E-|---Prelude No 1 in C----------------------------|
A-|---Author:-JSBach-------------------------------|
D-|---Transcription-by:Christian Liang-------------|
G-|---E-Mail:christian.liang@gmail.com-------------|
B-|---http://www.chrisliang.com--------------------|
E-|---Enjoy!---------------------------------------|
BWV 846 - Prelude No 1 in C - Well Tempered Clavier Book I
I have included the left (LH) and right (RH) hand fingering.
p = pulgar = thumb
i = indice = index
m = medio = middle
a = anular = ring
[1]
e|---------0-----0-|---------1-----1-|---------1-----1-|
B|-------1-----1---|-------3-----3---|-------3-----3---|
G|-----0-----0-----|-----2-----2-----|-----0-----0-----|
D|---2-------------|---0-------------|---0-------------|
A|-3---------------|-3---------------|-2---------------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
LH 3 2 1 1 3 2 4 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 4 1
RH p p i m a i m a p p i m a i m a p p i m a i m a
[4] * II
e|---------0-----0-|---------4-----4-|-----------------|
B|-------1-----1---|-------4-----4---|---------3-----3-|
G|-----0-----0-----|-----2-----2-----|-------2-----2---|
D|---2-------------|---2-------------|---0^4-----4-----|
A|-3---------------|-3---------------|-3---------------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
LH 3 2 1 1 2 1 1 4 4 1 4 4 2 4 1 3 4 1 3
RH p p i m a i m a p p i m a i m a p i m a i m a
[7]
e|---------3-----3-|-----------------|-----------------|
B|-------3-----3---|---------1-----1-|---------1-----1-|
G|-----0-----0-----|-------0-----0---|-------0-----0---|
D|---0-------------|-----2-----2-----|-----2-----2-----|
A|-2---------------|-2^3-------------|-0^3-------------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
LH 1 3 4 3 4 2h3 2 1 2 1 3 2 1 2 1
RH p p i m a i m a p i m a i m a p i m a i m a
[10]
e|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B|---------1-----1-|---------0-----0-|---------2-----2-|
G|-------2-----2---|-------0-----0---|-------0-----0---|
D|-----0-----0-----|-----0-----0-----|-----2-----2-----|
A|---0-------------|---2-------------|---1-------------|
E|-2---------------|-3---------------|-3---------------|
LH 2 3 1 3 1 4 3 4 1 3 2 3 2
RH p p i m a i m a p p i m a i m a p p i m a i m a
[13]
e|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B|---------3-----3-|---------0-----0-|---------1-----1-|
G|-------2-----2---|-------0-----0---|-------0-----0---|
D|-----0-----0-----|---0^3-----3-----|-----2-----2-----|
A|---0-------------|-----------------|---3-------------|
E|-1---------------|-1---------------|-0---------------|
LH 1 3 4 3 4 1 3 3 3 2 1 2 1
RH p p i m a i m a p i m a i m a p p i m a i m a
[16]
e|---------1-----1-|---------1-----1-|---------1-----1-|
B|-------1-----1---|-------1-----1---|-------0-----0---|
G|-----2-----2-----|-----2-----2-----|-----0-----0-----|
D|-2^3-------------|-0^3-------------|---0-------------|
A|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-3---------------|
LH 2^3 2 1 1 3 2 1 1 2 1 1 3 1 1
RH p i m a i m a p i m a i m a p p i m a i m a
[19]
e|---------0-----0-|---------0-----0-|---------0-----0-|
B|-------1-----1---|-------1-----1---|-------1-----1---|
G|-----0-----0-----|---0^3-----3-----|-----2-----2-----|
D|---2-------------|-----------------|---3-------------|
A|-3---------------|-3---------------|-----------------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-1---------------|
LH 3 2 1 1 3 4 1 4 1 1 4 3 2 3 2
RH p p i m a i m a p i m a i m a p p i m a i m a
[22]II III III
e|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B|---------4-----4-|---------3-----3-|---------3-----3-|
G|-------2-----2---|-------5-----5---|-------4-----4---|
