WEEK 2: The Depths of J.S.Bach's Music! 
Welcome to the Main Thread for the second week of the J.S.Bach Challenge! This is the place to post submissions of the second 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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BWV 1002 Sarabande and Double Update
Well I almost got these in Week 1. These still need refinement but they are close (at least to my standard). I still have some annoying g spots but it doesn't grind to a halt as mine sometimes do.I think the mic was up too loud as they are a little harsh on occasion.
After watching Emmanuels MC on Bill's BWV 1007 Prelude I need to go over my phrasing as I tend to be more intuitive than informed. I also recently listened to Gideon Kremer's version of BWV 1002 and have some phrasing ideas from that.
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Stefanie Mosburger-Dalz I have had the problem of getting stuck somewhere in these pieces for a long time. They are just now getting to where that doesn't happen - well, not as often. Stay with it, they are really nice works and fun to play.
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Jack Stewart Yes, sliowly improve, found some other fingerings today, I will not give up, because Im in love with that Sarabande. I just received the score of the Cellosuite 1....I played that on Cello 7 years ago, Im curious how it is on guitar...
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Jack Stewart The Double is still great, and the Sarabande is sounding amazing! Bravo, Jack!
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BWV 995 Gavottes I and II combined
I was able to record these in one take just before the light went out (in Alabama? no in Oakland
). In my haste to record these again I started off too fast and got caught about in the second Gavotte. It still holds together for the most part but there are times where I am really scrambling. I also realized I had not practiced these as a single unit and rushed the entrance of the second Gavotte. -
Jack Stewart That is beautiful, Jack, congratulation! I like the spirit of your Gavotte, which is usually a somewhat heavier dance! I would have liked to hear the version when the lights went out, that has always quite an effect on the performer
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Jack Stewart Very impressive Jack! That was a thrill ride!
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Jack Stewart Beautiful, Jack! Thank you!
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Jack Stewart loved hearing you play Jack! Wonderful playing.
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Sarabande BWV 997 March 15
Now I feel like I have this piece more-or-less in my fingers (although I still mess up a lot), so I wanted to give it a little more musicality. I would love to be able to do lots of incredible ornamentation on the repeats, but I really don't have the ability to do it too much. So, I decided to just have a few simple ornaments on the repeat of the A section, and then I plan to skip the repeat of the B section (something I'm noticing many great players doing with this piece on YT). I also tried to add some more dynamic variety, but I really struggle with having it well-planned in great detail.
So, here it is for now. I flubbed the ending a bit, but I think I'm getting close to wanting to move on to another piece. Maybe another day or two on this one.
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Eric Phillips this is great, Eric. You have a very good feel for Bach. I think you would do well to explore more. This is a very expressive performance of this Sarabande. BTW, I have no problem with less ornaments. Just add them as you become comfortable with their execution and placement (do as I say, not as I do).
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Jack Stewart Thanks, Jack. I just really love the way Drew Henderson and Sharon Isbin play it with all that ornamentation on the repeats. I suppose a really proficient player would just improvise all that. But I also like it less ornamented, as long as some kind of difference is added to the repeated sections.
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Eric Phillips This is great Eric! Very tasty ornamentation, or "fills" as I like to call them.
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Steve Pederson Thanks, Steve.
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Eric Phillips As said Jack, a very expressive performance, Eric. Thank you!
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Bach Minuet in G - from the Cello Suite!
Last night I had a cello player friend on the Zoom, and I asked him if he could identify a piece I was playing. I played the first few bars of the first minuet from the cello suite, which of course I have transposed to the key of D.
He got it right away, and then he said it sounded like I was playing it in D, and he plays it in G as it's written. That got me thinking...I wonder if I could transpose it back down to G and play it in G?
So, this is a recording of me playing it in the original key of G. There is a spot, of course, where it's supposed to go down to a low C. I didn't want to tune my low string down that low, so I play the C two octaves higher than it was originally written!
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Steve Pederson That was interesting Steve. It certainly places it I n the range of the cello. I couldn't tell where the low C was transposed up so that seems to work.
I tend to be less concerned with original key than with the musicality of the transcription. However, your version lowers the transcription by a 5th which does put it in a noticeably different register.
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Steve Pederson I like it, Steve. It fits sound more “cello-like” to me in that register. Good you actually transpose your transcription, or did you just read from the score for cello (which would be on bass clef)?
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Jack Stewart Thanks Jack. Yes, quite a bit different!
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Eric Phillips Thanks Eric. I can barely read treble clef, so I wouldn't even attempt to read bass clef!
What I did was take the original cello sheet music and import it into Noteflight. From there I transposed it up to D to create my original version. Then, for this version I just clicked a button to transpose it back down to G - in treble clef. I then created a tab version that I could read a bit better. I've attached it if you're interested in taking a look. -
Steve Pederson I just looked at Noteflight a bit. Do you like it? I have used Musescore, but I find it so hard to figure out that I never use it outside of the two composition challenges. I found myself just getting angry and frustrated when I would rather be practicing guitar.
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Steve Pederson That's sounding nice, Steve! You'll record in some more keys?
Thank you! -
Eric Phillips I have used Sibelius most of my life, so coming to Noteflight was quite an adjustment. But I really like it now. However, if you're not composing or transposing, perhaps there's no need for it. Personally, it's really helpful for me to have tab - especially for the fingerings, so I like importing music in and then easily creating tab.
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Moyses Lopes Thanks Moyses! You joke, but I have already been practicing it with a capo to see how the key of E or even F might sound!
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Prelude from Prelude, Fugue and Allegro - BWV 998
My turn... in the first week I didn't post because the Prelude was really weak.
What's easy? It's not a fast tempo piece, there are just 2 voices.
What's NOT easy? Memorize, phrasing, articulation.
At the recording middle, I perceived the 6 out of tune... And there are some mistakes, of course.
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Moyses Lopes That was great, Moyses! It sounded very fluid and seamless. This is such beautiful music, with a simple texture but rich, complex harmonies. As always, I love your smile when you make a mistake - I usually frown, wince, or say profanity!
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End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
