BWV 999, Prelude in C minor for solo lute - Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) version 1 - by Kevin Smith, in D minor, LHF, MIDI 1 version 2 - by Jeff Kollasch, in A minor, easier, MIDI 2 ***************************************************************************** #----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE--------------------------------# #This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the# #song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research.# #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------# From: kevins@ornews.intel.com (Kevin Smith) [email no longer active - May 2012] Last week someone asked for the tab of the Bach Prelude BWV 999 (Praelude in C moll pour la Lute di J S Bach). It is one of Bach's most popular pieces for guitar. It was originally in Cm, but here it is transposed to Dm for guitar. I like to play it brisk and flowing with a slight accent on the base notes. It is in 3/4 time; the |'s represent 8th notes. Let me know if you find any mistakes. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ left-hand fingering added + last note in measure 42 corrected Vincenzo Chiaravalle - 10 September 2001 - vincenzochiaravalle@yahoo.it ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ see below tab for an alternative way of playing it with a dampened bass Erik Wernersson - 23 August 2003 - erik.wernersson@telia.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ MIDI: http://www.classtab.org/bach_js_bwv0999_prelude_in_cm_for_lute.mid ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Prelude, BWV 999 Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) I use a picking pattern of : p i m a m i m i p i p m or p i m a m i m i p i p i 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | E|-------5-----------------|-------5-----------------|-------6-----------------| B|-----6---6---6-----------|-----6---6---6-----------|-----8---8---8-----------| G|---7-------7---7---7---7-|---7-------7---7---7---7-|---7-------7---7---7---7-| D|-0---------------7-------|-0---------------7-------|-0---------------8---5---| A|---------------------8---|---------------------8---|-------------------------| E|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------| 0 3 2 1 2 3 2 3 2 3 4 3 0 2 4 1 4 2 4 2 3 2 1 2 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |-------6-----------------|-------3-----------------|-------3-----------------| |-----8---8---8-----------|-----5---5---5-----2---2-|-----5---5---5------2--2-| |---7-------7---7---7---7-|---6-------6---6-3---0---|---6-------6---6--3---0--| |-0---------------8---5---|-0-----------------------|-0-----------------------| |-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------| |-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------| 0 4 3 1 3 4 3 4_4 3 0 3 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | BI............... |-------1-----------------|-------1-----------------|-------1-----------------| |-----3---3---3-----------|-----3---3---3-----------|-----3---3---3-----------| |---2-------2---2---2---2-|---2-------2---2---2---2-|---2-------2---2---2---2-| |-0---------------3---0---|-----------------3---0---|-----------------3---0---| |-------------------------|-3-----------------------|-1-----------------------| |-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------| 0 2 4 1 4 2 4 2 3 2 0 2 3 1 10 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |-------1-----------------|-------1-----------------|-------1-----------------| |-----3---3---3-----------|-----3---3---3-----------|-----3---3---3-----0---0-| |---2-------2---2---2---2-|---4-------4---4---4---4-|---4-------4---4-1-------| |-----------------3---0---|-----------------3---0---|---------------------2---| |-0-----------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------| |-------------------------|-4-----------------------|-4-----------------------| 0 3 4 2 1 2 4 2 4 2 4 0 4 1 0 2 0 13 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |-------0-----------------|-------0-----------------|-------5-----------------| |-----1---1---1-----------|-----1---1---1-----------|-----5---5---5-----1---1-| |---4-------4---4---4---4-|---2-------2---2---2---2-|---5-------5---5-2-------| |-----------------2-------|-------------------------|---------------------3---| |-0-------------------3---|-0---------------3---0---|-------------------------| |-------------------------|-------------------------|-1-----------------------| 0 4 1 0 1 4 1 4 2 4 3 4 0 2 1 0 1 2 1 2 3 2 0 2 1 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 2 1 3 1 16 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |-------5-----------------|-------4-----------------|-------4-----------------| |-----6---6---6-----------|-----3---3---3-----------|-----3---3---3-----------| |---4-------4---4---4---4-|---4-------4---4---4---4-|---4-------4---4---4---4-| |-0---------------0-------|-----------------2-------|-----------------2-------| |---------------------2---|---------------------2---|---------------------2---| |-------------------------|-0-----------------------|-0-----------------------| 0 2 4 3 4 2 4 2 0 2 1 2 0 3 2 4 2 3 2 3 1 3 1 3 19 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |-------5-----------------|-------7-----------------|-------8-----------------| |-----5---5---5-----------|-----9---9---9-----------|-----10--10--10----------| |---5-------5---5---5---5-|---7-------7---7---7---7-|---9-------9---9---9---9-| |-------------------------|---------------------0---|-----------------7-------| |-----------------7-------|-----------------8-------|---------------------7---| |-0-------------------8---|-0-----------------------|-0-----------------------| 