BWV 988 - Goldberg Variations - Aria - Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1st version - by Chris Ninman, own arrangement, drop D 2nd version - by Blake Salem, J Evtos arr, drop D, no measures or rhythm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #---------------------------------------------------------------------------# #This file is the author's own work and represents his interpretation of the# #song. You may only use this file for private study,scholarship,or research.# #---------------------------------------------------------------------------# ARIA - from the Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 - J. S. Bach Transcribed by Chris Ninman (ctninman@hotmail.com) [see below for notes - last update 11 November 2025] 1 | | |^ | | | E||---3-------3--------535----7-|--5---3-2-----------------| B||--------------------3--------|----------5---3-----------| G||*----------4-----------------|----------2---------------| D||*--5-------------------------|--4---------------0-------| G||-----------------------------|--------------------------| D||-----------------------------|--------------------------| 3 | | | | | | |---------------------------|-------------------------| |-----------^---^-^-tr------|-^-----------------------| |---^^-----20-^20202020---0-|-20---^------------------| |--545-------45---------4---|---4-542-2---0-----------| |----------0-------6--------|-----------------2---5---| |--2------------------------|-0-------4---------------| 5 | | | | | | ^^^ |-------------------^------|---------------------3202-| |--3-------3-------535---6-|-5---3---0----------------| |------------------0-------|-------5-----2------------| |----------0---------------|---------2-----------0----| |--2-----------------------|-5---------------2--------| |--------------------------|--------------------------| 7 |^ ^ |^ | | | | |--32--53--20--------5-----|--------------------------| |--------------3-----------|-0------------------------| |------5--------5--5-----5-|--0---------^-------------| |--2-------0---------------|-----4---4-545------------| |------5-------4-2-0-----0-|-0---2---4--------^-------| |--------------------4-2---|-------------0---202---4--| 9 | | | | | | |-------------------^------|-------------------------| |--0-------0-------202---3-|-3-2-----3---------------| |--------------------------|-----4-2-----------------| |------------------2-------|-------------------------| |----------4---------------|-2--------tr---------4---| |--5-----------------------|---------5454-2--4-------| 11 | |^^^ ^^^| | | | |--3-------532353535353-2-3-|-------0------tr----------| |--5----------------tr------|-8---7---2---3232-----5---| |--4---4--------------------|--------------------------| |--2-------2---2---4----0---|-----0---2----------------| |-----------------------0---|-6-----------4----2---0---| |---------------------------|-7------------------------| 13 | | | | | | |--5-3-2-----------------^--|---------------^-------0--| |--------5-3------------01--|-0-----------3-2------3---| |--------------2------------|---2-0--------------------| |------------------0--------|-------4-2-------2--------| |----------2----------------|---------4----------------| |--4------------------------|-5------------------------| 15 | | | | | | |----------3---------------|-------^^----------------|| |--3-2---------0-------2---|-2-3--5322---3-----------|| |------4-2---------0-------|------------------------*|| |--4-------2-----4---------|-0-------4-------0------*|| |--2-----------------------|-------------2-----------|| |--------------------------|-------------------------|| 17 | | | | | | |-------------------------0--|-0-------------------3---| |---^--------^-^-^^^---0-3---|---3---0-----------------| |*-202------42024242--2-5----|-----5---2---0-----------| |*-0----2---4----------------|---------0---------------| |-------------------5--------|-4---5-------2---4-------| |----------------------------|-------------------------| 19 | | | | | | |--2-----2----^--------5753-|-5-----2-----------------| |----5----44-545------------|---------5---4-------0---| |----------0-------^--------|-------------------------| |------2-----------424-2----|-1---2---4---------------| |--5-----------4---2--------|-4-----------2---0-------| |---------------------------|---------------------4---| 21 |^ | | |^ | | |-023---2-2---0--------^---|-30---^------------------| |-------------------0-10-0-|-----74--4---5-----------| |-----2----^------0-----2--|---------^---------0-----| |-2-------545-4---0--------|-----7---545-4-------4-2-| |--------------------------|-5---------------4-------| |--------------------------|-------------------------| 23 | | ^^ | | | | |--------0-0---235-3---2---|-2-----2-----------------| |------------4-----0-------|---5----44---5-----------| |--------------5-------2---|---------0---------------| |--4-------------------1---|-2---------------2---0---| |--2---5---4---2---4-------|-----4-------4-----------| |--------------------------|---------2---------------| 25 | | | | | | |--------------------------|-------------------------| |--5---3---0-----------0-1-|--^^--^----------------0-| |--------5-----2-----------|-754-54--2---0-------2---| |----------2---------------|-----4-7-2-0-2-4-5-4-5---| |--5---------------2-------|-4-----------------------| |--------------------------|-------------------------| 27 | | | | | | |--------------------------|--------------------0-----| |--1-3-1-0-1-------1-0-----|--1-3-1-0-1-------1---3-1-| |------------2---2-----2-0-|------------2---2---------| |------2-------2-----------|--4-------0---4-----------| |--2-------2---0-----------|------2-------5---4---2---| |------------------4---2---|--0-----------------------| 29 | | | | | | |--------------------------|----------0-------0---2-3-| |--0-1-0---0-------0---1-3-|--5-6-5-----1---1---1-----| |--0-----2---0---0---0-----|--------7-5---4---2---0---| |------0---5---3---2---0---|------5-------5-----------| |--0-----------7-----------|--5-----------------------| |--------------------------|--------------------------| 31 | | | | | | |--5-----------------------|---------------------------|| |------0---0-1-3---0-------|---------------------------|| |----5---2-0---4-----2-0---|--0-----------0-------^---*|| |--4---0---------5-------4-|------------0---4-4---5---*|| |----------------------7---|--0-5-4-2-4-------0--------|| |--------------------------|---------------------------|| Notes ~~~~~ measure 5 - 1st interval changed from C#-D to B-D (weed@wussu.com, 12 Nov 2025) A few notes: Every eight dashes equals the quarter note, four is the eighth note. Tr is for when the trill is faster than 32nd notes. It is tough to show with tab, so the midi may be helpful. In the midi file, all the notes that are held can be held for that duration on guitar. A ^ above the