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Richard Yates' Classical Guitar Transcriptions |
MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus
(1756-1791)
Rondo, K. 361 transcribed for guitar duo
Ricardo
from Brazil requested a transcription from the famous Serenade in B flat for 13
Winds. The reduction from 13 parts to two guitars required solving some puzzles
but the result preserves all of the essential melody and harmony. Aside from the brisk tempo there are no
formidable technical obstacles. The MIDI files have the two parts separated
into left and right stereo channels. To play along with one part just set the
balance control all the way to one side.
Score Full
Score (five pages)
Guitar1
- Guitar One part (three pages)
Guitar2
- Guitar Two part (three pages)
MIDI99
Full score sound file. MM = 99
MIDI80
Full score sound file. MM = 80
MIDI60
Full score sound file. MM = 60
BACH, Johann Sebastian
(1685-1750)
Contrapunctus 1 Art of the Fugue
transcribed for guitar quartet
This
is a straightforward transcription that assigns single lines to each guitar.
The tempo is moderate and the only difficulty is playing in high positions on
the guitar 1 part. Full score, part scores, and practice MIDI files are
included in the package.
Zipped
files to download
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 arranged
for guitar quartet
The
original instrumentation for this large work included three violins, three
violas, three violoncellos and continuo. There were considerable obstacles to
arranging this for four guitars not so much in reducing the pitch range or
texture, but in trying to address the ways that Bach so artfully arranged the
interplay of the different instrument sections. While much of that structure is
apparently lost in a superficial look at the guitar scores, in performance the
sections can be resurrected through the technique of the players. There is one
zipped file to download that contains full scores for each of the movements,
part scores for the first and third movements, and MIDI files that omit in turn
each of the parts. These last files can thus be used for individual practice,
or simply for those guitarists without three other players to play by
themselves. These are recorded at relatively slow tempos compared to the usual
performance standard.
Zipped files
to download
POLAK, Jakub
(1545-1605)
Bransle
de Saint Nicholas, originally for
two lutes (?)
Score - Guitar One and Two
MIDI Full score sound file
MIDI Guitar One sound file
MIDI Guitar Two sound file
BACH, Johann Sebastian
(1685-1750)
Sarabande, from the French Suite #1, by J.S. Bach.
Score - Guitar One and Two
MIDI Full score sound file, tempo=65
MIDI Guitar One sound file, tempo=55
MIDI Guitar One sound file, tempo=65
MIDI Guitar Two sound file, tempo=55
MIDI Guitar Two sound file, tempo=65
Prelude
XI, from The Well Tempered Clavier,
Book 1, by J.S. Bach.
MIDI Full score sound file, tempo=65
Guitar One score.
MIDI Guitar One sound file, tempo=45
MIDI Guitar One sound file, tempo=55
MIDI Guitar One sound file, tempo=65
Guitar Two score.
MIDI Guitar Two sound file, tempo=45
MIDI Guitar Two sound file, tempo=55
MIDI Guitar Two sound file, tempo=65
This duet was
requested by a visitor. Its range fits the guitar well, and the texture is
never so thick that it interferes with the lively spirit of this fugue. I have
included MIDI files of each part at various tempos to use for practice or if
you do not have a duet partner.
Little
Fugue in G Minor, BWV. 578, by J.S.
Bach.
MIDI Full score sound file, tempo=90
Guitar One score.
MIDI Guitar One sound file, tempo=60
MIDI Guitar One sound file, tempo=75
MIDI Guitar One sound file, tempo=90
Guitar Two score.
MIDI Guitar Two sound file, tempo=60
MIDI Guitar Two sound file, tempo=75
MIDI Guitar Two sound file, tempo=90
This is a
masterpiece of High Baroque choral counterpoint. In this trio each guitar plays
two vocal lines from the original score. It could be played by three to six
guitars by dividing the parts according to the players' abilities. Each part is
three pages long.
Confiteor, from the Mass in B Minor by J.S. Bach
MIDI Full score sound file
Guitar One score.
Guitar Two score.
Guitar Three score.
Here is another
Bach duet. The piece is a pastorale from the Mass in B Minor. The original
instruments are: two oboes, bass voice and continuo. Each part is three pages.
Et
in Spiritum by J.S. Bach.
MIDI Full score sound file, tempo=80
Guitar One score.
MIDI Guitar One sound file, tempo=60
MIDI Guitar One sound file, tempo=70
MIDI Guitar One sound file, tempo=80
Guitar Two score.
MIDI Guitar Two sound file, tempo=60
MIDI Guitar Two sound file, tempo=70
MIDI Guitar Two sound file, tempo=80
Bach duets have
proven to be very popular here. The following prelude will produce some
kaleidoscopic effects when played at tempo.
Prelude
XV from The Well Tempered Clavier -
Book 2 by J.S. Bach.
MIDI Full score sound file, tempo=110
Guitar One score.
MIDI Guitar One sound file, tempo=80
MIDI Guitar One sound file, tempo=90
MIDI Guitar One sound file, tempo=100
Guitar Two score.