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 1 4 1 0 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 2 1 0 1 0 2 4 3 4 2 4 2 1 3 1 3 22 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |-------10----------------|-------8-----------------|-------7-----------------| |-----9---9---9-----------|-----10--10--10----------|-----6---6---6-----------| |---9-------9---9---9---9-|---8-------8---8---8---8-|---7-------7---7---7---7-| |-----------------9-------|-------------------------|-----------------6-------| |---------------------11--|-----------------12--8---|---------------------7---| |-0-----------------------|-0-----------------------|-0-----------------------| 0 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 1 0 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 4 1 1 1 0 3 2 4 2 3 2 3 1 3 2 3 25 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |-------5-----------------|-------5-----------------|-------4-----------------| |-----7---7---7-----------|-----3---3---3-----------|-----3---3---3-----------| |---5-------5---5---5---5-|---4-------4---4---4---4-|---4-------4---4---4---4-| |-----------------4-------|-----------------3---0---|-----------------2-------| |---------------------6---|-------------------------|---------------------2---| |-0-----------------------|-0-----------------------|-0-----------------------| 0 2 4 3 4 2 4 2 1 2 4 2 0 3 2 4 2 3 2 3 1 3 0 3 0 3 2 4 2 3 2 3 1 3 1 3 28 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |-------2-----------------|-------1-----------------|-------0-----------------| |-----1---1---1-----------|-----0---0---0-----------|-----1---1---1-----------| |---2-------2---2---2---2-|---1-------1---1---1---1-|---2-------2---2---2---2-| |-----------------1-------|-----------------0-------|-------------------------| |---------------------3---|---------------------2---|-----------------3---0---| |-0-----------------------|-0-----------------------|-0-----------------------| 0 2 1 3 1 2 1 2 1 2 4 2 0 1 0 2 0 1 0 1 0 1 3 1 0 2 1 0 1 2 1 2 3 2 0 2 31 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------| |-------3-----------------|-------3-----------------|-------3-----------------| |-----4---4---4-----2---2-|-----4---4---4-----1---1-|-----4---4---4-----1---1-| |---7-------7---7-3---0---|---6-------6---6-2-------|---6-------6---6-3---0---| |-------------------------|---------------------2---|-0-----------------------| |-0-----------------------|-0-----------------------|-------------------------| 0 4 2 1 2 4 2 4 3 2 0 2 0 4 2 1 2 4 2 4 3 1 2 1 0 4 2 1 2 4 2 4 4 2 0 2 34 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |-------------------------|-------4-----------------|-------7-----------------| |-------3-2---2-----------|-----3---3---3-----------|-----9---9---9-----------| |-----4-----2---2---2---2-|---4-------4---4---4---4-|---7-------7---7---7---7-| |---7-------------2-------|-----------------3---0---|---------------------0---| |-0-------------------4---|-0-----------------------|-0---------------8-------| |-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------| 0 4 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 1 0 3 2 4 2 3 2 3 1 3 0 3 0 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 2 1 0 1 37 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |-------5-----------------|-------3-----------------|-------1-----------------| |-----5---5---5-----------|-----5---5---5-----2---2-|-----3---3---3-----------| |---6-------6---6---6---6-|---6-------6---6-3---0---|---2-------2---2---2---2-| |-----------------7-------|-------------------------|-----------------3---0---| |-0-------------------7---|-0-----------------------|-0-----------------------| |-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------| 0 2 1 1 1 2 1 2 4 2 3 2 0 3 2 1 2 3 2 3 3 2 0 2 0 2 4 1 4 2 4 2 3 2 0 2 40 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |-------1-----------------|-------1-----------------|-------0-------0-------4-| |-----3---3---3-----------|-----3---3---3-----------|-----2---2---2--/6-------| |---1-------1---1---1---1-|---1-------1---1---1---1-|---2-------2-------7-----| |-----------------3---0---|-----------------3---0---|---------------------9---| |-0-----------------------|-0-----------------------|-0-----------------------| |-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------| 0 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 3 1 0 1 0 1 2 0 2 1 2 0 2 3 4 1 43 CV |--5----------------------|| |--5----------------------|| |--6----------------------|| |--7----------------------|| |--7----------------------|| |--5----------------------|| ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From: Erik Wernersson - erik.wernersson@telia.com Subject: Bach's prelude bwv 999 Date: Fri, 8 Aug 2003 15:08:31 -0700 There is another way of playing this prelude where you damp the bass at every measure. I don't which is correct but i think it sounds better when you damp the bass. 