WELL TEMPERED CLAVIER PRELUDE 1 / C-major by J.S. Bach Piano arranged for guitar. Reviewed and vastly improved version Transcribed, tabbed and improved by Tom Mitterfellner When I started playing the guitar I transcribed this piece originally written for the piano to the guitar and submitted it to the Online Guitar Archive (OLGA). This was many, many years ago. I must say, I did a lousy job back then. The idea using a bass in addition to the guitar was quite stupid. In this version, the sections where in the former version I had indicated you'd need a bass guitar, are now transposed upwards, so you can play everything on the guitar. Also, I changed some fingerings. Now, using some barré technique, the fingerings should be much easier than in the first version, although you need good stretching for some measures (e.g. 15, 31). Colon(s) : above a note will indicate that you should use your finger barré-like (e.g. laying it over more than one string, much like a capo [or a "partial capo"]). For some measures I indicated you should keep the barré finger in that position for the following measure(s). In one measure (#22), you should to use your thumb (T); this fingering is quite awkward, but I couldn't find a better one in which you can have the lowest note ringing, which I deem important there. Additionally, I named the chords the plucked notes make up above the tab. Dropped d-Tuning seemed suitable to me (low to high: D A D G B E) All fingerings are suggestions I feel quite comfy with. Funny tip: instead of rattling that piece off boringly like it's heard everywhere (e.g. pronounced on 1 and 5, or not pronounced at all), try pronouncing the notes on beats 1, 4 and 7, with a pseudo-triplet feel. When doing this, prononce the two measures before the last like indicated by >. Sounds really interesting! Here we go ... hope you enjoy! (more than the previous version) C Dm7/C G7/B C e----||---------0-----0|-------:-1---:-1|---------1-----1|---------0-----0|| B----||-------1-----1--|-------1-----1--|-------3-----3--|-------1-----1--|| G----||-----0-----0----|-----2-----2----|-----0-----0----|-----0-----0----|| D----||---2------------|---0------------|---0------------|---2------------|| A----||-3--------------|-3--------------|-2--------------|-3--------------|| D----||----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|| Finger: 3 2 - 1 - - 1 - 3 - 2 1 1 2 1 1 2 - - 4 1 - 4 1 3 2 - 1 - - 1 - Note: c e g c e g c e c d a d f a d f b d g d f g d f c e g c e g c e Measure:1 2 3 4 Am/C D7/C G/B Cmaj7/B e----||-------:-5---:-5|----------------|---------3-----3|----------------|| B----||-------5-----5--|---------3-----3|-------3-----3--|---------1-----1|| G----||---:-2-----2----|-------2-----2--|-----0-----0----|-------0-----0--|| D----||---2------------|---0-4-----4----|---0------------|-----2-----2----|| A----||-3--------------|-3--------------|-2--------------|-2-3------------|| D----||----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|| Finger: 1 2 2 4 4 2 4 4 2 - 4 1 3 4 1 3 2 - - 3 4 - 3 4 2 3 2 - 1 2 - 1 Note: c e a e a a e a c d f#a d f#a d b d g d g g d g b c e g c e g c Measure:5 6 7 8 Am7 D7 G G°dim7 e----||----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|| B----||---------1-----1|----------------|---------0-----0|----------------|| G----||-------0-----0--|---------5-----5|-------0-----0--|---------6-----6|| D----||-----2-----2----|-------4-----4--|-----0-----0----|-:-----5-----5--|| A----||-0-3------------|---0-5-----5----|---2------------|-:---7-----7----|| D----||----------------|-0--------------|-5--------------|-5-8------------|| Finger: - 3 2 - 1 2 - 1 - - 2 1 3 2 1 3 4 1 - - - - - - 1 4 3 1 2 3 1 2 Note: a c e g c e g c d a d f#c d f#c g b d g b d g b g a#e g c#e g c# Measure:9 10 11 12 Dm/F F°dim7 C/E Fmaj7/E e----||----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|| B----||---------3-----3|----------------|---------1-----1|----------------|| G----||-------2-----2--|---------4-----4|-------0-----0--|----------------|| D----||-----0-----0----|-------3---.