TAB: Prelude for Cello Suite No. 1


Key = D major (the original Cello Suite is G major) 
Tuning = Drop D (D A D G B E) 
Time = 4/4 
 
Arrangement by Chief Noda (May 2000)
http://chiefnoda.com/tab/cello.html
cnoda @ comcast . net
 


1  |       |       |       |       2  |       |       |       | 
-------2p0-2---2-------2p0-2---2---|------3p2-3---3-------3p2-3---3---| 
-----------------------------------|----0-------0---0---0-------0---0-| 
-----2-------2---2---2-------2---2-|----------------------------------| 
---0-------------------------------|--0-------------------------------| 
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 
-------------------0---------------|------------------0---------------| 
 


3  |       |       |       |       4  |       |       |       | 
-------3p2-3---3-------3p2-3---3---|------2p0-2---2-------2p0-2---2---| 
-----2-------2---2---2-------2---2-|----3-------3---3---3-------3---2-| 
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 
---0-------------------------------|--0-------------------------------| 
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 
-------------------0---------------|------------------0---------------| 
 


5  |       |       |       |       6  |       |       |       | 
-------2-0-2-----------------------|------0---0---0-------0---0---0---| 
-----0-------3-2-3---3-2-3---------|----------------------------------| 
-------------------4---------------|----7---7---7---7---7---7---7---7-| 
---0-----------------------4-7-6-4s|--6-------------------------------| 
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 
-----------------------------------|------------------6---------------| 
 


                                      barre 2 
7  |       |       |       |       8  |       |       |       | 
-----0-5-4-5p0---0---0---0---------|----------------------------------| 
---2-----------3---2---3-----2p0---|------3p2-3---3-------3p2-3---3---| 
---------------------------2-----2-|----------------------------------| 
-----------------------------------|----4-------4---4---4-------4---4-| 
---0-------------------------------|--2---------------0---------------| 
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 
 


9  |       |       |       |       10 |       |       |       | 
-------------------------5-4p2-0---|--------5---5---0-------0---------| 
---------0---------3p2-0---------3-|--2p0-----5---2-------2---3p2-0---| 
-----1h2---2p1---------------------|------2-----------2h4-----------2-| 
---------------4-2-----------------|----------------------------------| 
---2-------------------------------|--0-------------------------------| 
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 
 


11 |       |       |       |       12 |       |       |       | 
-------------------2---------------|------0-2-3p0---------0-2-3p0-----| 
---4---1p0-1---4-------1p0-1---4---|----0---------0-----0---------2-0-| 
-----2-------2---2---2-------2---2-|--0-------------2-0---------------| 
-----------------------------------|-(2)------------------------------| 
---0---------------0---------------|----------------------------------| 
-----------------------------------|------------------2---------------| 
 
                         

             barre 2 
13 |       |       |       |       14 |       |       |       | 
-----------0---0-----------0---0---|----------------------------------| 
-----2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2-|--3-2---3-2-3-5-2-3-2-------------| 
---3---3-----------3---3-----------|------4---------------4-2---------| 
-------------------4---------------|--------------------------5-4-2---| 
-----------------------------------|--2---------------2-------------5-| 
---4-------------------------------|----------------------------------| 
 


                                      half barre 4 
15 |       |       |       |       16 |       |       |       | 
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 
-------2---2---2-------2---2---2---|------5p4-5---5-------5p4-5---5---| 
-----5---5---5---5---5---5---5---5-|----4-------4---4---4-------4---4-| 
---4---------------4---------------|--5-------------------------------| 
-----------------------------------|------------------0---------------| 
 


17 |       |       |       |       18 |       |       |       | 
-----------------------------------|------3p2-3---3-------3p2-3---3---| 
-------0---0---0-------0---0---0---|----2-------2---2---2-------2---2-| 
-----0---2---0---0---0---2---0---0-|----------------------------------| 
---0-------------------------------|--0-------------------------------| 
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 
-------------------0---------------|------------------0---------------| 
 


19 |       |       |       |       20 |       |       |       | 
-------2p0-2-----------------------|----------------------------------| 
-----3-------3-2-0-----------------|------0-----0---------0-----0-----| 
-------------------2-0-------------|--------6-7---6-7-------6-7---6-7-| 
---0-------------------4-2-0-------|----------------------------------| 
-----------------------------4-2-0-|----7---------------7-------------| 
-----------------------------------|--6---------------6---------------| 
 


21 |       |       |       |       22 |       |       |       | 
-----------------------------------|----------0-4s5--//---------------| 
---------0-----0---------0-----0---|-----------------//-----------2-3-| 
-----------6-----6---------6-----6-|--------6-----6--//-------2-4-----| 
-------7-----7---------7-----7-----|------7----------//-2-4-5---------| 
-----7---------------7-------------|----7---------0--//---------------| 
---5---------------5---------------|--5--------------//---------------| 
 


