I’ll take this on tomorrow.
I still have to practice the songs of the band I’ll go to practice test-wise. Well the finished build should free up some time and I was interested before but now that I hear that I have an advantage with a 24-fret bass I’m even more hyped 
3 Likes
Or, another option for 20 fretted basses I saw was to transpose it to the key of E or Eb, ( just move everything up 3 or 4 frets) - looks like by bar 19 you need the lower notes again. But again, if you make it that far, that’s an accomplishment. This is one that’s not done in a day - unless you’re a bass god!
4 Likes
E is not enough, I’m still missing a 21th fret. I just transposed it to E♭. Not quite sure how to translate that last bar into the software. That -1 on standard tuning will require a dynamic string detune or a custom tuning setting 
.
Standard tuning:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1O9MIL42X6fMm6JEPqEzxD48ScMRf_int/view?usp=sharing
E♭ADG tuning (*):
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1V3KpZSuzt4ub949_JQAw6oI4aVJeLKCt/view?usp=sharing
(*) Considering working on refingering the E string to minimize shifting
4 Likes
@Jamietashi, my bass has got enough frets to do the cover. The problem might be the one handling it
The thing is I just started to work on my first cover song and I will need to work on the technical part of recording as well. So that might take quite some time.
If I manage to get through it fast enough, I might give the challenge a try, though I must admit that those high frets look a bit scary 
4 Likes
So I started practicing and found it useful to have the tabs in Noteflight:
I imported the whole Suite as Midi into noteflight and then created tabs for the first two bars by hand but if you want to continue you can use this as a starting point for your own noteflight sheet.
As I am still practicing I would recommend doing that because I currently still change tempo often. According to the sheet music I found the tempo is allegro (80bpm) if anyone is interested as it isn’t noted in Joshs Tab.
I also had a look at the original and it’s… different. I assume Josh adapted it for bass.
3 Likes
Can you import guitar pro files into noteflight? If so I have the entire tab Josh wrote to share
3 Likes
I don’t know guitar pro and what it can export but Noteflight can’t directly import them.
Regular Midis and something called “MusicXML” which is a standard I never heard of. Maybe export format of noteflight or something?
2 Likes
Here, MusicXML format
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eAFwfTOejddU3QugqFDccvxec0B2f8T5/view?usp=sharing
Just don’t assume it’s correct! Did my best to write it down, it’s possible something escaped. I know for sure the last bar is lacking something but my limited notation knowledge can’t put a name to it
4 Likes
Okay I haven’t checked but at least the first few bars are in order so here is the full prelude as written by josh, copied by @gcancella to guitar pro and then imported into noteflight:
Few adjustements I had to make:
It didn’t know the instrument from the XML so it played on a piano.
I had to cut out the Tab line, change the Instrument Part to “E-Bass” and then added another part “E-Bass (Tab)” and inserted the tab line there.
Compared to Joshs Notes it was an octave up but it was an easy fix as I just could select the whole part and move it an octave down.
Since you mentioned the last bar I compared to Joshs Tabs and a slur or tie was missing on that chord but I don’t understand what it means as it usually should be connected to the next note. I guess the transition to the low note should be smooth or you let the chord ring just a little longer!? I dunno. But I don’t think I’ll get that far soon anyway.
Oh also I was wondering about the 76bpm tempo. Did you adjust that for yourself or why is it at that tempo? As said as far as I can tell it should be 80bpm for the original.
4 Likes
Got it from here https://tunebat.com/Info/Cello-Suite-No-1-in-G-Major-BWV-1007-I-Prelude-Johann-Sebastian-Bach-Alexander-Rudin/0rWvGcPB1rrmZMW4gRCQa8, other sources give other tempos. I suppose it depends on the performer.
2 Likes
This guy adapted the piece to a 20 fret bass, it’s doable with some octave changes (and artificial harmonics the way he did it) -
Generally though - it’s hard to fit Bach cello suites on bass because cellos have way more range, since they’re tuned in 5ths (7 half steps) instead of 4ths (5 half steps). Fun challenge though!
8 Likes
That is a divine rendition.
5 Likes
So… this is how far I got in one day.
Although I probably should have practiced the band songs at least a little bit cough.
I had so much fun with Bach I have to admit. Not that I had doubt beforehand but I really enjoy playing it.
One thing I noticed - @JoshFossgreen manages to connect and hold the notes very nicely while mine always suddenly stop. I remember the Bassbuzz video that his is a sign for a beginner bassist but now that I actually want the strings to ring I’m having problems letting them. I am so used to muting everything after I played and plucking through that I stop notes I do not want to.
I only noticed after the video so in this version I still don’t care. But when testing I had problems even when not focusing on timing and doing it very slow.
Any tips for that?
And @T_dub as well as @Gio told me that I had to keep wearing the cape. Hopefully it gave me power during practice. I am very satisfied for one day although I hardly put the bass away for the whole day. Probably not the most effective. Still fun 
9 Likes
Dude, you’re a machine! Right after finishing a custom build bass, you’re tackling this, love it!
Great playing, man, your timing is really good, and the fingering on the fretting hand. I think slowing it down is normal to learn it, I’m doing the same. It is a joy to play for sure - okay, 6 bars down, you think you’ll go for the whole thing? It’s a long weekend here in the USA, and, with the renewed stay at home orders, I want to make some progress too with it in the next few days.
I think the first few times playing and learning it, it almost has to be this way, whereas, down the road, you can do more stylistic things with the piece. Right now (at least for me), it is just a bunch of memorization - so - it sort of comes across as a “one note at a time” sort of playing. But yeah, watching Josh, other bassists, and other cellists on YT is inspiring, to see just how artful it can get 
4 Likes
Only a suggestion. If were working on that piece, I’d try slowing it down, but be just as quick as you are to the next note. In this way you artificially are holding on to the note longer…but with the quick transition the notes have got to ring. Then you can try tightening it up again by speeding up the tempo.
5 Likes
Well… looks at floor
I’m definitely not a cleaning machine. Still have to tidy up after that build.
This was more fun though.
It’s a good suggestion but that’s what I’m doing already (okay, trying to). I sped up again to 65% shortly before the video because 60% felt okay already. It’s not what I was talking about though. Josh let his strings actually keep ringing after playing the note if possible and I noticed when I play a note on the D-String followed by a note on the G-String I automatically mute by plucking through the G the string and muting the D-String. But I guess the answer to my question would be: “well don’t do that anymore”. In combination with what @Vik told me: Don’t worry about it for now and just memorize the piece itself at first - a bit like what I told you about muting 
I guess I should go back to 50% speed for a while.
I don’t know.
To be honest once I got the first bar down bar 2-4 were easy as they are exactly the same pattern.
Let’s see. One step at a time.
Errr - One Bar at a time.
6 Likes
Heehee, yeah, there are some very similar riffs in this on different bars, though it changes up a bit after bar 4 - you got to bar 6 so you saw that! For anyone thinking of trying this, but don’t know where to start - do this - just play a G major scale starting with the 15th fret G on the E string. That same pattern we learned in B2B for major scales. Most of the notes in this are just that scale. Sometimes they’re moved a little - for example bar 1: that 12th fret on the D string is the same note as the 17th fret on the A string - a fifth. The 16-14-16 is just a third-second-third, one octave up. It’s kind of an exercise in finding major scale note positions.
4 Likes
… and I stand by that statement…
6 Likes