D|-----4-----4-----|-----3-----3-----|---3^5-----5-----|
A|---3-------------|---5-------------|-----------------|
E|-2---------------|-3---------------|-3---------------|
LH 1 2 3 2 4 3 2 4 1 3 1 4 1 1 4 1 1 1 3 2 1 3 2 1
RH p p i m a i m a p p i m a i m a p i m a i m a
[25] **
e|---------0-----0-|---------1-----1-|---------1-----1-|
B|-------1-----1---|-------1-----1---|-------0-----0---|
G|-----0-----0-----|-----0-----0-----|-----0-----0-----|
D|---2-------------|---0-------------|---0-------------|
A|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E|-3---------------|-3---------------|-3---------------|
LH 3 2 1 1 3 1 1 1 1 4 2 2
RH p p i m a i m a p p i m a i m a p p i m a i m a
[28]I
e|---------2-----2-|---------3-----3-|---------1-----1-|
B|-------1-----1---|-------1-----1---|-------1-----1---|
G|-----2-----2-----|-----0-----0-----|-----0-----0-----|
D|---1-------------|---2-------------|---0-------------|
A|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E|-3---------------|-3---------------|-3---------------|
LH 4 1 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 2 1 4 1 4 3 1 1 1 1
RH p p i m a i m a p p i m a i m a p i m a i m a
[31] III I
e|---------1-----1-|----------------------------1------|
B|-------0-----0---|---------5-----5----------1---1---1|
G|-----0-----0-----|-------3-----3----------2-------2--|
D|---0-------------|-----5-----5----------3------------|
A|-----------------|-3-3--------------3-3--------------|
E|-3---------------|-----------------------------------|
LH 3 1 1 1 1 3 1 4 3 1 4 3 3 4 2 1 1 1 2 1
RH p p i m a i m a p p i m a i m a p p p i m a m i m
[33]
e|-------------------------1---------------------------|
B|---------------------0-3---3-0-3-0---0----------1----|
G|-2---2-------------0---------------0------------0----|
D|---3---3-0-3-0-------------------------0-3-2-0--2----|
A|---------------3-2------------------------------3----|
E|-----------------------------------------------------|
LH 2 4 3 4 4 3 2 4 1 4 4 3 2
RH i p i p p p p p p i m m a m m i m i m p p p p
WWW.CHRISLIANG.COM
"Prelude #1 was originally written as an exercise for Bach's
students and is probably one of the most famous preludes from
"The Well-Tempered Clavier". In this exercise you can explore
more on the plucking pattern "ppimaima" and how to make your
guitar flow.
Technique:
For the Right hand, it is pretty straight forward "ppimaima"
going at a constantly speed. ppimaima consists of 8 successive
notes plucked from the fingers. You cannot play this song with
a pick no matter how awesome you are. For the Left hand,
it takes some practise. Since this is a piano piece, it
translates onto the guitar fairly kindly except for 2
monster chords I have marked in asterisk. Make absolutely
sure you suspend the first 2 bass notes at all times.
Tip:
Prelude consists of a series of arpeggio's. You now know
arpeggios and patterns like "ppimaima" go together. Explore
further by playing any chords you like with appreggios.
--------------------------------------
Difficult Areas for the Left Hand
--------------------------------------
*
II
e|---------4-----4-|
B|-------4-----4---|
G|-----2-----2-----|
D|---2-------------|
A|-3---------------|
E|-----------------|
Take note of the pinky. It bars the last
2 treble strings.
--------------------------------------
**
e|---------1-----1-|---------2-----2-|
B|-------0-----0---|-------1-----1---|
G|-----0-----0-----|-----2-----2-----|
D|---0-------------|---1-------------|
A|-----------------|-----------------|
E|-3---------------|-3---------------|
LH 4 2 2 4 1 3 1 2 3 1 2
RH p p i m a i m a p p i m a i m a
The first bar seems awkward but it sets up
for the 2nd difficult bar nicely.
Artist: Johann Sebastian Bach
Click to get the code!