Recommend some Bach pieces?

[CatSquare]

Hey talkbass -- I often hear Bach suggested when classic basslines are discussed, and I wonder if anyone with some knowledge of his music might be able to recommend some pieces that I should listen to and/or learn by ear.

 

[Stick_Player]

Hey talkbass -- I often hear Bach suggested when classic basslines are discussed, and I wonder if anyone with some knowledge of his music might be able to recommend some pieces that I should listen to and/or learn by ear.

The Cello Suites. You won't be able to play them but you can listen. Go on youtube and look for Edgar Meyer playing a snippet or two.

ANYTHING by Bach is good.

imslp.org has TONS of free music.

 

[Woodstockz]

There is this:
http://www.amazon.com/Mel-Bay-J-Bac...UTF8&qid=1410752395&sr=8-1&keywords=bach+bass

and this:
http://www.amazon.com/J-S-Bach-Elec...UTF8&qid=1410752557&sr=8-2&keywords=bach+bass

 

[shwashwa]

just get the 2 part inventions and play the left hand, then go back and learn the right

 

[pnchad]

you can learn them - it's whether you can make them sound good haha

I've been working on the cello suites for about 4 yrs now - I've got a couple I can do passably

learning them by ear would be an excellent exercise but you/ll want to verify your transcriptions at some point because these pieces are set-in-stone - the only thing left to the player is an emotional interpretation

 

[GKon]

Funny you should ask this questions because a couple of weeks ago I bought "J.S. Bach for Electric Bass -Three duets and five solo pieces arranged for bass guitar", by Hal Leonard.

It comes with an accompanying CD which is recorded on 2 channels. If you listen only to the left channel, you hear the bass part only. Right channel, piano/harpsichord etc.
Both channels simultaneously, the full piece.

I have yet to work through the music.

 

[KeithPoker]

+1 jell-o suites

 

[basspirate777]

Stick_Player had the right idea...in my opion, some of the best Bach on bass is Edgar Meyer. Anything from the suites, as folks have mentioned, is going to probably be what most bass players are after.

If you want to expand a little outside of playing, I really reccomend listening to Julian Bream doing Bach's lute suites...especially BWV996 (can't remember the proper name at the moment)

I haven't worked on Bach for a couple years but I remember this much: A lot of bassists, understandably, perform and work on Bach entirely in the upper register. While I think this works for performance, I think some pieces make great playing exercise in the lower register (esp. Prelude 1 in G, which is like ground zero for most folks afaik) ...I always do that on a 5 string so I have the range, but it always felt so good under the fingers.

Good luck with the Bach...his mastery is something to behold, that's for sure...

 

[Stick_Player]

I have yet to work through the music.

When it comes to to playing Bach, there is no rush to get through it. It's a lifetime journey.

 

[MrLenny1]

Joaquim Des Pres has a book and CD transcribed for electric bass.
They are JS BACH Cello suites.
Great stuff, wicked knuckle busters.

 

[CatSquare]

I'm enjoying these cello suites, thanks for the suggestions! It's interesting how much of this is recognizable to me, and yet I know I've never sat and listened to them. Years of cultural osmosis.
I've never attempted to learn or play any classical music, but I'm also trying to learn to walk some jazz, so I thought this would make a good parallel study to expand my ear. I may have bitten off more than I can chew. I'll have to give a listen to prelude 1 in G; ground zero sounds like where I want to be.

 

[Stick_Player]

I'm enjoying these cello suites, thanks for the suggestions! It's interesting how much of this is recognizable to me, and yet I know I've never sat and listened to them.

Some theorize it's entered our strands of DNA, by now.

 

[Toptube]

I just watched this last night:

Invalid Link Removed

 

[BrotherMister]

The Cello suites are great and probably the best place to begin with.

I spent a lot of time transcribing and transposing the Suite For Solo Flute and some of the Violin stuff so that it is playable on the bass. Outside of that I have went through the Choral stuff and learned each of the different voice parts etc. You will learn a ton of stuff by just learning and playing all sorts of different parts whether it is for a solo instrument or a part of a bigger work.

 

[Real Soon]

I'd say plenty of the Cello Suites are quite playable. Trombonists learn them as masterworks of unaccompanied melodic writing, and I believe the contrabass students in my undergrad studied some of them as well.

One of my favorites is the Suite No. 2 in D minor, 1st mvt. On electric bass, we'd have to approach the expressive elements rather like a classical guitarist, and those of us doing it on four-bangers would need to do the occasional octave transposition. Alternatively, playing them at pitch, i.e. further up the neck, would be terrific practice for a host of reasons too.


I wonder if anyone's tried to play any of is 2-Part Inventions...both parts at the same time? Probably a lot more possible on a 6 string than 4 or 5.

 

[davidhilton]

Hey talkbass -- I often hear Bach suggested when classic basslines are discussed, and I wonder if anyone with some knowledge of his music might be able to recommend some pieces that I should listen to and/or learn by ear.

All the solo cello suites are fun. plus the left hand of the 2 and 3 part Inventions - right hand too, and the Preludes and Fugues.
www.basslessonslosangeles.com

 

[raventepes]

Here's some more inspiration!

 

[So Low Bass]

 

[Silvint]

I play mainly in a contempory jazz trio, but had an obsession with Bach during the last 3 months. I really recommend practicing the suites. Each small snipets of it played in a loop is a great piece of music on its own. These snipets can be a great source of inspiration and used as as starting for improvised phrasing. Anyway, here's my humble contribution to this community on my electric upright bass NSdesign NXT5


Check out the prelude of suite 5 on youtube by some confirmed player. Completely amazing on bass.

 

[Silvint]

I have also recorded the prelude of suite 2 on Bass. it's transcribed, so can be played in the lower register. I see many people trying to play it at pitch, but that's risky! Only possible for very good players I believe.



I remember playing the prelude suite 1 on bass guitar years ago. My teacher recommanded it strongly. How right was he. When I finished practicing it, My left hand could spread much larger and playing bass just felt ntural with no more pain. Also, it is so useful to practice scales and arpegios in a musical way.