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | E-------5-----------------|-------5-----------------|-------6-----------------| B-----6---6---6-----------|-----6---6---6-----------|-----8---8---8-----------| G---7-------7---7---7---7-|---7-------7---7---7---7-|---7-------7---7---7---7-| D-0-------D-------7---3---|-0-----D---------7---3---|-0-------D-------8---5---| A-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------| E-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------| 0 4 2 1 2 4 2 4 2 3 1 3 0 2 4 1 4 2 4 2 3 2 12 3 3 [and so on] ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* BWV 999 C-minor Lute Prelude: brought here to 1st position A-minor tab by Jeff Kollasch, December 2023 MIDI: http://www.classtab.org/bach_js_bwv0999_prelude_in_cm_for_lute_am.mid The standard version in D-minor is the best to perform in a concert by a pro. This is in 1st position so it is easier. It is based on transposing the MIDI for the prior version on ClassTab from D-minor down 5 half-steps to A-minor. It is more arranged because bass notes that fall below the low E are moved up. Specifically the Eb's (in this key) starting bars 11 and 12 are made an open E. The very low C starting bar 15 is bumped up the octave. The very low B's that start every bar from 17--32 are bumped up the octave. A 7-string guitar (low B) would fit this arrangement perfectly with these notes back as they were. The note shifts really do detract from the piece a little. I do not deny this. It is 3/4 time and mostly all 16th notes as mentioned in the primary tab. The official duration of the bass notes opening each bar is quarter notes, but simply letting go of them when left-hand fingering requirements force you to do so also works. I suspect this is what Bach intended for the lutenist. LHF is only given where your first instincts are likely to betray you. The best phrasing reference is Segovia. We are lucky he played this one on TV in D-minor around 1953: https://youtu.be/s0lTdL3koak?si=JyR2x2UqmZqWAtp7 If you are like me and like to up-tune smaller or more sturdily built guitars it is worthy of note that 2 half-steps up gets you to Bach's original key (C- minor sounded ~1/2-step lower in 1700s, nearly the same as our B-minor today). 1 Am 2 E|----------0--------------------------|----------0--------------------------| B|-------1-----1-----1-----------------|-------1-----1-----1-----------------| G|----2-----------2-----2-----2-----2--|----2-----------2-----2-----2-----2--| D|-------------------------2-----------|-------------------------2-----------| A|-0-----------------------------3-----|-0-----------------------------3-----| E|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------| 3 Dm 4 |----------1--------------------------|----------1--------------------------| |-------3-----3-----3-----------------|-------3-----3-----3-----------------| |----2-----------2-----2-----2-----2--|----2-----------2-----2-----2-----2--| |-------------------------3-----0-----|-------------------------3-----0-----| |-0-----------------------------------|-0-----------------------------------| |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------| 2 4 1 3 5 B-dim/A 6 |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------| |-------0--3--0-----0-----------------|-------0--3--0-----0-----------------| |----1-----------1-----1-----1-----1--|----1-----------1-----1-----1-----1--| |-------------------------3-----0-----|-------------------------3-----0-----| |-0-----------------------------------|-0-----------------------------------| |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------| 7 Am 8 Am/G |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------| |----------1--------------------------|----------1--------------------------| |-------2-----2-----2-----------------|-------2-----2-----2-----------------| |----2-----------2-----2-----2-----2--|----2-----------2-----2-----2-----2--| |-0-----------------------3-----0-----|-------------------------3-----0-----| |-------------------------------------|-3-----------------------------------| 9 Am/F 10 Am/E |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------| |----------1--------------------------|----------1--------------------------| |-------2-----2-----2-----------------|-------2-----2-----2-----------------| |----2-----------2-----2-----2-----2--|----2-----------2-----2-----2-----2--| |-------------------------3-----0-----|-------------------------3-----0-----| |-1-----------------------------------|-0-----------------------------------| 1 2 3 1 4 11 F#dim/E 12 |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------| |----------1--------------------------|----------1--------------------------| |-------2-----2-----2-----------------|-------2-----2-----2-----------------| |----4-----------4-----4-----4-----4--|----4-----------4-----4--1--4-----4--| |-------------------------3-----0-----|-------------------------------2-----| |-0-----------------------------------|-0-----------------------------------| 13 Em add(2) 14 Em |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------| |----------0--------------------------|----------0--------------------------| |-------0-----0-----0-----------------|-------0-----0-----0-----------------| |----4-----------4-----4-----4-----4--|----2-----------2-----2-----2-----2--| |-------------------------2-----------|-------------------------------------| |-0-----------------------------3-----|-0-----------------------3-----0-----| 15 Em/C 16 Am add(6) |----------0--------------------------|----------0--------------------------| |-------0-----0-----0-----------------|-------------1-----1-----------------| |----0-----------0-----0-----0-----0--|-------2-----------------------------| |-------------------------2-----------|----4-----------4-----4-----4-----4--| |-3-----------------------------3-----|-0-----------------------0-----------| |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------2-----| 17 B7 18 |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------| |----------4--------------------------|----------4--------------------------| |-------2-----2-----2-----------------|-------2-----2-----2-----------------| |----4-----------4-----4-----4-----4--|----4-----------4-----4-----4-----4--| |-2-----------------------2-----------|-2-----------------------2-----------| |-------------------------------2-----|-------------------------------2-----| 