WEEK 1: Discovering J.S.Bach! 
Welcome to the Main Thread for the first week of the J.S.Bach Challenge! This is the place to post submissions of the first week!
- Make sure you've read the guidelines before replying (<- click)
- Watch the kickoff livestream for help with the first section!
If you want to describe your process (optional), feel free to use the following template.
- Things you found easy:
- Things you found difficult:
- (Optional): a video of you performing it!
- (Optional:) questions
↓ Reply below with your submissions and questions! ↓
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Sinfonia (Arioso) from BWV 156 Mar 6
Here is today's update. I am gradually becoming more comfortable with the music, and I hope that makes it more expressive and confident. I find Bach very difficult to memorize, but I'd love to be able to memorize this one.
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Moyses Lopes Thank you, Moyses.
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Hi there, following Eric guidance, I am working on the trills. Please find attached the way i intend to practice. The score i am using is also attached. Thanks!
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Luciano Salvatore Hello again Luciano. You definitely chose a great, but challenging piece to play. Here is another video with my thoughts on measures 3-4 and 30-31. Again, I claim no expertise in this, so take my advice for what it is worth.
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Luciano Salvatore Hey Luciano. I recommend watching Artyom Dervoed's lesson on trills. I now include some trill practice in my daily practice. I must warn you, though, watching Artyom play trills is really humbling. I also include some cross string trill practice daily. Not that any of that is apparent in my playing.
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BWV 1002 Sarabande and Double
I am cheating a bit. I am starting off with 2 pieces that were recently in my repertoire but had begin to crumble, so I am reviving them for my first couple of submissions.
These are still a bit rough but are mostly there. I need to focus on phrasing, tone, voices (not the ones in my head), and ornamentation. Oh yes, and accuracy - but other than that...... I have a couple more revival pieces to try to present next.
Most of the challenge will focus on BWV 996. This is a suite (minus the Gigue) I used to play probably 20 years ago - so that doesn't count, right? I will try to get the Allemande, Sarabande and Bourree. I would also love to get to the Prelude but that's really ambitious.
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Jack Stewart Good job! I had practiced BWV 1002 Sarabande many many years ago and I still think that it sounds better on guitars than violins.
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Jack Stewart Very good, Jack! I particularly like your very legato playing in the Double. These two sounds so good together.
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Wai Thanks Wai. In some respects I agree with you that this sounds better on guitar (or at least, can with a better performance) but then we are biased. I always find hearing it on violin revelatory. I don't try to emulate the violin but it does open up a different way of hearing it.
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Eric Phillips Thanks Eric. I tried to finger the Double in a Campanella style which I think works well for it. I also tried to record these pieces together in one take but the demons of recording convinced me that would not work.
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Jack Stewart It was very effective. I love the way Bach makes his melody outline the harmony, almost like a jazz soloist plays through chord changes.
Like you, I would fear the thought of recording two movements in one sitting. I could just see myself playing really well until maybe the last 10 seconds, and then everything would completely fall apart and I would end up sounding like a train wreck.
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Jack Stewart I actually practice that Sarabande, but I´m far from fluidity. I found it in a Compilation about Baroque Guitar. There also exists a video on YouTube og Gary Ryan, that is very heartwarming and beautiful. Hope I can play it some day
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Stefanie Mosburger-Dalz I originally worked on these from the Noad book of Baroque Guitar. I now use Frank Koonce transcriptions of the violin Sonatas and Partitas.
I have seen that video of Gary Ryan playing these pieces. It is really nice. Have you seen him playing his compositions Hot Club Francais and Benga Beat?
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Jack Stewart Hey, Jack! Great job, these pieces are sounding good. In particularly, I liked the Double, and you play by heart!!! I read the pieces were in your repertoire recently, but even so it's a great conquer. Bravo!
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Jack Stewart Yessss!!!! And Martin can watch that to learn, what he does with the fingerring ....about Percussion on guitar;-)
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Stefanie Mosburger-Dalz Last December Stephanie joins did a livestream on percussion on the guitar. I should have asked her about Benga Beat.
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Moyses Lopes Thanks Moyses. Those 2 pieces tend to fall apart if I don't play them often. But then, most of my repertoire does that. I've decided to work on the Tempo di Bourea which follows the Sarabande and Double. I have never played it so this isa good time to take it on. I am doubtful about getting the Double for that one though.
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Jack Stewart Yes, I made this allusion because of this event! I watched it and saw the question and Stephanie and Martin didnt know what was ment, but I knew because of Bengabeat;-)
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Jack Stewart I can see how your advice to slow down and practice each section has paid off for you! you've got these down! And hey, who isn't reviving a little past repertoire, right?
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Jack Stewart that was great Jack. I was looking at playing those two also to enter this challenge, thanks for showing me the way!
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Jack Stewart Ok you're using Koonce version from Oz? For now I just fingered the plain violon version with a few voice changes in the sarabande, it sounds great as is.
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Jack Stewart wow Jack!!! a lot of work in these recordings! The double especially you played it so well and fast, legato, no mistakes. Beautiful pieces too! Bravo
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Air on the G String (Suite No 3, BWV 1068)
This month's Challenge is "Discovering J.S.Bach!", but I discovered my incapability of playing Bach music.
I almost gave up, but I decided to at least practice one little piece. It's still a work in progress, but I would like to share the result with you all. - Things I found easy: It looked easy, that's why I chose this piece.
- Things I found difficult: The flow! This piece is silky smooth if you listen to the strings version. However, we all know that guitar can't sustain notes very well, so keeping the flow of the whole piece was extremely difficult! I have to keep at least one finger pressing down either on the bass or on the melody every beat, in order to keep the illusion of continuity. I didn't repeat the 2nd half because it was already too long, I was exhausted.
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Wai I think this is already sounding great, Wai. It flows very well and you kept your lines nicely legato.
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Eric Phillips Thank you, Eric. This piece is so well-known and beautiful, really stressful when recording this piece.
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Wai This was very good Wai. You have a very clear balance between the baseline and upper voice. Great job.
End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
