Chorales by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) are standard repertoire for analysis by music students all over the world. For many composers, the study and enjoyment of Bach chorales is a lifelong activity. The chorales are short and demonstrate many aspects of harmony in artistic and expressive settings. While the chorales were originally written for SATB chorus, they are presented to most music students in arrangements for solo piano. There are several well-known collections of the Bach chorales, and I usually refer to the edition by Albert Riemenschneider. I also refer to the website https://bach-chorales.com/

In this post, I’ll present my transcription for guitar of chorale which is numbered 179 in the Riemenschneider edition. It is sometimes titled Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, and is from Bach’s Cantata 140. More information about the chorale can be found at https://bach-chorales.com/BWV0140_7.htm

While the keyboard edition is in four voices, my transcription is usually in three voices, though sometimes I include four voices, especially at cadences. Additionally, I changed the key from E flat major to C major. The left-hand fingerings are challenging, though the reward for mastering them is playing music by Bach. You can download the transcription for free at the end of this post.