Must-Know Ukulele pieces: Gavotte 1 & 2 from J.S. Bach Cello suite No.6 BWV 1012
The six Cello Suites (BWV 1007-1012), are suites for unaccompanied cello by Johann Sebastian Bach.
They are some of the most frequently performed and recognizable solo compositions ever written for cello.
Bach most likely composed them during the period 1717–23, when he served as Kapellmeister in Köthen.
The Suite No. 6 in D major was composed specifically for a five-stringed violoncello piccolo, a smaller cello, roughly 7⁄8 normal cello size with a fifth upper string tuned to E, a perfect fifth above the otherwise top string.
(https://www.thespec.com/whatson-story/2216899-mini-cello-maximum-sound/)
The Gavottes is probably the most well known single movement of the suite: both gavottes are in D Major; the 1st is very chordal, the 2nd gavotte is musically much simpler.
My transcription
I first met the Gavotte from Cello suite 6 when i was a guitar student: in a Andres Segovia's VHS ("The Song of the Guitar"), i first heard this lovely piece, and was love at the first sight.
Currently is still one of my favorite pieces on the guitar ("the first piece you play when you're trying a new guitar"), and therefore it seemed natural make a transcription on ukulele.
As usual, i've transposed the piece (from Major to C Major) in order to take advantage from the free strings and the re-entrant G.
Downloads
- Free sheet music without tabs
- Full PDF with tabs