Jesu, Joy Of Man`s Desiring by J.S. Bach, arranged by David Qualey
Of the many transcriptions and arrangements of JJMoD, this is by far my favorite. I first heard this rendition on the Windham Hill Winter Solstice album.
The principal characteristic of this piece is that it sounds as if it is played with a capo in the high frets. In fact, Mr. Qualey recorded the piece using an octave guitar, with nylon strings one octave high, in a drop D tuning.
I have recreated this piece on a conventional guitar in open A tuning (E A E A C E low to high), with a capo on the ninth fret. You`ll need some sort of cutaway acoustic to reach the upper frets. Without a cutaway, you could try to transpose the piece by moving the capo (I opted to tab absolute fret numbers, rather than frets relative to the capo .. you can use a text editor to change your TAB). However, there is a seven fret stretch in the piece which may not be feasible on the lower frets. Moreover, the higher pitch of this arrangement is key to its angelic atmosphere.
The original Qualey arrangement is available on CD from Guitar Solo in San Francisco ( 415-386-7660 as of Sep, 95). This, and other David Qualey arrangements may be found in his books Guitar Solo and/or Classical Fingerstyle POP Classics.
Jim Vence (jvence@vnet.ibm.com) September 25, 1995
E |--------------------------------|--------------------------------| C |-------------9------------------|--9-----------9-----------------| 1 A |-----------9-----------9--------|-----------9-----------9--------| E |--------13---------13-----------|--------13---------13-----------| A |-----13--------13---------------|----13----------13--------------| E |--9----------------------------9|--------------------------------|
E |--------------------------------|--------------------------------| C |--9----------9------------------|--9-----------9-----------------| 3 A |-----------9-----------9--------|-----------9-----------9--------| E |--------13---------13-----------|--------13---------13-----------| A |-----14--------14---------------|----14----------14--------------| E |--9----------------------------9|--------------------------------|
E |--------------------------------|--------------------------------| C |-------------9------------------|--9-----------9-----------------| 5 A |-----------9-----------9--------|-----------9-----------9--------| E |--------13---------13-----------|--------13---------13-----------| A |-----13--------13---------------|----13----------13--------------| E |--9----------------------------9|--------------------------------|
E |--------------11----------------|-11-----------11---13~~~~~------| C |-10------10---------------10----|----------12--------------------| 7 A |-------9---------------9--------|-------11-----------------------| E |----11-------------11-----------|-----9-----------9--------------| A |-11-----------------------------|--------------------------------| E |--------------------------------|--9-----------------------------|
E |--9-------9-------9------9------|--------------------------------| C |--------------------------------|--9---10----12 9----10----12---9| 9 A |------9-------9-------9------9--|--------------------------------| E |----9-------9-------9------9----|----9-------------9-------------| A |--9-------9---------------------|--------------------------------| E |-----------------13-----13------|-11------11------9-----9--------|
E |-11-----11-------11--13-----14--|------------------11---13-----9-| C |-----10------10-----------9-----|-10------10---------------------| 11 A |---9-------9-------9----9-------|-------9-------9----------------| E |--------------------------------|----11------11-------9------9---| A | 14-----14-------13-------------|-11------11---------------------| E |--------------------------------|-------------------9------9-----|
E |--9-------------------------11~~|~-----13---14-------------------| C |--------9------9---10---12------|--------------9----9---------9--| 13 A |------9-----9-------------------|----9-------------------9h11----| E |----9-----9------9--------------|----------------------9---------| A |--9-----9-----------------------|--------------------------------| E |--------------13-----13---------|-11-----11-------9--------------|
E |--------------------------------|--------------------------------| C |-10-------10-------10---12 10~~~~ 9 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~----------------| 15 A |-------9--------9---------------|--------------------------------| E |----11-------11-------9---------|--------------------------------| A |-11-------11--------------------|--------------------------------| E |--------------------9-----------|--------------------------------|
Melody
E |--------------------9-----------|------11---9-----9---14---13----| C |--9------------------------10---|-10----------10-----------------| 17 A |--------9-----9-----------------|----9----9---------9----9----9--| E |-----9-----11-----9------9------|--------------------------------| A |--9------9-----13-----13--------|-14-------------13--------------| E |--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
E |-14----9------------------------|--------------11--9-------------| C |-----------9--------------9-----|--10-----12---------------10 9--| 19 A |--------------9--------11---9---|------9-----------------9------9| E |-----9--------------9---------9-|----------------------9---------| A |--9------9------13--------------|--11-------11------13-----------| E |--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
E |--------------------------------|--------------------------------| C |------9-------------------------|---------------10-------9------9| 21 A |11--------9----------9---11-----|------------11--------------11--| E |----9-------13---------------9--|------13-------------9----------| A |-----------------11-------------|---11---------------------------| E |-9-----9-------9-------9--------|-9--------9--------9-------9----|
E |--------------------9-----------|------11---9-----9---14---13----| C |---------------------------10---|-10----------10-----------------| 23 A |--------9-----9-----------------|----9----9---------9----9----9--| E |-----9-----11-----9------9------|--------------------------------| A |--9------9-----13-----13--------|-14-------------13--------------| E |--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
