 3/4, with the strongest beat being one.
Count, One and a, two and a, three and a, placing the most emphasis on the beat
one. The next thing to count are the sixteenth note subdivisions, which I will call
e. Set your metronome to 3/4, and try to tap or clap your way through the rhythms
in time. Its not as easy as it sounds, but is very helpful in learning this piece.
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&
&
T
A
B
T
A
B
Gtr I
Gtr II()
16
12
1513 1213
12
16 j
j
5 35 4 2 2
2 5 3 25 3
1
b
17
17 15
14 15 17 15 14 14 15 17 15 14 14 15 17 15 14
#
4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
&
&
T
AB
T
A
B
Gtr I
Gtr II
18 b # .. .
1514 12 11 1212
18 j b #
j3 1
3 2 3 3 2 05 4 5 0
3
1212 10
9 10 12 10 9 9 10 12 10 9 9 10 12 10 9
#
4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
&
&
T
A
B
T
A
B
Gtr I
Gtr II
20
.
15 18 171510 14 14 1716 141415
20
7 75 7 8 8 5 5 8
5
.# # n 16 17 19 1716 1917 1817 15
17 16
#
6 65 7 8 8 5 5 8
5
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