19 Em 20 B7 |----------0--------------------------|----------2--------------------------| |-------0-----0-----0-----------------|-------4-----4-----4-----------------| |----0-----------0-----0-----0-----0--|----2-----------2-----2-----2-----2--| |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------| |-2-----------------------2-----------|-2-----------------------3-----0-----| |-------------------------------3-----|-------------------------------------| 21 Em 22 B7 |-------0--3--0-----0-----------------|----------5--------------------------| |----0-----------0-----0-----0-----0--|-------4-----4-----4--------0-----0--| |-------------------------------------|----4-----------4-----4--------------| |-------------------------2-----------|-------------------------4-----1-----| |-2-----------------------------2-----|-2-----------------------------------| |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------| 1 3 3 4 3 3 3 3 3 1 23 Edim/B 24 Eb-dim/B |-------0--3--0-----0-----------------|----------2--------------------------| |-------------------------------------|-------1-----1-----1-----------------| |----3-----------3-----3-----3-----3--|----2-----------2-----2-----2-----2--| |-------------------------2-----------|-------------------------1-----------| |-2-----------------------------3-----|-2-----------------------------2-----| |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------| 25 A7/B 26 B7sus4 |----------0--------------------------|-------------------------------------| |-------2-----2-----2-----------------|----------5--------------------------| |----0-----------0-----0-----0-----0--|-------2-----2-----2-----------------| |-------------------------------------|----4-----------4-----4-----4-----4--| |-2-----------------------4-----1-----|-2-----------------------3-----0-----| |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------| 1 2 2 2 4 1 1 3 1 4 2 27 B7 28 A7/B |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------| |----------4--------------------------|----------2--------------------------| |-------2-----2-----2-----------------|-------0-----0-----0-----------------| |----4-----------4-----4-----4-----4--|----2-----------2-----2-----2-----2--| |-2-----------------------2-----------|-2-----------------------1-----------| |-------------------------------2-----|-------------------------------3-----| 29 B 30 Em |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------|----------0--------------------------| |----------4--------------------------|-------0-----0-----0-----------------| |----1--4-----4--1--4--1-----1-----1--|----2-----------2-----2-----2-----2--| |-2-----------------------0-----------|-2-----------------------------------| |-------------------------------2-----|-------------------------3-----0-----| 2 1 4 4 4 31 32 |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------| |----------2--------------------------|----------2--------------------------| |----2--4-----4--2--4--2-----2-----2--|----1--4-----4--1--4--1-----1-----1--| |-2-----------------------3-----0-----|-2-----------------------2-----------| |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------2-----| 33 34 |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------| |----------2--------------------------|----------2--1-----1-----------------| |----1--4-----4--1--4--1-----1-----1--|----2--4--------2-----2-----2-----2--| |-------------------------3-----0-----|-------------------------2-----------| |-0-----------------------------------|-0-----------------------------4-----| 35 B7/E 36 |-------------------------------------|----------2--------------------------| |----------4--------------------------|-------4-----4-----4-----------------| |-------2-----2-----2-----------------|----2-----------2-----2-----2-----2--| |----4-----------4-----4-----4-----4--|-------------------------------------| |-------------------------3-----0-----|-------------------------3-----0-----| |-0-----------------------------------|-0-----------------------------------| 37 E 38 E7 |----------0--------------------------|-------------------------------------| |-------0-----0-----0-----------------|-------0--3--0-----0-----------------| |----1-----------1-----1-----1-----1--|----1-----------1-----1-----1-----1--| |-------------------------2-----------|-------------------------3-----0-----| |-------------------------------2-----|-------------------------------------| |-0-----------------------------------|-0-----------------------------------| 39 Am/E 40 Eb-dim/E |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------| |----------1--------------------------|----------1--------------------------| |-------2-----2-----2-----------------|-------2-----2-----2-----------------| |----2-----------2-----2-----2-----2--|----1-----------1-----1-----1-----1--| |-------------------------3-----0-----|-------------------------3-----0-----| |-0-----------------------------------|-0-----------------------------------| 41 42 E |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------| |----------1--------------------------|----------0-----------0--1--------4--| |-------2-----2-----2-----------------|-------1-----1-----1--------2--------| |----1-----------1-----1-----1-----1--|----2-----------2--------------4-----| |-------------------------3-----0-----|-------------------------------------| |-0-----------------------------------|-0-----------------------------------| 43 |--------0----------------------------|| |-------0-----------------------------|| |------1------------------------------|| |-----2-------------------------------|| |----2--------------------------------|| 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