23 |       |       |       |       24 |       |       |       | 
---0-----------0-2-3p0-----0-2-3-5-|--6-5-4-5-5-3-2-3-3p0-------------| 
-----2---0-2-3---------2-3---------|----------------------2p0---------| 
-------2---------------------------|--------------------------2-------| 
-----------------------------------|----------------------------2-4-5-| 
---0---------------0---------------|--0-------------------------------| 
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 
 


25 |       |       |       |       26 |       |       |       | 
-----------0-2-3-2-2---------------|------------0-2---4-1-0-1-1p0---0-| 
---------2-----------3-------------|----------3-----3-0-----------4---| 
-------2---------------2-0---------|--------2-------------------------| 
-----2---------------------4-0-2-4-|----0h4---------------------------| 
---0---------------0---------------|--0---------------0---------------| 
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 
 


27 |       |       |       |       28 |       |       |       | 
---0-----------------------0-4-5-4-|--5p0-------0---------------------| 
-----3-2-3-3-0---------0-3---------|------2p0-2-----2-----------------| 
---------------1-----1-------------|--------------2-----2-1-----------| 
-----------------4-2---------------|------------------2-----4-2-0-----| 
-----------------------------------|--0---------------------------4-2-| 
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 
 


29 |       |       |       |       30 |       |       |       | 
-------3-2-0---------3-2-0---------|----2-0-------------0-------------| 
-------------3-2-0---------3-2-0---|--------3-2-0---------3-2-0-------| 
-------------------2-------------2-|--0-----------2-0-----------2-0---| 
-----------------------------------|------------------4-------------4-| 
---0-------------------------------|----------------------------------| 
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 
                   *                  *               * 


 
31 |       |       |       |       32 |       |       |       | 
-------------0---0---0---0---0---0-|----0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0-| 
-----3-2-0-2-------0---2---3---0---|--2-------3---0---2-------3---0---| 
---------------2-------------------|------2---------------2-----------| 
---2-------------------------------|----------------------------------| 
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 
           p m p m p m p m p m p m....... similar 
 


33 |       |       |       |       34 |       |       |       | 
-----0---0---0---0---0---0---0-----|----0---0---0-------0---0---0---0-|   X=10 
---2-------------------------------|----------------------------------|   Y=11 
-------2---4---6---7---9---Y-------|--9---Y---Z-------Y---Z---B---Y---|   Z=12 
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------|   B=14 
-------------------------------0H--|--------------0H------------------| 
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 
   p m p m p m p m p m p m p m..... similar 
 
35 |       |       |       |       36 |       |       |       | 
-----0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0-|----0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0-| 
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 
---Z---Y---Z---9---Y---9---Y---7---|--9---7---9---6---7---6---7---4---| 
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 
 


37 |       |       |       |       38 |       |       |       | 
-----0-----------------------------|--------------5---6---7---8---9---| 
---------0-----------------5---6---|--7---8---9---7---8---9---X---Y---| 
---6-------5---6---7---8---6---7---|--8---9---X-----------------------| 
-------7---7---8---9---X-----------|----------------------------------| 
-------------0---0---0---0---0---0-|----0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0-| 
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 
 


   half barre 7 
39 |       |       |       |       40 |       |       |       | 
---X-------X---X---X-------X---X---|--X-------X---X---X-------X---X---| 
-----7---7---7---7---7---7---7---7-|----------------------------------| 
-----------------------------------|----9---9---9---9---9---9---9---9-| 
-------7---------------7-----------|------7---------------7-----------| 
---0---------------0---------------|--0---------------0---------------| 
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 
 


41 |       |       |       |       42 |       |       |       | 
---9-------9---9---9-------9---9---|----------X-----------------------|| 
-----8---8---8---8---8---8---8---8-|----------7-----------------------|| 
-----------------------------------|----------7-----------------------|| 
-------7---------------7-----------|----------7-----------------------|| 
---0---------------0---------------|----------0-----------------------|| 
-----------------------------------|--0-------------------------------|| 
 

Performance Notes: 
 
*  Throughout the piece, I added "P" and "h" (pull-off and hammer-on) 
but these are optional and I don't do follow them myself. Use them at 
your discretion :-) 
 
*  Measure 6 - I use index finger (LH) to fret 6th fet on 4th string 
as my finger slides up. Then, I use middle finger to fret 6th string. 
You may use LH thumb for that. 
 
*  Measure 17 - alternative fingering (which I use) is 
 
17 |       |       |       |       18 |       |       |       | 
-----------------------------------|------3p2-3---3-------3h2-3---3---| 
-----------------------------------|----2-------2---2---2-------2---2-| 
-------4-2-4---4-------4-2-4---4---|----------------------------------| 
-----5-------5---5---5-------5---5-|--0-------------------------------| 
---5-------------------------------|----------------------------------| 
-------------------0---------------|------------------0---------------| 
 
This allows nicer overlap of notes, but the fingering is cumbersome. 

*  Measure 22 - // means "slow down and pause for a moment"

*  Measures 29 and 30 - Sustain the notes marked with *. 
 
*  Measures 31 thru 36 - Use RH thumb and middle (or index) fingers