Bach E Major Prelude (BWV 1006) Mandolin Fingerings

[Jake Howard]

Alright well this ended up being a bit of a project to edit but I think I am 98% happy with this fingering of this piece now I hope this video can shed some light on this piece and it’s intricacies up close. I could never find one solid video with fingerings that I liked for this piece and so I finally bit the bullet and made a video so that no one has to do the struggle of switching between 5 web browsers to watch 5 different videos of Chris Thile playing this (is this my generations version of having to put the needle back on the record player to repeat a part? I’d say having video and a mouse is *slightly* easier). Anyway, enjoy this marathon of a video!

[Joe Bartl]

A most enthusiastic thank you!

[Dean2]

I'll second that thanks! Especially since I learned I've been playing measures 47 and 48 wrong. I'll be starting a thread about double sharps in notation, because if I'd noticed that double sharp in the score, I'd still have been playing it wrong!

[DavidKOS]

I'll second that thanks! Especially since I learned I've been playing measures 47 and 48 wrong. I'll be starting a thread about double sharps in notation, because if I'd noticed that double sharp in the score, I'd still have been playing it wrong!

Things like double sharps and double flats, and E sharps and C flats, exist to make the music "spell" correctly in various key centers.

For example, F# major needs the note E sharp as a leading tone - not an F.

F# G# A# B C# D# E# F#.

Notice the A#, instead of the Bb.

Lots of fun!

[Dean2]

Jake, this was great. Thanks so much for putting all of the work in.

I found one spot (measure 83) where I immediately saw the folly of my ways and a couple of others that I'll practice and see how they go. I do have one alternative suggestion for you to try out. For beat 3 of measure 133, I play the two E notes on the 7th fret of the A string and let them ring. I think it gives it a nice drone effect.

Dean

[Jake Howard]

Jake, this was great. Thanks so much for putting all of the work in.

I found one spot (measure 83) where I immediately saw the folly of my ways and a couple of others that I'll practice and see how they go. I do have one alternative suggestion for you to try out. For beat 3 of measure 133, I play the two E notes on the 7th fret of the A string and let them ring. I think it gives it a nice drone effect.

Dean

Thanks for the kind remarks!

I’ll also add that my fingering might not make sense for everyone. For the type of phrasing I want to achieve in this piece I like this fingering. Some of the odd looking fingerings up the neck might not be what a violinist would do but as mandolin players we have some advantages over the violin (and plenty of disadvantages haha). This piece is always a workout…

And that’s cool, I’ll check that measure out.