Bach Cello Suite #1 Prelude In G Major who can play it?

ibanezcollector · #1 10-26-2008, 10:47 PM

Ok I never learned any solo bass piece so I decided to learn this. It will do a few things.

1.) My Pinky. My Pinky does not extend fully forward since birth so I usually dont use it, its uncomfortable but this will force me to use it.

2.) I will either succeed by pushing my limits of my playing or I will fail miserably.

3.) I will be forced to clean my technique up since this will be solo bass, no band or backing track to hide the little happy accidents.

4.) I will have a sense of accomplishment if I can learn it.

Here is after about 2.5 hrs in the woodshed working on this, its a little rough but its what I got so far.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8m0aiCD7fK0

Can anyone else play this and if you can do you have a youtube video or audio we can hear?

Thanks
Brett

EADG mx · #2 10-27-2008, 12:46 AM

can't play it but I would recommend not resting your right arm on your bass, and make sure all of the notes are the same length. Also watch out for fretbuzz

iamthebassplayr · #3 10-27-2008, 12:54 AM

I can upload some audio in a bit (Maybe even video it if I can get my camera to work). When I was learning this it was very mechanical... I was trying to work out technique and I kind of put away all emotion, and I think it is pretty easy to do... What finally snapped me out of being a "robot" was listening to how beautiful this piece really is. I know up to just a bit past where your video cuts out... I keep telling myself I will get to it =P never do. I will post something when I get it.

**Pacman** · #4 10-27-2008, 02:34 AM

All of the notes are NOT the same length!

I used this piece to audition for my current job in the USAF. I tell people that Bach is like Yoga - you can get all the notes, but you'll work all your life in getting all the music that's past the notes. It's a beautiful piece (as are most of Bach's) and teaches excellent lessons, both in musicality and in technique.

mikekim · #5 10-27-2008, 03:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pacman

All of the notes are NOT the same length!

I agree. If you listen to performances by great cellist such as Yo-Yo Ma and Rostropovich, you'll notice that they play with emotion rather than perfect tempo (look up for the term "rubato").

But, good job so far! The pinky seems perfectly normal to me.

iamthebassplayr · #6 10-27-2008, 04:32 AM

Bach_1Prelude.mp3 - 2.09MB

Excuse the extra noise in there and the few goofs (I'm still less than two years in, I get a free goof every now and then). This is my Squire>Markbass>Berg 210 and then recorded with my Zoom h2 a few feet from the speaker.

And again, it's not the whole thing... just what I know

BassChuck · #7 10-27-2008, 04:45 AM

I can play this. Here's what I have to add (Packman's comments are gold BTW).

While it is totally posible to do this in G major (I learned it that way) its far easier to play in A major because you can use some open strings. Now there will be some purists that say this is all wrong and you shouldn't do that sort of thing, you know, transpose the music. But let me point out a few things.

Bach transposed and re-orchestrated his own music many times (such is the life of a professional composer and deadlines, etc etc)

The cello plays in a range higher than bass (duh) so the tessitura (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tessitura) of the cello suites is higher than bass. IMHO you should transpose down an octave to put the note in the correct place, relative to the total range of the instrument. Also the cellist can (and usually does) use open strings.. like the first note.

We are playing pizzacato when the piece is intended to be bowed. And our instrument is electric, not accoustic. So we are already making some significant changes in the intention of J.S. Bach.

The whole point is to make great music and as musicians we should be in control of our instrument and musical environment to the point that we have command of the elements to make great music. If that means transposing... do it. Or add reverb, or use the strings you thing sound best. Whatever it takes.

51m0n · #8 10-27-2008, 05:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BassChuck

I can play this. Here's what I have to add (Packman's comments are gold BTW).

While it is totally posible to do this in G major (I learned it that way) its far easier to play in A major because you can use some open strings. Now there will be some purists that say this is all wrong and you shouldn't do that sort of thing, you know, transpose the music. But let me point out a few things.

Bach transposed and re-orchestrated his own music many times (such is the life of a professional composer and deadlines, etc etc)

The cello plays in a range higher than bass (duh) so the tessitura (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tessitura) of the cello suites is higher than bass. IMHO you should transpose down an octave to put the note in the correct place, relative to the total range of the instrument. Also the cellist can (and usually does) use open strings.. like the first note.

We are playing pizzacato when the piece is intended to be bowed. And our instrument is electric, not accoustic. So we are already making some significant changes in the intention of J.S. Bach.

The whole point is to make great music and as musicians we should be in control of our instrument and musical environment to the point that we have command of the elements to make great music. If that means transposing... do it. Or add reverb, or use the strings you thing sound best. Whatever it takes.

Whilst BassChuck is absolutely correct I'm a sucker for punishment and when I was at college I learnt it in G in the correct octave (it is just possible on a 24 fret 4 string).

