E-|---Song:-Air-on-the-G-string--------------------|
A-|---Author:-JSBach-------------------------------|
D-|---Transcription-by:Christian Liang-------------|
G-|---E-Mail:christian.liang@gmail.com-------------|
B-|---http://www.chrisliang.com--------------------|
E-|---Enjoy!---------------------------------------|
Air on the G-string (from orchestral suite no.3) by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Adagio
Part A
[1]
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
| | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
E|-0==============-0==============-0==============-0============-|
B|-1==============-1==============-1==============-1============-|
G|-0==============-0==============-2==============-2============-|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-3-------3-------2-------2-------0-------0---------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------3-------3-----|
R 1 3 1 2 1 1 4
3 2 3 3
4
L a p a p a p a p
m m m m
i i i i
p p p p
[2]
II............. trill
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
E|-0=======5---1-------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------3---1---0---1---1p0h1p0-----------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------0---2---0-------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------3-------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-1-------1-------2-------2-------3-------3---------------1-----|
R 1 4 1 4 1 2 1 1 1 3 2 4 1
1 2 3
L a a a m m m m m i i m p
p p p p p p i
[3]
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
E|-3======================3-----------0-------------------3---1--|
B|-------------------------------------------------3---2---------|
G|---------3---2---3-----------3---2-------3---2----------2------|
D|---------2-------0------0--------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------4-------4-------0-------------|
E|-0-------------------------------------------------------------|
R 4 3 2 3 4 3 1 2 1 2 1 4 1
1 3 3 2
L a i i i a i i a i i m m a a
p p p p p p p p
[4]
I...........
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
E|-1=================-0---1-------------------------------1---0--|
B|---------3---1--3------------3-------3-----------1---0---------|
G|---------------------------------0-------2--0-----------0------|
D|-0-------------------------------------------------------------|
A|----------------3----------------2-----------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------3-------------|
R 1 4 1 4 1 4 2 4 3 1 1
3 3
L a m m m a a m i m i i m m a a
p p p p p
[5]
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
E|-0-----------------------2---3---------------0---0-------------|
B|---------1-------0---------------1-------1-3---------3---3---1-|
G|-------------------------0---------------2---------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------4-------0-----|
A|-3-----------------------2-------0-----------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------|
R 3 1 2 3 1 1 4 3 2 2 1
1 2
L a m m a a m m m a p m m m
p i p i p
p
[6]
Ending 1
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
E|---------------------------------------------------------------||
B|-0---------0-1---1-------0-------------------------------------||
G|-----2---2-------------------2---0----------------------------*||
D|-----------------0-------0-----------------------0---3---2---0*||
A|---------3---------------------------0---2---3-----------------||
E|-3-------------------------------3-----------------------------||
R 3 2 2 1 1 2 3 1 3 1 3
3
L m i i m m m m i i p p p p p p
p p p p p
[7] Ending 2
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
E|---------------------------------3=============================|
B|-0---------0-1-----------0-------------------------------------|
G|-----2---2-------------------2---0=============================|
D|-------------0---0-------0-------------------------------------|
A|---------3-----------------------------------------------------|
E|-3-------------------------------3=============================|
R 3 2 2 1 2 3
3
L m i i i m p m i i
p p p p p
Part B
[8] II
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
E|---------------------------------3-----------------------------|
B|-0================---1-0---0-----------------------------------|
G|---------0---------------2---0-------2---3========---2---3-----|
D|-----------------3-------------------------------0---2---0-----|
A|-----------------------------------------4---------------------|
E|-3-----------------------1-------0-----------------------------|
R 3 4 1 2 4 1 2 1 2
1 3 1
L m i p m m i m i a i m i m m
p p p p i i
[9]
II
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
E|---------5-----------3---1---0---1================-0-----------|
B|-----------------------------------------3-----------3-1-0-----|
G|-2-------0---------------------------------------------------2-|
D|-2---3-------2-------------------0-----------------------------|
A|-4---------------4-------0-----------------------3-------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------|
R 1 2 4 1 3 2 1 1 4 3 4 1 2
1
3
L m i m p p a m m m i p a m m m i
i p p p
p
[10] (chordy section + counter point)
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
E|-------------------------------------0---1========-------0-----|
B|---------0========---1---3========-------0---------------0-----|
G|-1---2---------------------------------------2---1---2---------|
D|---------0---2---3---2---3---0---2-----------------------------|
A|-2-------2-------0-------0---------------0-------2-------------|
E|---------------------------------4-----------------------4-----|
R 1 3 2 3 3 1 4 1 1 3 1 3 4
2 2 3 3 2
L i i m i i m m i i a a i i i a
p i p i i p m p m
p p p
[11]
I
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
E|---------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-3---1---0-------0---1-3-1---0---0-----------------------------|
G|-------------2-----------1---------------2-------0-------------|
D|-2-------3-------0---------------------------------------------|
A|-0-------------------------------0-----------------------------|
E|-------------------------0-------------------------------3-----|
[ Tab from: http://www.guitaretab.com/j/johann-sebastian-bach/225775.html ]
R 4 1 3 2 1 4 1 2 3
2 1
L m m m i m m m m m m i i p
i p p i p
p p
[12]
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
E|---------------------0-----------5-----------------------3---2-|
B|-1================-------3-------------------------------------|
G|-2---------------------------5-----------------------0---------|
D|---------4-------2---------------4-------0---2---4-------------|
A|---------------------------------5---------------3-------3-----|
E|-2------(2)-----(0)-------0------------------------------------|
R 1 4 2 1 3 4 1 3 4 2
3 1 2 3
2 2
L a i i a m i m i i i m a a
m p p p i p p
p p
[13]
trill
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
E|-0---3---------------------------------------------------------|
B|---3-------------------------0-1-0h1p0-------------------------|
G|-0-------0-------2-----------------------0---2---0-------------|
D|-------------------------0-----------------------3-------------|
A|-2-------2-------3---------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------3-------3---------------1-----|
R 1 3 4 1 2 1 3 1 3 2 4 1
3
L a m a i i i m m m m i m p
i p p p p i
P
[14] II......................