note stands for a slur. There are no notes above the 7th fret, so any time a 10 or the like appears it is a separate 1 and 0. This is just my transcription and I am no expert on Baroque ornamentation so if you think an ornament is wrong, that is quite possible, this is just how I have chosen to play it. Email me if you have questions about my fingerings or anything else. ******************************************************************************** ******************************************************************************** BWV 988 - Goldberg Variations - Aria - Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) arranged by Jozsef Eotvos - tab by Blake Salem (November 2025) audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsNPhWg9Yco - Jozsef Eotvos video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nalx_MGP3Q - Jozsef Eotvos Drop D Tuning - D A D G B E 1 E|-3--3--5p3h5-7-5-3-2----------------------5--------5-5-5-5------- B|----0--3--------------5-3--------8p7h8-------8-7h8--8-8-8--8-7-8- G|-0--------------------2-------------------0------------6--------- D|---------------4-----------0------------------------------------- A|---------------------------------7------------------------------- D|----------------------------------------------------------------- 2 -5-------------------------------------------------------3p2-0h2-- ---8-7-8p7-5--5--3--------3--3--5p3h5-6--5-3----0----------------- --------------------2-----------0------------5-----2-------------- -0------------4--------------0------------------2--------0-------- -----------------------3--2--------------3------------0----------- ------------------------------------------------------------------ 3 -3-2--5-3--2-0-------------5---------------------------------- ----------------3-1-----1---------0--------------------------- ----------------4----2--0------5-----0------------------------ -2---------0---------------4-2-4--------4--4--5h4p5----------- ------3---------------------------------0--2------------------ ----------------------------------5---------------0--2p0h2-4-- 4 -------------------------------------------3------------------- --0--0---2p0h2-3--3p2-0----3-----------------5----------------- ------------------0-----2---------------4------4--------------- ---------2------------------4h5p4-2-4-------------------------- -----2------------0-------------------------------------------- --5----------------------------------------------2------------- 5 ----5p3-2-3-5p3-5p3-5p3-5p3-------------------------------0----- ----------------------------7-8----8---7-5--3-2h3-2------------- -----------------------------------6---------------------------- ---2-----------------------------------0----2------------------- -2---------------------------------0--------------2---0--------- ------------2-------4-------5-----------------------------5----- 6 --5-3-2-0------------------------------------------------------ -----------3---------0h1--0-------------3-2-----3h5------------ ---------------2-------------2-0------------------------------- ------------------0---------------4--2------2------------------ -----------0-------------------------2------------------------- --4-----------------------5----------2------------------------- 7 -------------3--------------------------------------------- --3--2-0--------0--------2--2h3---5p3p2-2----3------------- ---------2-----------0------------------------------------- --4----------------4----------------------4-----0---------- --0----------2-------------------------------0------------- ----------------------------0------------------------------ 8 -----------------------------------0--0---------------3----- ------------0-------0-0------0-1h3------3-1-0--------------- --2p0h2-------2p0h2--2-2---2-------------------2--0--------- --0------2-4-----------------------------------0------------ --------------------------3-----------2---3------0--2------- --0--------------------------------------------------------- 9 --2-0----2------0---0-----------5h7-5-------5----------0---------- -----------4-4----4--------------------8------------7-----4-----0- -------------0---------------------------------------------------- ------2----------------5p4h5p4-------------------------4---------- --3-----------------2-0---------7-----------6----7----------0----- --------------------------------------------9-----------------5-4- 10 --0h2-3-----2--2-------0-------------------3--0-2------------0----- --------------------------------0-1p0---0---------4----4----------- ---------2-----2p0h2p0-------0--------2---------2----2~p0h2p0------ -------------------------4---0---------------------------------4--- -------------------------------------------3-------------------0--- --2---------------------------------------------------------------- 11 ------------------0--0---2h3-5-3--2---2--0----2---------0--------- -----------------------4-------0-----------------4-4-------------- ---0---------------------5--------2----------------2--0----------- ------4--2---4--------------------1---2--------------------2--0--- -2----2------0--3----2---0-----0------------2-----------2--------- ---------------------------------------------------2-------------- 12 --0---------------------------------------------------------- ----3-1-0-------0-1--3p1p0--1p0---------------------0-------- -----------2--------------------2--2--0---------2------------ --------2-------------------4------2-0-2-4-5-4--5------------ --3-----------0------2--------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------- 13 --------------------------------------------------0---------- -1-3-1-0-1-----------1-0--------3-1-0-1---------1---3--1----- ---------2--2-----2------2--0------------2----2-------------- -----2---------2--------------4-------0----4----------------- -0--------------------------------0--------3----2---0-------- ---------------5-----4---2----0------------------------------ 14 ----------------------------0-1-0-----0---------0----2--3--------- --0---0---0-------0----1-3---------3----1-----1----1-------------- ----5---2---0---0---0-----------0-----5----0---------------------- ------0---5---3---2----0------------------------------------------ --------------5-------------3--------------2----0----------------- --5--------------------------------------------------5------------ 15 --5---------------------------------------------------------------|| -------0-----0-----3-----0----------------------------------------|| ----5-----2-----5-----0-----2--0-----0-----------0---------0------|| -------------------------0--------4------------0---4-4------------|| -------------------2-------------------3-2-0-2--------------------|| --4----0-----5-----------------0-----5-----------0---5------------|| ******************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************