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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Wachet Auf (Sleepers Awake) from BWV 140 Mar 8
Here's an updated version of this piece. Today, I played in without capo, so it's in C major (Bach wrote it in Eb major). Any preference for one key over the other?
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Eric Phillips both sounds good, but I would say I prefer the capo-ed version
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Minuet BWV Anh 132 Mar 8
This is another transcription by Joseph Castle. It comes from the Anna Magdalena notebook, and I guess it is questionable whether or not Bach wrote it himself. My score calls for an allegretto tempo, but I actually like it slower and more expressive.
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Eric Phillips That was nice Eric. I don't think I am familiar with that minuet. I have several collections of Bach, other than the solo suites and sonatas but I don't remember that one. But then Bach's output was so voluminous I'm sure there is so much more than what I have.
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Eric Phillips Well, whether it was Johann or Anna, it sounds amazing! Beautiful melody as well.
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Jack Stewart Steve Pederson Thanks guys!
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Eric Phillips hmmm... Jospeh Castle, that reminds me something... can you post the front page?
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Blaise Laflamme
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Eric Phillips ok... wow... I recognize this picture, I think I got it in my early years... what a beautiful memory! I absolutely have to find it in my stuff!
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Blaise Laflamme I really like it. I have no memory of when or where i bought it, but it has a nice little selection of pieces. It has very badly placed page turns, though.
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Eric Phillips I found it, with another one!
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Blaise Laflamme Very nice! The simpler ones make for good sight reading practice. Maybe you can find some nice ones in the Anna Magdalena Notebook to share with us.
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Eric Phillips that's an idea... I'll see if I have enough time with what I'm planning to share.
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Blaise Laflamme I always like to hear the shorter, simpler, pieces that can sometimes be hidden gems.
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Eric Phillips you're absolutely right!
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Okay, I'm starting off with the Minuet in G - and here's why...
This is one of the first pieces I learned. One day I had a chance to play it live at church, which I did, and I screwed up so awfully I have never had the nerve to play it again in public. So, yeah, there's some trauma involved!
Anyhow, fast forward to last summer when I was taking some lessons and learned I had so many basic things about this song wrong - fingering (both hands), stylistic interpretation and so much more. I didn't realize Bach could be SO complicated!
I have been reworking this song - trying to teach old hands new tricks. I feel quite embarrassed that I have been playing this song for so long, it's so simple, and I STILL can't get it right. I still beat myself up about it.
I don't mean any disrespect to Bach with my ending on this one.
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Steve Pederson Steve, Your playing of this minuet was really nice (excepting the last bit). How well do I know the challenges of recording and performing. I usually have to make many recordings before I get something accessible.
As to you experience with performing - I was ask to play for a friend's wedding very early in my life as a classical guitarist. I was playing one of the Milan Pavans. After the 1st 2 chords my mind went completely blank. All I could manage was playing those 2 chords over and over again. Performance for me has always been difficult, even virtual.
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Jack Stewart Thanks for sharing that story. Reminds of a wedding I was playing at where I was just hoping and praying for things to be over. As for the recordings, I've done that as well - multiple takes. With this challenge I want people to see my progress, so I'm more documenting that. Nowhere to go but up!
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Steve Pederson well... sometimes it's harder to re-learn an old piece where muscle memories are strong than learning a new piece from scratch.
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Steve Pederson Until listen to your end, this was not my favorite piece, but you change my mind! Great job, Steve! As I said to Wai, playing well-known pieces is always a challenge, and if you have a certain trauma...
Thank you for the experience!
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Bouree in Em
And one more Bach standard to add to the mix. I've been working on this one for quite some time as well. Like the Minuet in G, I've recently had to update all the fingering - both hands, so I'm having to relearn it. There's a little Jethro Tull interpretation at the end as well. Again, no disrespect to Bach. Just fun!
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Steve Pederson This piece is not easy, I have tried to practice this one too but gave up eventually.
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Steve Pederson Not bad Steve. You basically have it under your fingers. I think if you break it down to sections and practice each slowly, focusing on relaxation you'll make rapid progress, Keep it up - you've got this.
I was waiting for you to stand on one foot at the end.
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Jack Stewart Thanks Jack! Good advice. It's hard to slow things down, but you're right, it's amazing the progress that can be made by slowing down and relaxing.
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Hello fellow Bach Buddies!
I've chosen to work on the 1st Cello Suite. I've never learned this one before and I really love it so I'm looking forward to the process. I take my time learning new pieces, especially if it's a piece I plan to keep in my permanent repertoire. I don't want to let mistakes creep in so I go slowly. So this will be the only piece I submit over the course of the challenge.
I've been watching the lesson with Sanel Redzic here on Tonebase. He has some great suggestions. I love how he goes into the analysis and approaches it from with the phrasing and bowing of the cello. I've also been looking at the tutorial with Taso Comanescu on Elite Guitarist and he has some nice points as well. His version is the more "guitary" approach, whereas Sanel's is more from the point of view of the original score and the cello. I will take ideas from both of these maestros and try to come up with a version that suits me and my playing.
So basically, these past few days have been studying the piece and working out some fingerings for the first half - up to measure 22. I hope to post a video of my progress by the weekend.
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Debbie I'm looking forward to hearing what you've got Debbie. I too am working on my own transcription of the Minuets and Gigue from the cello suite! I love these pieces!
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End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