MIDI Guitar Two sound file, tempo=80
MIDI Guitar Two sound file, tempo=90
MIDI Guitar Two sound file, tempo=100
I have long pursued
the following piece as a solo but never found a solution that I could play. Recently,
visitors' requests for more duets and the responses that I have received for
the ones already available here prompted me to look at it again. Even as a duet
it is a formidable challenge to play at a brisk tempo, but it is Bach at his
best - a glorious and exuberant explosion. Listen to the MIDI file of the full
score before deciding whether to download the score as it is quite long - five
pages for each part.
Presto - The Italian Concerto, third movement by J.S. Bach
MIDI Full score sound file, tempo=90
Guitar One score.
MIDI Guitar One sound file, tempo=70
MIDI Guitar One sound file, tempo=80
MIDI Guitar One sound file, tempo=90
Guitar Two score.
MIDI Guitar Two sound file, tempo=70
MIDI Guitar Two sound file, tempo=80
MIDI Guitar Two sound file, tempo=90
A guitar duo from
Salt Lake City asked about other duet transcriptions. Going through old
handwritten scores of mine, I ran across a few pieces by J.S. Bach that I had
done but never been able to play with someone else. I have dusted them off and
am now offering them here for you to try. These are not too difficult and
include no fingerings. In the Fugue one part is pitched quite high in a couple
places, but the tempo is slow enough that it is not hard to play. If you have a
chance to play these pieces with a partner please let me know how they sound.
The first two are from Bach's collection of 45 Organ Chorales. The third is a
fugue from the second book of The Well Tempered Clavier.
Jesus
Christus, Unser Heiland by J.S. Bach
Full Score
MIDI sound file of the full score.
MIDI sound file of Guitar One.
MIDI sound file of Guitar Two.
Alle
Menschen Mussen Sterben by J.S. Bach
Full Score
MIDI sound file of the full score.
MIDI sound file of Guitar One.
MIDI sound file of Guitar Two.
Fugue
V by J.S. Bach
Guitar One score
Guitar Two score
MIDI sound file of the full score.
MIDI sound file of Guitar One.
MIDI sound file of Guitar Two.
Another visitor
asked for the fugue that follows the Bach Prelude in the Well Tempered Clavier.
Like the Pachelbel Canon this is too ambitious for a solo but is possible as a
duet. As with the Canon I have arranged the fugue for two guitars, but without
fingerings. Three MIDI sound files of each part are included, each with a
different tempo.
Fugue
XIII from The Well Tempered Clavier
- Book 1 by J.S. Bach:
Guitars
1 and 2 musical score.
MIDI1-40 40 quarter notes per minute.
MIDI1-50 50 quarter notes per minute.
MIDI1-60 60 quarter notes per minute.
MIDI2-40 40 quarter notes per minute.
MIDI2-50 50 quarter notes per minute.
MIDI2-60 60 quarter notes per minute.
BYRD, William
(1542-1623)
A guitar trio from
Melbourne Australia asked about trios. I had none but found a six part vocal piece
by William Byrd that seemed to fit three guitars well. The MIDI file will not
give much sense of the spatial distribution of the counterpoint. It should be
fun and easy to play. Each part is one page long.
Sing
Joyfully, by William Byrd
MIDI Full score sound file
Guitar
One score.
Guitar Two score.
Guitar Three score.
Much of the music
that visitors have asked for has been too difficult to play as a solo, but
sometimes works surprisingly well as a duet. Lord Willobies Welcome Home by
William Byrd is a rousing work originally for keyboard.
Lord
Willobies Welcome Home by William
Byrd.
MIDI Full score sound file, tempo=80
Guitar One score.
MIDI Guitar One sound file, tempo=70
MIDI Guitar One sound file, tempo=80
Guitar Two score.
MIDI Guitar Two sound file, tempo=70
MIDI Guitar Two sound file, tempo=80
PACHELBEL, Johann
(1653-1706)
There have been a
couple requests for a solo version of the famous Canon in D by Johann
Pachelbel. Unfortunately, this cannot be transcribed for solo guitar without
seriously harming the basic structure of the music. However, it is possible as
a duet. You will see that the music includes no fingerings, although I have
adjusted the distribution of the voices so that both parts are quite playable
and, I think you will find, quite enjoyable. Think of this music not as a fully
developed performance score, but as an exercise in sight-reading. For those
that have no one to play the other part I have included MIDI sound files of
each part. These are in three versions, each with a different tempo.
Canon
in D Major by Johann Pachelbel:
Guitar One musical score.
MIDI1-35 35 quarter notes per minute.
MIDI1-45 45 quarter notes per minute.
MIDI1-55 55 quarter notes per minute (close to the
tempo of the original).
Guitar Two musical score.
MIDI2-35 35 quarter notes per minute.
MIDI2-45 45 quarter notes per minute.
MIDI2-55 55 quarter notes per minute (close to the
tempo of the original).
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