E |-14----9------------------------|--------------------------------| C |-----------9--------------9-----|------12---10 9--------------9--| 25 A |--------------9--------11---9---|-11-------------------11 9-----| E |-----9--------------9---------9-|----9--------------9------------| A |--9------9------13--------------|-------------------------------9| E |--------------------------------|--9-----9-------9-------9-------|
(repeat measures 17-26)
E |-------------------------11--11-|-------13---14------------------| C |-----12-----9------12-----------|---------------9-----11---12 10-| 27 A |--------------------------------|----9---------------------------| E |---9-----9-------9--------------|-------------------9------------| A |-9-----9------------------------|--------------------------------| E |--------------13-----13---------|-11------11------9-----9--------|
E |-11------11-----11---13-----14--|-----------------11----13----9--| C |------10-----10-----------------|-10------10---------------------| 29 A |----9------9-------9------9-----|-------9------9-----------------| E |--------------------------------|----11-----11--------9-----9----| A |-14-------------13-----13-------|-11-----------------------------| E |--------------------------------|------------------9------9------|
E |------18---18-------18---18-----|------18---18----16---14---14---| C |-------9----9--------9----9-----|-------9----9-----9----9----9---| 31 A |--------------------------------|--------------------------------| E |----9-------------9-------------|----9---------------------------| A |-9-------9----------------------|--------------------------9---9-| E |-------------9 13-----13----9---|-11------11----9---9------------|
E |-14-------------11--9-----------|--------------------------------| C |-------10----12-------9-------9-|-10--9-10---9-10---9-10---9-10--| 33 A |-----9----9-------------9---9---|--9--9--9---9--9---9--9---9--9--| E |--------------------------9-----|--------------------------------| A |-14----------------13-----------|-11------11------11-----11------| E |--------------------------------|-------------------------------9|
E |--------------------------------|--------------------------------| C |-9-10--12--12h14---12-10-9----9-|---9 10---9-10---9 10----9 10---| 35 A |-9-11--13--13h14---13------11---|---9 9---9--9---9 10----9--9---| E |--------------------------------|--------------------------------| A |--------------------------------|11------11-----11-----11--------| E |-----9-----------9--------------|-------------------------------9|
E |--------------------------------|--------------------------------| C |-9-10--12--12h14---12-10-9----9-|-----12-----9------12-------9---| 37 A |-9-11--13--13h14---13------11---|--------------------------------| E |--------------------------------|---9------9------9------9-------| A |--------------------------------|-9------9-----------------------| E |-----9-----------9--------------|--------------13-----13---------|
E |--------------------------------| C |-----12-----9------12-------9---| (repeat measures 38-39 four 39 A |--------------------------------| more times) E |---9------9------9------9-------| A |--------------------------------| E |11-----11------9------9---------|
Repeat measures 17-39, with two changes: 1) ignore the repeat measures 17-26 2) repeat measures 38-39 until fade out, *or* play it four times, then end with the following section I arranged:
E |--------------------9-----------|------11---9-----9---14---13----| C |--9------------------------10---|-10----------10-----------------| 40 A |--------9-----9-----------------|----9----9---------9----9----9--| E |-----9-----11-----9------9------|--------------------------------| A |--9------9----------------------|--------------------------------| E |---------------13-----13--------|-11--------------9--------------|
E |-14~~~~-------------------------| C |--9~~~~-------------------------| 42 A |--9~~~~-------------------------| E |--9~~~~-------------------------| A |--9~~~~-------------------------| E |--------------------------------|
E|--1-----------------0--------|-----------------------------| B|-----3--0--------1-----1-----|--------------------1--0-----| G|-----------0--2-----------2--|-----0--2--------2--------2--| D|-----------------------------|--4--------0--4--------------| A|-----------------------------|-----------------------------| D|-----------5-----------------|--0--------0--------0--------| ^ this measure sounds odd to me, but I left it as original (tjl)
E|-----------------------0-----|-----3--2--3-----------------| B|--0--------0--3--1--1-----3--|--3-----------3--0--------0--| G|-----0--2--------------------|--------------------0--2-----| D|-----------------------------|-----------------------------| A|-----------------------------|-----------2-----------------| D|--5--------4--------2--------|--5-----------------5--------| _ /. E|-----------------------------|-----------3----------------|| B|-----------0-----------------|-----0--3--0----------------|| G|-----7--5-----2--0-----0-----|--0--------0----------------|| D|--------------------0-----4--|-----------0----------------|| A|--7--------------------------|----------------------------|| D|--5--------5--------0--------|--5--------5----------------|| ^ this a C in original, I think C sounds better. (tjl)
Thanks to Timothy Lipetz for the tab.
Jesu, Joy Of Man`s Desiring by J.S. Bach
Tab by Tom Barclay (tom.barclay@delta.com)
The piece is in 3/4 time, but it feels more like a 3/8 time. Almost the entire thing is in triplets like the diagram below. All of the notes within each triplet are two spaces apart, and there are four spaces between triplets, and three triplets per bar.
In the few places where the notes are not in groups of three (example below), each single group of notes has the same time value as one of the above triplets.
Back to 1st | e|--|------------------|---------------------|---------------------| B|--0---------------1--|--3---------------3--|--1---------------0--| G|--0------------------|------------------0--|------------------0--| D|----------4-------2--|--4-------2----------|--2-------4----------| A|---------------------|---------------------|---------------------| E|---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|