i'm learning "Prelude in D," by J.S Bach ... and i have a question. there are roman numerals that appear above each bar. nobody's really ever told me for sure, but my guess is that these stand for where on the fretboard your fingers should be "based"...
for example:
i play this like this.
-------3---------------------
-----5---5----5-------2----2-
---6-------6----6--3---------
-0----------------------5----
-----------------------------
-----------------------------
am i correct?
and one more .. i'm not sure, but my guess is that the "c" here is telling the reader to bar the position? - 1/2 meaning three strings barred, 5/6 meaning 5?
your help would be greatly appreciated....
Hi, vempyre,
This is a marvellous piece for guitar, and well worth the effort to play well.
The answers to your questions:
The Roman nummerals give you the position of the first finger of your fretting hand on the neck - so III means the first finger is at the 3rd fret.
1/2C means half barre - bar across the 1st 2nd and 3rd strings
C means full barre - bar across all six strings
Numbers by notes - use this finger (or the next few notes will be really difficult to play smoothly)
Numbers in circles - use this string
The 5/6 is a bit of wierdo, as those four notes are played on the 4th and 5th strings at the 7th fret and on the 3rd string at the 9th fret.
Best,
A :-)
"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
Wedding music and guitar lessons in Essex. Listen at: http://www.rollmopmusic.co.uk
thanks for your help. that clears quite a few things up ..
i thought it was figured bass lol.
Nah - figured bass is usually shown below the staff. Good guess, though :)
Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL
i think that piece is way way WAY too repetative, it has a tune of like a bar, repeated a few million times.
