Sheep May Safely Graze, BWV 208 by Bach (PDF)

Sheep May Safely Graze (Schafe können sicher weiden) from Cantata Was mir behagt, ist nur die muntre Jagd, BWV 208 by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). PDF sheet music and video for arranged for solo classical guitar. Comes with both a notation edition with left hand fingering and a separate tab edition. The level is late-intermediate (Grade 6 but see more info below on level). This is a PDF Download.

For this arrangement I copied out the vocal melody and continuo line and then added the fragments of melody from the first violin. The key was transposed to D major and some small alterations to the octave of the line was needed to fit the range of the guitar. Otherwise, the arrangement all comes from the cantata score with as little alteration as possible. The somewhat simple texture allows for a faster tempo than some arrangements and the simplicity sounds decidedly Baroque if the continuo line is consistently observed.

The level is late-intermediate (Grade 6) but I will caution students that there are a few stretches making the level a flexible grade 5-8 depending on your tempo and confidence. Since it is mainly two voices there are no particularly difficult chords but there are a few intervals that require a stretch. Here is the YouTube Lesson link if you want to watch my performance and lesson there.

Video Performance and Lesson