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Bach cello suite 1


chilievans
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I've just got Stuart Claytons solo bass book and in it is this piece. I've been playing it and making good progress until I played it too my teacher yesterday when she told me that it should be played with a legato feel. Fair enough I thought and cracked on with it. The problem is that in order to play legato I've got to hold the chord shapes which is very new to me and quite difficult and painful. Are there any exercises or tips to help me out or should I quit moaning and get on with it :)

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Yup. Bite the bullet time I'm afraid. (I assume you're referring to the Prelude, which is the one most people are talking about with this suite - there are actually 6 movements in all.)

It's a lovely piece of music. I transcribed it once for two basses for one of my students so we could perform it as a duo at a school concert. Unfortunately the performance never happened, and the transcription seems to have got lost in the last house move. Shame.


Edit: why not ask your teacher for some suitable stretching exercises?

Edited by leftybassman392
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Just as a follow-up, it's actually quite a tough piece to really nail. I've heard a lot of people doing technically showy 'party piece' versions of it, but I think this performance comes closest I've heard to capturing the spirit of the original:

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boJn-9RIQgw"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boJn-9RIQgw[/url]

You could also dig out an original cello version on youtube. There's plenty of good ones but the Rostropovich is my personal favourite (although he does take it quite fast). When you can play it as well on bass as he does on cello you won't need your teacher anymore! :lol:

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