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
E|-------------------------0-------------------------------1---0-|
B|-1-------------------0---1---3---3-------------------2---3-----|
G|---------2---3---2---------------5-------4---2---4-------------|
D|---------2-------3-----------------------4-------5-------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-0-----------------------1-------2-----------------------3-----|
R 1 3 4 2 2 4 2 4 1 3 1 1
2 3 1 4 3 4 4
1 1
L a m m m a a m m m m m a a a
p i i m i i i m
p p p
[15]
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
E|-0-----------------------3---1---1-----------------------------|
B|-3-------2---0---2---3---2-------3---2---3-------3-------------|
G|---------1-------2---------------------------2-------2---------|
D|---------------------------------0-------0---------------3---0-|
A|-------------------------0-----------------------3-------3-----|
E|-4-------------------------------------------------------------|
R 2 2 3 4 3 1 1 3 4 2 4 2 4
3 1 2 2 4 3 3
L a m m m m a a a m m i m i i i
m i i m m p p p
p p p
[16]
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
E|-----------------------------1---1-------0========-------0--1-3|
B|---------------------0---3-----------3-------------------------|
G|-0================---------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-2-------2---------------2-------3-------3-------1-------1-----|
E|-----------------3---------------------------------------------|
R 2 2 3 4 1 1 4 3 1 1 2 3
2 3
L m p p m m a a m a p a a a
p p p p p
[17]
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
E|---------------------0---3---6---6-------5---------------------|
B|-1================---------------------------------------1-----|
G|-------------------------0---------------5---------------------|
D|---------3-------2---------------3---------------2-------2-----|
A|-0-------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------3-------------------------------0-------------|
R 1 4 2 1 4 4 4 2 1
3 1 3 2
L m p i a m m m i i m
p p p p p p i
[18]
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
E|---------1-----------------------------------0h1-1---0---------|
B|-0---3-----------------------------------3-------------------3-|
G|-------------------------2-------0---------------0-------2-----|
D|-0-------0---------------3---2---------------------------------|
A|-----------------3-------3-------2---------------3-------------|
E|-----------------------------------------3---------------1-----|
R 4 1 3 1 2 1 4 1 2 4
3 3 3 1
4
L m m a p m i m m a a a i m
p p i p p i p
p p
[19]
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
E|---------------------------------------------------------------||
B|-1p0---------0---1-------0---1---1============================-||
G|-0---2---------------------------0============================*||
D|-----------------3---2---3-------2============================*||
A|---------------------------------3============================-||
E|-3-------1-------3-------3-------------------------------------||
R 1 2 1 1 2 4 1 1
3 4 3 2
3 3
L m i p m m i m m a
i i i m
p p p i
p
Air on the G-string (from orchestral suite no.3)
bwv 1068 by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Technique
This tab is expanded to 2 measures per line-my widest tab yet-so you can get
into the nitty gitty. There's may be some scrolling if you are reading off the screen but
no squinting I promise! I have given a rhythmic indication of 16 notes per bar.
(1e+a,2e+a,3e+a,4e+a). Pay attention to it. This is your lifeline. Lose the rhythm,
and the song crumbles to piece-no pressure. Part B has some faster notes at
double speed at 32. Start slower than usual so when you get to the latter part,
you won't be playing catch up. "Air" has one of the most difficult closure I have come
across. Make sure you "see saw" your wrist.
The lingering notes
As this is song is an orchesta piece with violin accompaniment, the lingering notes play a
vital role. To make this song work, make sure you suspend the notes and above all play
slow.
The notes are always held to fill any gaps. I urge you to have a good listen to the midi to
fully grasp Air's subtleties. One thing you might notice is the first measure differs from
what I have notated in my tab. I feel that there's no way the guitar can suspend as
indefinitely as the violin so I opted for more chord suspensions. The midi version has a
melody but only half the chords are suspensed-which I felt is a weak. 24 bars in total but
since this song has repeats, there are really 18 unique measures to learn. This song has 2
parts and you play them in this order AAB.
Tips
It is a common mistake to play fast, dare to go slow. Part A is what most people will be most
familiar with. It is a walk in a park compared to Part B which is twice as long and a monster
at some parts. By the way, I prefer to pull/pluck strings in a chord rather than strum.
me
strumming is a cop out in this song. Since you use one finger to strum the notes in a
as
opposed to using the correct fingers to pluck each string. I will leave that up to you. Last
but not least, I suggest trying the second part out first before fully committing to
song.
I would hate to have someone learn "Air" for a month and quitting halfway thru. Bar[19] and
[20] is the hardest stretch, test drive that section first. Finally, there are some tricky
barre chords and it will help if your hands are big or if they can do yoga, to stretch! like
Bar[2] for example, give that a try. Good luck. Email me if you got questions.
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