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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Together with Steve and Derek and maybe more of you, I am going to dance these weeks this beautifull bourrée...BWV 996. I need to improve this and additionally also some ornaments for the repetition...let's see....
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Steve Pederson thanks Steve
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Jack Stewart gracias Jack
. This is gut to know....I will look for this.. Thanks for hearing... -
Eric Phillips gracias Eric. Bach is unique....
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Nora Torres-Nagel Brava, Nora! It's a difficult piece, and you are playing by heart! Thank you for post!
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Nora Torres-Nagel
Brava Nora, I too will join you with this bourré by the end of the month.
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Moyses Lopes thank you Moises!
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ivan paolo gracias for hearing Ivan ! Dance with us!
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Nora Torres-Nagel bravo Nora!!! You did the last thrill so clean! And the middle part especially I loved!! Bravo Nora, well done
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Emma Gracias Emma!
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I have learned BWV 999 Bars 1-20 this week and am following Martin's advice on the live stream on how this song can be lovely and sad. I'll try to make sure the base lines can help bring that sadness along with the arpeggios, but focusing on the base.
I am playing it slow to get the hang of it. I need to get better on the clarity of each note, as I get more comfortable playing this peace. My left hand still has to get used to the fingering. I am also working slowly on memorizing the sequence of chords. As a consequence I will also need to work on the sound. I feel like I am not getting the full potential for a mellow sound that my guitar can reach, so I have to work on my right hand (exact position of fingers) as well as my nails to get a warmer sound.
I am working on reaching that deep F on bar 15, but for now while it is in progress (my guitar has very high strings which make it more difficult), so for now I chose to play that F7M major with the base on the 4th string.- Things you found easy: the fact that the right hand follows a pattern simplifies the song
- Things you found difficult: reaching that mellow sad sound as well as some right hand position changes. It is hard to make those position changes and not sound like a sudden interruption of the previous chord - breaking the open sounds (example Bar 11).
- Uploaded a video o my first performance after learning Bars 1-20
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Fernando Ruiz Diaz Thanks so much for joining in and sharing that video, Fernando. What a great piece, and you are off the a great start!
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Eric Phillips Thank you! I'll post my progress in a couple of days.
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Fernando Ruiz Diaz That was very good Fernando. You've got a great start.
Your video ending is like those series that each episode end right at a crisis point. Makes want to make sure to catch the next episode.
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Jack Stewart I had to laugh to that! Thank you. Maybe I should try to direct movies if my current career fails
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Fernando Ruiz Diaz Bravo, Fernando! Good job! These piece have many pitfalls, it's not easy to play (which Bach piece is?) and you're taking it very well. Gracias!
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Fernando Ruiz Diaz very good Fernando...a beautifull Preludio....!! good ahead!
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Fernando Ruiz Diaz Great start Fernando! You've made me a believer in this piece! I was going to try it, so I did, but then I decided to give up on it. You've made me want to give it a go again!
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Steve Pederson You should, any challenges I can probably help with? I am starting very slow. It takes me some take to learn a new piece and am focusing first in articulating well bars 1-20 to then learn the rest. It is challenging, but so rewarding! I am going to post a second video soon to track the improvements.
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Fernando Ruiz Diaz beautiful piece this one, sounds very good already … bravo!!!
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Sarabande BWV 997 measures 1-16 (and repeat) Mar 11
Here is the entire A section of this Sarabande. Eventually, I would love to be able to do lots of cool ornamentation on my sectional repeats, but here I pretty much just play the entire section twice.
One thing I'm really happy about is the relative ease with which I can now damp bass notes when needed. This is a technical skill I have been working on for a while, and it's finally getting to a point where I can do it without thinking too hard about it. As always with technique, progress is very slow and gradual.
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Eric Phillips That is sounding very good, Eric. Your phrasing and separation of voices is really nice.
BTW, I have Sharon Isbin's edition of this suite and she has a lot of information on the trills and ornamentation. If you get to wanting to dig into that let me know and I'll make a copy of the sarabande.
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Eric Phillips Bravo, great job, I like your playing.
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Jack Stewart Thanks, Jack. I'd love to look at it, if it's not too difficult. Please don't go to any trouble, though. I'm thinking you might need to get a 75% cut for this.
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ivan paolo Thank you, Ivan.
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Eric Phillips Great, Eric! IMO that's the path. As always, great job!
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End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