Played it for points a couple of times in college (with phenominal success), and for kicks many times afterwards. I actually cant remember all of it any more since I had a 3 or 4 year gap in my playing (note to self get off your lazy butt and relearn it!) but for me it was the most rewarding thing I have ever learnt, largely because it was one of the hardest and yet most beautiful.

I would also encourage you to listen to Yo-Yo Ma's version, it is breathtakingly beautiful. You dont have to play it the same, but do try and get as much emotion in.

One final point, its such a stunning piece that it sounds good at almost any tempo, so remember if you cant play it as fast as you would like, keeping within your limits whilst maintaining the emotion will get you way more kudos than blasting away scrappily.

Enjoy!

infamousxtopher · #9 10-27-2008, 10:29 AM

hey that is a great start, you need to listen to some good recordings, i like casals myself, but yo yo ma also has a good one, and patitucci has a video floating around online on him playing it on electric. as pacman said just becuase it's all 8th notes doesn't mean they are the same length, but you need to hear some greats play it to really understand the feel. i would also recomend taking it up the octave, i really like it in g and i think it's actually a bit easier up in that octave, you can use the open g string quite a bit, also sounds a ton better to my ear up there. keep working though, the cello suites are a lot of fun to play, but will take a lifetime to perfect

paganjack · #10 10-27-2008, 10:37 AM

yeah i have the book of the 6 cello suites- they all are awesome on any instrument. I think others here have beat me to the punch, but the notes written are just the tones you play. it's completely up to you to make it musical. there's a lot of push/pull you can do with the rhythm, and dynamic contrast makes this song go from an etude to a beautiful piece of music. I've always tried to mimic the way that the cello keeps resonating the lower tones as you move up each line, but if requires some tricky fingering.

i've played them on the cello and the bass, and sometimes I think it is actually a little easier to play on the bass.

paganjack · #11 10-27-2008, 10:39 AM

what you've got there is a solid foundation!

jady · #12 10-27-2008, 11:13 AM

This piece is all about phrasing, It moves through so many keys that a basic analysis of the harmonies and modulations will help you a great deal. Push the phrases to the cadences and it should sound great!!!

onlyclave · #13 10-27-2008, 12:53 PM

I would suggest playing as positionally (less shifting) as possible and keep your fingers down until you need to move them. In the video you posted the notes are quite disconnected, so if you keep your fingers pressed down (practice slowly and feel the burn

) the sustain will help you connect the notes.

EADG mx · #14 10-27-2008, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pacman

All of the notes are NOT the same length!

I used this piece to audition for my current job in the USAF. I tell people that Bach is like Yoga - you can get all the notes, but you'll work all your life in getting all the music that's past the notes. It's a beautiful piece (as are most of Bach's) and teaches excellent lessons, both in musicality and in technique.

I'm not talking about staccato, rests, fermata (intentional). I'm talking about notes getting cut short due to poor technique (unintentional). Big difference.

mambo4 · #15 10-27-2008, 01:53 PM

I started this one out a few weeks ago...man, its rough!

You can tell it was written for an instrument tuned in fifths, the fingering would be much easier that way.

SteveC · #16 10-27-2008, 02:53 PM

I have to dig out my Bach and find time to practice again...

Thanks fo rthe kick in the a*%

**Mark Wilson** · #17 10-27-2008, 03:00 PM

I'll post a video of myself playing it soon.

I just gotta brush up on it!
A KILLER piece. Definitely challenging.

rockambo · #18 10-27-2008, 03:12 PM

It sounds great, good work on pushing yourself to use your pinky. Don't let it hold you back or become a crutch! Check out the Casals video on YouTube, he's 90 years old and he's totally pulling a rockstar move in this rendition, he's playing straight from the loins, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhcjeZ3o5us.

Second, the difference between Yo-Yo Ma and everyone else is that he plays with every fiber of his body. He puts everything into it, that comes with time, get the piece down first, and then work on the real execution. You'll find no shortage of Yo-Yo Ma footage on the tube, too.

Well done!

ibanezcollector · #19 10-27-2008, 05:55 PM

Little update been playing with it for the last hour or so of what I knew already..

Bass is a little zingy just put a new set of Roundwounds on here to see how she sounds with Rounds, I always use flats but got these for free so figured why not see how it sounds.

http://www.ibanezpodxt.com/Misc/Bach.mp3

**Mark Wilson** · #20 10-27-2008, 06:35 PM

Once you get the notes down, work on phrasing!

From your youtube video (I haven't checked your mp3s) but you're playing every note staccato.

Check this out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU_QR_FTt3E

This is a beautiful version of it.
Hopefully it helps you grab some phrasing ideas.