J.S. Bach - Double Concerto for Two Violins BWV 1043 - Guitar Tab

The 99 Most Essential Bach Masterpieces

2009 3:45

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About Double Concerto for Two Violins BWV 1043

Bach's Double Concerto BWV 1043 was written for two solo violins, which means adapting it for guitar demands some creative thinking. The interweaving melodic lines that the two violins trade and share are the heart of the piece, and capturing even one of those voices cleanly on guitar is a rewarding challenge. Playing in D minor calls for careful attention to phrasing and tone: the lines need to sing rather than simply be picked through. Baroque articulation, short detached notes mixed with smooth legato phrases, is what gives this music its character, and that takes slow, deliberate practice to get right. Use the Practice Toolbar to isolate individual phrases, loop them slowed down, and focus on making each note speak clearly before bringing the tempo up. J.S. Bach wrote counterpoint that exposes any hesitation in your fretting hand, so clean left-hand fingering is where most of the real work lives. This is firmly in Classical guitar territory, where tone production and phrasing matter as much as accuracy.

• Arranging either solo violin part for guitar in D minor requires careful fingering choices, as the melodic lines frequently cross string boundaries in awkward positions.
• Baroque articulation, a mix of detached and legato phrasing, is essential to the style and should be worked out slowly before playing at full tempo.
• Use the Practice Toolbar to loop and slow down the contrapuntal passages, where two independent melodic lines must each remain clear and balanced.