Bach Cello Prelude in G

Guy Cundell · Post by **Guy Cundell** » 23 May 2023 3:24 am

This came up on Rick Beato YouTube channel this morning and I thought I might have a look at it for A6.

https://www.youtube.com/live/83bNSK5u3Z ... hare&t=130

Turns out to be doable, and I thought some folks here might enjoy it. It is joyful at any tempo.

It needed to move to the key of A. This is an initial draft and I will probably trim some bars from page 3. Sacrilege, I know.

Here is a cello performance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwHpDOWhkGk

Miles Lang · Post by **Miles Lang** » 28 May 2023 9:07 am

Great work. Thanks!

David Knutson · Post by **David Knutson** » 29 May 2023 4:28 pm

Thank you, Guy. This will be fun. And I just happen to have my 8 string in G6, so I can play along with YoYo . . . . eventually.

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 30 May 2023 7:38 am

consider transposing it out of the bass clef to the treble clef.

Guy Cundell · Post by **Guy Cundell** » 30 May 2023 6:21 pm

Cheers, Miles. Of course David, no transposition needed for G6. Didn't think of that. I have come to think of A6 as tenor instrument compared to C6 which would be alto. I guess that makes G6 a baritone.

Here is a treble clef version, Bill. Transposed up an octave, of course.

Guy Cundell · Post by **Guy Cundell** » 30 May 2023 6:25 pm

dots only, for the hard core.

David Matzenik · Post by **David Matzenik** » 31 May 2023 6:04 pm

This is a very thought provoking project. Great work, Guy. I enjoyed Rick Beato's video, even if his guitar tone was dreadful.

Guy Cundell · Post by **Guy Cundell** » 3 Jun 2023 10:31 pm

Cheers, Dave. Here is another draft with a few tab revisions, some harmony indications, and an abridgment towards the end.

Gene Tani · Post by **Gene Tani** » 5 Jun 2023 9:56 pm

This is wonderful, thanks. the cello suites are popular with mandolinists also: https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/cont ... lon-Sariel

I think part of Bach's solo appeal is the rubato timing and making it yours.. I only play piano every few months and only one piece, 2nd prelude from Well Tempered Clavier, so i play the treble clef bit from that on different instruments, guitar, clarinet, cello, etc. I tried on c6 lap steel once and it didn't go well.. I'll have to try this.

Is teh original in tenor clef? I have a little trouble with that.

Ricky Newman · Post by **Ricky Newman** » 10 Jun 2023 6:03 am

This is seriously impressive, Guy! I tried to arrange it for C6th a few years ago, but never made it sound good. I just pulled out my notes, which sort of peter out around bar 24. Your arrangement is much more playable. Thanks!

Guy Cundell · Post by **Guy Cundell** » 10 Jun 2023 7:02 pm

Cheers, Gene. The original, as discovered by a 13 year old Pablo Casals in a music shop in 1890, was in bass clef. (see below)

Ricky, I think the trick was to find the right key for the tuning. The original, in G, makes solid use of the cello's open strings, C G D & A. Obviously, A6 doesn't have the same lower range but I went for the same effect as much as possible. The octave displacement of the lowest notes is a compromise but it seems to work OK.

With the same mindset, I did this arrangement for the uke in C that seems to be satisfactory.

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