-3--|----------------|---------3-----3|| A----||---0------------|-----5-----5----|-----3-----3----|-----0-3---0-3--|| D----||-3--------------|-3-6------------|-2-5------------|-2-3------------|| Finger: 2 - - 1 3 - 1 3 1 4 - 1 - - 1 - 1 4 2 - 1 2 - 1 1 2 - 3 4 - 3 4 Note: f a d a d d a d f g#d f b d f b e g c g c c g c e f a c f a c f Measure:13 14 15 16 Dm7 G7 C Cmaj7 e----||----------------|---------1-----1|---------0-----0|---------0-----0|| B----||----------------|-------0-----0--|-------1-----1--|-------1-----1--|| G----||----------------|-----0-----0----|-----0-----0----|---0-4-----4----|| D----||---------3-----3|---0------------|---2------------|----------------|| A----||-----0-3---0-3--|----------------|-3--------------|-3--------------|| D----||-0-3------------|-5--------------|----------------|----------------|| Finger: - 1 - 2 3 - 2 3 4 - - - 1 - - 1 3 2 - 1 - - 1 - 3 - 4 1 0 4 1 0 Note: d f a c f a c f g d g b f g b f c e g c e g c e c g b c e b c e Measure:17 18 19 20 Transposed upward from here Fmaj7 F#°dim7 G#°dim7b11 G7 e----||---------0-----0|----------------|----------------|----------------|| B----||-------1-----1--|---------4-----4|---:-----3-----3|---:-----3-----3|| G----||-----2-----2----|-----2-5---2-5--|---:-4-5---4-5--|---:---4-----4--|| D----||---3------------|----------------|---3------------|---3-5-----5----|| A----||----------------|---3------------|----------------|----------------|| D----||-3--------------|-4--------------|-6--------------|-5--------------|| Finger: 3 4 2 1 - 2 1 - T 2 1 4 3 1 4 3 4 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 3 1 4 2 1 4 2 1 Note: f f a c e a c e f#c a c d#a c d# g#f b c d b c d g f g b d g b d Measure:21 22 23 24 Keep barré for next measure C/G G7sus4 G F#°dim7b9/G e----||----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|| B----||---------5-----5|---------6-----6|-------0-3---0-3|---------7-----7|| G----||-:-----5-----5--|-:-----5-----5--|-----0-----0----|-:-----5-----5--|| D----||-:---5-----5----|-:---5-----5----|---0------------|-:---7-----7----|| A----||-:-7------------|-:-5------------|----------------|-:-6------------|| D----||-5--------------|-5--------------|-5--------------|-5--------------|| Finger: 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 2 4 - - - 1 - - 1 1 2 3 1 4 3 1 4 Note: g e g c e g c e g d g c f g c f g d g b d g b d g d#a c f#a c f# Measure:25 26 27 28 Keep barré fnm. Keep barré fnm. C/G G7sus4 G7 C7 e----||----------------|----------------|---------1-----1|-:------12----12|| B----||---------8-----8|---------6-----6|-------0-----0--|-:----11----11--|| G----||-:-----5-----5--|-:-----5-----5--|-----0-----0----|-:--12----12----|| D----||-:---5-----5----|-:---5-----5----|---0------------|-:10------------|| A----||-:-7------------|-:-5------------|----------------|-:--------------|| D----||-5--------------|-5--------------|-5--------------|10--------------|| Finger: 1 2 1 1 4 1 1 4 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 2 4 - - - 1 - - 1 1 1 3 2 4 3 2 42 Note: g e g c g g c g g d g c f g c f g d g b f g b f c c g a#e g a#e Measure:29 30 31 32 Keep barré fnm. Keep barré fnm. > > > > > > F/C Dm7/C e----||------------13-----------------------|| B----||--:----10-13--13-10-13-10--10--------|| G----||--:--10------------------10--10--10--|| D----||--:10--------------------------12--12|| A----||--:----------------------------------|| D----||-10----------------------------------|| Finger: 1 1 1 1 4 4 4 1 4 1 1 1 1 3 1 3 Note: c c f a c f c a c a f a f d f d Measure:33 > > > > > G4 C e----||-----------1---------------------|-----|| B----||-------0-3---3-0-3-0---0---------|--1--|| G----||-----0---------------0-----------|--0--|| D----||-------------------------0-3-2-0-|--2--|| A----||-3-2-----------------------------|--3--|| D----||---------------------------------|-----|| 2 2 - - 4 1 4 - 4 - - - - 3 2 - c b g b d f d b d b g b d f e d Measure:34 35