Bach's Cello Suite 1 Prelude (the 1st 1/2)

[xgsjx]

I tried recording this with video a couple of nights ago & kept making mistakes (silly ones at that) & ended up doing [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/162069-i-want-you-back/"]"I want you back"[/url] instead.

So now I proudly (or embarrassingly) present a fine audio recording of me playing the 1st 1/2 of Bach's Cello Suite 1 Prelude...

[url="http://soundcloud.com/bassg/cello-suite-1-prelude-a"]Here![/url]

I know there's a couple of dodgy notes in there, but any feedback is welcome.

[Plux_the_Duck]

What key are you playing it in? It doesn't seem to be in the original key...

[xgsjx]

I'm playing it in D. The original is in G.

[jakenewmanbass]

Overall it's nice.
I would want to hear the following:

Technical
The right notes. there are some notes in there that you have misread eg the last note of bar 4 is a C#, you play a D, At 36 seconds you return to the root diatonically when it should be an arpeggio, the descending run at 57 secs is rushed and inarticulate and lands on an A when it should land on a G# to create an E7 chord with the following notes G# E B C# D then drop to G natural sequence of notes G E A B C#

I think to really get it sounding nice it would be great to rectify those issues, the harmony of this piece has a real flow and wrong notes undo that.

Style
I think you should soften the attack of your tone, it is too thumpy, so each note is highly articulated when there should be more legato in the phrases. this can be done with playing softer.
Where you are using time expression (ie pauses and rubato) sounds a little contrived, listen closely to the shape of the phrases and try to use expression that rises and falls with the intensity of the harmony.

There is a lot good in what you've done so don't be deflated by my comments it's simply that there is room for improvement. I love this piece of music and especially like Pablo Casals version... if you haven't heard it you must, all you need to know about that piece is in his version.

Good luck with the rest and let us hear it when you're done

[jakenewmanbass]

Ps the traditional bass transpose key is C (for double bass) as some of the higher notes in D might be a little hard to reach

[ras52]

[quote name='jakesbass' timestamp='1323336746' post='1462068']
Ps the traditional bass transpose key is C (for double bass) as some of the higher notes in D might be a little hard to reach
[/quote]

As in this: [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bach-Cello-Suites-arranged-Double/dp/0577082353/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323339111&sr=8-1"]http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bach-Cello-Suites-arranged-Double/dp/0577082353/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323339111&sr=8-1[/url].

Gold!

[xgsjx]

Cheers Jake, that feedback is much appreciated & shall work on your points to improve my playing.

My source for the music was t'interweb, so I dare say I've been given a few wrong notes. I do have the original piece on CD, so will pay a little more attention to it.
The final note on the run at 57 secs was written as an A & then goes to the Bb (which I did find a little unusual, but listened to other versions on Youtube & they did the same). I'll try it in C this afternoon & with those changes. I'll also have a listen to Pablo Casals version.

Soundwise, I agree. It's came out way too punchy & staccato sounding. I just plugged straight into the mac & recorded in GB & played through the iMac's speakers (I did listen back on headphones). I'll keep working on it.

Cheers.

[Bilbo]

Its getting those details right that seperates the men from the boys, xgsix. Stick with it and get it finished. [i]Learn[/i] it and then learn to [i]play[/i] it. Its time well spent.

[jakenewmanbass]

It's all relative, I can only give you tips as far as my sensibilities reach, Edgar Meyer would have considerably more to say than I, and I'm absolutely sure that would apply to my performance of it every bit as much as yours... which is a nice thing about music in my view, it constantly challenges.

[Bilbo]

I remember seeing a Segovia masterclass on tv and this Japanese guitar player playerd for him and, to me, it sounded great. Segovia shook his head and said something like, you play the notes but not the music. And the guy tried again and the piece he was playing just opened up like a flower. A real epiphany for me. Getting the right notes in the right order is just the starting point. After that, after the craft, you have to discover the Art. That is where the magic lies, that's where you will find the Holy Grail of music. Keep going.

[xgsjx]

It is trying to get into the feeling of the piece that's the trickiest part. THere's a version on Youtube that's played by a guy in a suit with no shoes on & plays it at a consistent speed & whereas technically good, has no feeling as it's just a barrage of semi quavers (crushed crisps?) that you could set a metronome to.
The Mrs gets a little sick of hearing it after the 8th play through though!

I finish work at 2 today, so I might just spend the afternoon with my bass.