WEEK 3: Heavenly Harmonies of J.S.Bach! 🌤

Welcome to the Main Thread for the third week of the J.S.Bach Challenge! This is the place to post submissions of the third week!


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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    • Jack Stewart
    • Retired
    • Jack_Stewart
    • 2 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    BWV 996 Allemande 1st half 1st video

    This is the first half of the BWV 996 Allemande. I thought I would pick this up quicker than I have. I have added trills as well though they are a bit hit or miss. I hope to record the entire movement over this weekend. We'll see.

    Like 3
      • Jack Stewart
      • Retired
      • Jack_Stewart
      • 2 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Emma Thanks Emma. I still think my trills (and thrills perhaps 😁), are inconsistent. Sometimes they roll off and sometimes they stumble along. The second half of the Allemande is tougher on trills because of the fingering. I'm still working on that.

      Like
      • Jack Stewart
      • Retired
      • Jack_Stewart
      • 2 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Eric Phillips Thanks Eric. I'm still working on consistent control. The next section is harder on trills.

      Like
      • Debbie
      • Debbie
      • 2 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Jack Stewart very nice Jack. I play this piece as well so I know how challenging it is and what you mean by thinking you’d pick it up faster. The polyphony is tricky in this one and I found being very consistent with my RH fingering to be the key. 

      Like
    • Jack Stewart guauuu Jack ! very good! have you learn it for this challenge !? it is not easy and it is going  very well! go ahead !!!!!!

      Like
  • Prelude BWV 997 measures 1-36 Mar 25

    Here is today's update of this prelude. I am pushing the tempo to quarter-note = 54 now. It's difficult, but I can just barely hold it together. I think this may be a reasonable target speed for the prelude. I also added a couple measures at the end just to push it along a bit.

    Like
    • Steve Pederson
    • The Journey is My Destination!
    • Steve_Pederson
    • 2 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    Introducing “Carmina”, my new Hauser model guitar!!!

    Carmina just arrived yesterday, and she sounds incredible! So awesome to play. You may hear some occasional string buzz. I’m still working that out.

    I am presenting my progress on 5 pieces, 3 of which are what I call “Consumer” pieces - everyone’s favorites. They are Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, Minuet in G and Bouree in Em. There is much more to the "Jesu" piece. This is the first half - what I have so far. 

    The last two pieces are the two minuets from the Bach cello suite #1. These pieces are my own arrangements, and each one is like two different songs from a performance perspective. How I arranged them was to play the repeats in a different position. One would be lower on the neck, more open notes and brighter tone, the other is higher on the neck using lower strings and going for a more mellow cello-like tone.

    What I also observed from cello performances of these two minuets is that they are often played together - almost as one - and then repeating the first minuet (without its repeats) after the second. I have done this in this performance.

    I went for a concert-like performance with all of these songs. I just played each one once - one right after the other, like you would do in a concert. That’s what I love about this community - it’s great practice to put this stuff out there for people in a safe space.

    What I found difficult -

    • I wasn’t nervous, but it’s amazing how it seems all my training just disappears when I’m recording or playing live.
    • Fingering higher on the neck leaves fewer - or no - open strings. Open strings give you a chance to reposition your hand without losing any sustain. That also creates more opportunity for string squeaking.
    • Always right-hand fingering.
    • Trying to play how Bach's music may have been played - without consecutive notes ringing out over each other, especially major and minor seconds. For example, the last cadence of the first repeat of Minuet in G goes from a G to an F# back to a G. If you play the G on the open 3rd string it's very difficult to stop that from ringing out while you play the F# on the 4th string. What I have done is played the first G on the 4th string as well, but that makes for a more difficult reach. 
    • Not rolling the chords in Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring. 

    What I found easy -

    • Only continuing to play these songs as they are so amazing!
    Like 3
    • Steve Pederson Congratulations on the new arrival, Steve! That has to be fun!

      Beautiful playing. I especially like the range of tone colors you use, showing off that new instrument.

      Like 1
      • mattnull
      • matt.1
      • 2 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Steve Pederson Congrats on the new guitar and great performance!!! I'm working on the minuets for the first cello suite as well.  Thanks for the inspiration.

      Like 1
      • Steve Pederson
      • The Journey is My Destination!
      • Steve_Pederson
      • 2 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Eric Phillips Thanks Eric!

      Like
      • Steve Pederson
      • The Journey is My Destination!
      • Steve_Pederson
      • 2 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      matt Thanks Matt, and you're welcome!

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      • Debbie
      • Debbie
      • 2 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Steve Pederson nice job Steve and congrats on the new guitar!

      Like 1
    • Steve Pederson you are working so many pieces at the same time Steve..great job and nice music. Your Carmina is doing beautifully what your fingers tell her!

      Like 1
      • Steve Pederson
      • The Journey is My Destination!
      • Steve_Pederson
      • 2 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Debbie Thanks Debbie!

      Like
      • Steve Pederson
      • The Journey is My Destination!
      • Steve_Pederson
      • 2 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Nora Torres-Nagel Aw, thanks Nora! 

      Like
      • Barney
      • Barney
      • 2 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Steve Pederson Hey Steve, I really appreciate and enjoy your high level playing -execution, musicianship, and sound.  It's a pleasure to listen to your performances.  Thanks for posting.

      Like 1
      • Steve Pederson
      • The Journey is My Destination!
      • Steve_Pederson
      • 2 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Barney Thanks so much Barney!

      Like
  • Prelude BWV 997 measures 33-56 Mar 25

    Here is my first time playing the remainder of this prelude. I'm going really slowly with no metronome. The fingering for a lot of this is really difficult, and I'm fumbling around a lot. Hopefully it will eventually feel secure.

    Like 1
      • Jack Stewart
      • Retired
      • Jack_Stewart
      • 2 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Eric Phillips Congratulations, Eric. That actually sounded very good, slow, but I thought it sounded pretty solid. That seems to me to be a major event. 

      Like 1
    • Jack Stewart Thanks, Jack. I wasn't thinking of it as a major event, but I'll take it if you're giving it to me.

      Like
  • Prelude BWV 997 measures 33-56 Mar 26 update

    This is the same section as my last video, but here I'm playing it a little quicker after practicing it for a little while. Getting there.

    Like 2
      • Steve Pederson
      • The Journey is My Destination!
      • Steve_Pederson
      • 2 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Eric Phillips Great progress! Man, this piece has so many cool things going on all at once! 

      Like 1
  • Andante BWV 1003 Mar 26

    I thought I'd revisit this one again. I'm playing it from memory now.

    Like 3
      • Steve Pederson
      • The Journey is My Destination!
      • Steve_Pederson
      • 2 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Eric Phillips Eric, this was so beautiful. I was just listening, not watching, and it sounded so magnificent. I got lost in it. Way to go! 

      Like 1
    • Eric Phillips incredibly beautiful. Listen over and over…

      Like 1
    • Steve Pederson Thanks, Steve. I find this piece very emotional.

      Like
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