Orchestral Suite BWV 1068, Air - JS Bach

Below is a transcription for guitar of one of Bach's most
beautiful compositions. This guitar arrangement was made using the
original score for string orchestra. The sustained sound of
violins in the orchestra is what gives this piece its unique and
instantly recognizable coloring; the main goal of the present guitar
transcription has been to preserve this sound. In particular, the
arrangment was done in C major (not in the original D major) to use the
open string voicings as much as possible. Also, all of the polyphony has
been preserved making the sound richer and, at the same time, making the
piece rather technically involved. The timing is 4/4. Enjoy!

[last updated 18 Sept 2002, measures 6,7 - weed@venus.co.uk]

                                AIR
                     from Orchestral Suite No. 3
                              BWV 1068                     

                                                             J. S. Bach
Transcribed for guitar by A. Melikidze


                                                              
E||---0-----0-----0-----0-----|--0--5------------------------|
B||---1-----1-----1-----1-----|--1----6-3---0-1-0------------|
G||*--0-----0-----2-----2-----|--2--------5-----0----2-0-----|
D||*--------------------------|-----3---4---0---0------0-----|
A||---3--3--2--2--0--0--------|---------5--------------------|
E||---------------------3--3--|--1----------2---3--3---1--1--|


                                                                   
--3---------3-----0---------3-1-|--1--------0-1---------------1-0-|
------------------------3-2-----|-----3-1-3-----3---3-----1-0-----|
-----3-2-3----3-2---3-2---------|--2--2---2-------0---2-0---------|
-----2---0--0---2---------------|--0--0-----------0---------------|
----------------4---4---0---0---|---------3---3---2---2-----------|
--0-----------------------------|-------------------------3---3---|

                                   _________________________________
                                  | 1                                     
--0--------2-3--------0---------|------------------------------------||
--1--------3---1----3-----3---1-|--0-----0-1----0--------------------||
--0--------0---0--5---0-2---2---|--0-2-2-----2----2-0---------------*||
---------------2--4---------0---|--0---2-----0--0---0-------0-3-2-0-*||
--3--3--2--2---0--0-------------|------3------------2-0-2-3----------||
------------------------2-------|--3------------2---3----------------||

  _________________________
 | 2                                                                  
----------------------------||---------------------3-------0-------|
--0-----0-1----0------------||---0-----0-1-0---0-------2-3---------|
--0-2-2-----2----2-0--------||*--0-----0-----2---0---2-3-----2-3---|
--0---2-----0--0---0--------||*--0-----0---------------2---0---5-3-|
------3------------2--------||---------------------------------5---|
--3------------2---3--------||---3--3--1-----1-----0---------------|


                                                                       
------5-----3-1-0-1-------0---------|--------------------0-1-------0--|
--------------2---3---------3-1-0---|------0-----1-3-------0-------0--|
--2---0-------2---2-----2---------2-|--1-2---------------5---2-1-2----|
--2-3-------------0--0--------------|------0-2-3-2-3-0-2---0----------|
--4-----7-4---0---------3-------3---|--2-3-2---0-----0-------3-2-3----|
----------0-------------------------|------------------4-----------4--|


                                                                 
--------------------------------|----------0-----5----------3-2-|
--3-1-0---0-1-3-1-0-------------|--1-----1---3-1-7--------------|
--2-----2-2-----1---2-----2-----|--2-----0---0------------0-----|
--2---0---0-----0---2-----2-----|--0-----2-4-2---0--0-2-4-------|
--0-----3-----------0--0--------|--0--------------------3---3---|
------1---------0---------3--3--|--2--2--0---0------------------|


                                                                     
--0---3----------------------------|-------------0--------------1-0-|
----3-----------0-1-0--------------|--1--------0-1-3-3--0---0-1-0---|
--0-----0--2--2-----0----2-0-------|--0--2-3-2---2---2----2-----0---|
-----------2--0-----0------0---0---|----------------------------0---|
--2-----2--3---------------2-3---2-|-----3--------------------------|
--------------2-----3--3---1---1---|--0--0---1---1---2--2---3---3---|


                                                                      
-------------3-1-1---------------|----------------1-1---0---0----1-3-|
--5--2-0-2-3-5---3-2-3-----------|------------0-3-----3-0-1-1--------|
--4----------6---2-----2---2-----|--0-----0-0---0---0-------0--------|
-----2-----------0-----------3---|--0---3---2---0--------------------|
---------0---0-----------3-----3-|--2-2-2-------2---3---3---1--1-----|
--4--4---------------------------|----------3------------------------|


                                                                  
----------0-3-6-5-----------|------1-----------------0-1-1-0-----|
--1-----1----------------1--|--0-3-3-----------3-1-3-----------3-|
--0-----0-------------------|------2---2-0-2---0---4-----0---2---|
--2--0--2-------------------|--0---0-3-3---3-2-0---5---------3---|
--0--0----------3-----------|----------3---3---2---------3-------|
--------3---3---1--1--0--0--|----------------------3---------1---|


                                       
-------------------------------------||
--1-0-----0----0-1-0-1-0-1-1---------||
--0---2-----5--------------0--------*||
--2---------3--0-----------2--------*||
---------------------------3---------||
--3-----1---3--3---------------------||