Johann Sebastian Bach - The well-tempered clavier - book 1 - no 1 prelude in c major bwv 846

Written by JS Bach in 1722, this piece has an etude-like character and is made up mostly of arpeggios. Nonetheless, its harmony is a corner stone of western music. This is a transcription from original sheet music in the original key of C. I had to tab out some notes an octave lower and tried to use the most sensible fingerings. Enjoy! 4/4 S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S e|------------------------------------------| B|------------------------------------------| G|-----------9-------9-----------9-------9--| D|--------10------10----------10------10----| A|---7-10------10--------7-10------10-------| E|-8-------------------8--------------------| S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S e|---------------------------------------|------------------------------------| B|---------------------------------------|---------6-----6---------6-----6----| G|--------7-10---7-10--------7-10---7-10-|-------7-----7---------7-----7------| D|------7------7-----------7------7------|-----5-----5---------5-----5--------| A|---------------------------------------|---5---------------5----------------| E|-8-10---------------8-10---------------|-7---------------7------------------| S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S e|-----------------------------------------| B|-----------------------------------------| G|-----------9-------9-----------9-------9-| D|--------10------10----------10------10---| A|---7-10------10--------7-10------10------| E|-8-------------------8-------------------| S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S e|-------------------------------------|--------------------------------------| B|---------10-----10---------10-----10-|--------------------------------------| G|-------9------9----------9------9----|----------7-----7----------7-----7----| D|-----7------7----------7------7------|--------7-----7----------7-----7------| A|---7-----------------7---------------|------9-----9----------9-----9--------| E|-8-----------------8-----------------|-8-10-------------8-10----------------| S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S e|---------------------------------|---------------------------------| B|---------8-----8---------8-----8-|---------------------------------| G|-------7-----7---------7-----7---|---------5-----5---------5-----5-| D|-----5-----5---------5-----5-----|-------5-----5---------5-----5---| A|---5---------------5-------------|-----7-----7---------7-----7-----| E|-7---------------7---------------|-7-8-------------7-8-------------| S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S e|------------------------------------| B|------------------------------------| G|---------5-----5---------5-----5----| D|-------5-----5---------5-----5------| A|-----7-----7---------7-----7--------| E|-5-8-------------5-8----------------| S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S e|---------------------------------| B|---------------------------------| G|---------5-----5---------5-----5-| D|-------4-----4---------4-----4---| A|-5-0-5-----5-----5-0-5-----5-----| E|---------------------------------| S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S e|---------------------------------|---------------------------------| B|---------------------------------|---------2-----2---------2-----2-| G|---------4-----4---------4-----4-|---------------------------------| D|-------5-----5---------5-----5---|-----2-5---2-5-------2-5---2-5---| A|---2-5-----5-------2-5-----5-----|---------------------------------| E|-3---------------3---------------|-3-6-------------3-6-------------| S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S e|---------------------------------| B|---------------------------------| G|---------7-----7---------7-----7-| D|-------7-----7---------7-----7---| A|---0-5-----5-------0-5-----5-----| E|-1---------------1---------------| S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S e|---------------------------------|---------------------------------| B|---------------------------------|---------------------------------| G|---------4-----4---------4-----4-|---------5-----5---------5-----5-| D|-----0-3---0-3-------0-3---0-3---|-------5-----5---------5-----5---| A|---------------------------------|-----3-----3---------3-----3-----| E|-1-4-------------1-4-------------|-0-3-------------0-3-------------| S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S e|---------------------------------| B|---------------------------------| G|---------------------------------| D|---------2-----2---------2-----2-| A|-----0-3---0-3-------0-3---0-3---| E|-0-1-------------0-1-------------| S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S e|---------------------------------|---------------------------------| B|---------------------------------|---------------------------------| G|---------------------------------|---------------------------------| D|-0-------2-----2-0-------2-----2-|---------3-----3---------3-----3-| A|-----0-3---0-3-------0-3---0-3---|---5---2-----2-----5---2-----2---| E|---1---------------1-------------|-3---3-----3-----3---3-----3-----| S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S e|---------------------------------| B|---------------------------------| G|---------------------------------| D|---------2-----2---------2-----2-| A|-3-----3-----3---3-----3-----3---| E|---0-3-----3-------0-3-----3-----| S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S e|---------------------------------|---------------------------------| B|---------------------------------|---------------------------------| G|---------------------------------|---------------------------------| D|---------2-----2---------2-----2-|-3-------2-----2-3-------2-----2-| A|-3---1-3---1-3---3---1-3---1-3---|-----0-3---0-3-------0-3---0-3---| E|---3---------------3-------------|---1---------------1-------------| S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S e|---------------------------------| B|---------------------------------| G|---------------------------------| D|---------------------------------| A|---3---3-6---3-6---3---3-6---3-6-| E|-2---5-----5-----2---5-----5-----| S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S e|---------------------------------|---------------------------------| B|---------------------------------|---------------------------------| G|---------------------------------|---------------------------------| D|---------------------------------|---------0-----0-2-------0-----0-| A|-----2-3-5-2-3-5-----2-3-5-2-3-5-|-------2-----2---------2-----2---| E|-4-1-------------4-1-------------|-3-1-3-----3-----3-1-3-----3-----| S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S e|---------------------------------| B|---------------------------------| G|---------------------------------| D|---------2-----2---------2-----2-| A|-------3-----3---------3-----3---| E|-3-0-3-----3-----3-0-3-----3-----| S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S e|---------------------------------|---------------------------------| B|---------------------------------|---------------------------------| G|---------------------------------|---------------------------------| D|---------2-----2---------2-----2-|---------2-----2---------2-----2-| A|---5---3-----3-----5---3-----3---|---5---2-----2-----5---2-----2---| E|-3---3-----3-----3---3-----3-----|-3---3-----3-----3---3-----3-----| S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S e|---------------------------------| B|---------------------------------| G|---------------------------------| D|---------4-----4---------4-----4-| A|---6---3-----3-----6---3-----3---| E|-3---5-----5-----3---5-----5-----| S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S e|---------------------------------|---------------------------------| B|---------------------------------|---------------------------------| G|---------------------------------|---------------------------------| D|---2-----5-----5---2-----5-----5-|---------3-----3---------3-----3-| A|-------3-----3---------3-----3---|---5---3-----3-----5---3-----3---| E|-3---3-----3-----3---3-----3-----|-3---3-----3-----3---3-----3-----| S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S e|---------------------------------| B|---------------------------------| G|---------------------------------| D|---------3-----3---------3-----3-| A|---5---2-----2-----5---2-----2---| E|-3---3-----3-----3---3-----3-----| S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S e|---------------------------------|---------------------------------| B|---------------------------------|---------------------------------| G|---------------------------------|---------------------------------| D|---------2-----2---------2-----2-|-----------3-------------3-0-3-0-| A|-3-3---1-----1---3-3---1-----1---|-3-3---0-3---3-0-3-0---0---------| E|-----3-----3---------3-----3-----|-----1---------------1-----------| S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S W e|---------------------------------|------*| B|-----------8---------------------|-1----*| G|-5-----4-7---7-4-7-4---4---------|-0----*| D|-----3---------------5---0-3-2-0-|-2----*| A|---3-----------------------------|-3----*| E|---------------------------------|------*| Legend