funkypenguin Posted May 31, 2020 Share Posted May 31, 2020 (edited) Hello folks! Hope you're all well and staying healthy through all madness that has engulfed us all . I've just completed my first lockdown project which is a complete performance of Bach's first cello suite in G Major. The video series is now linked below and should take you to the Prelude and the playlist containing the other 5 movements! The soundcloud link is also below for those wishing for a somewhat better audio representation of the performance! Its been a long process and a lot of practice prepping this. For those interested in the tech side of things my Warwick streamer LX6 was recorded (flat with passive tone rolled on a little) via DI box, Amp DI (Genz Streamliner 900) and from a mic on one of my vanderkley cabs via a focus rite interface into my computer. Declan Pearson of Colossus studios in Bolton then took care of final mixing and mastering if you have a spare 20 minutes id appreciate your thoughts! Hope you enjoy it! Ben Edited June 8, 2020 by funkypenguin 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 31, 2020 Share Posted May 31, 2020 Very, very good. They’re fairly tricky just to get the notes under your hands, but much harder to get the articulation and particularly the flow and dynamics. I’d be hard-pressed to often any constructive criticism; the only real way to improve would be to play it on a ‘cello! Well done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funkypenguin Posted June 1, 2020 Author Share Posted June 1, 2020 On 31/05/2020 at 14:33, FDC484950 said: Very, very good. They’re fairly tricky just to get the notes under your hands, but much harder to get the articulation and particularly the flow and dynamics. I’d be hard-pressed to often any constructive criticism; the only real way to improve would be to play it on a ‘cello! Well done Thanks so much, im glad you enjoyed it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Papabull Posted June 3, 2020 Share Posted June 3, 2020 Beautiful playing, fantastic technique and so musical. Thanks for the upload. Awesome 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Papabull Posted June 3, 2020 Share Posted June 3, 2020 HI Ben, me again. Are you playing this an octave higher than written so that it sounds at the correct pitch? Either way, your performance is stunning. We had this performed at our wedding by our friend Hugh McDowell the 'cellist with ELO . Your performance is just as beautiful. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funkypenguin Posted June 3, 2020 Author Share Posted June 3, 2020 1 hour ago, Papabull said: HI Ben, me again. Are you playing this an octave higher than written so that it sounds at the correct pitch? Either way, your performance is stunning. We had this performed at our wedding by our friend Hugh McDowell the 'cellist with ELO . Your performance is just as beautiful. Hey, yes its being played an octave higher than written I'll be releasing the whole suite as a video series on YT sometime later in the week so you'll be able to see that it fits very nicely around the 12th fret position on the 6 string bass. I'm glad you enjoyed my performance so much, its very kind of you to say it stacks up to a Cello performance of the suite! One of the main goals for me was to make it musical, to go back to the source material and pull the music out of the music if that makes any sense? Thanks for taking the time to listen to the suite! Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Papabull Posted June 4, 2020 Share Posted June 4, 2020 That's great Ben. Can you send me the You Tube link? What was the bass you played it on? very best wishes Paul h 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Papabull Posted June 4, 2020 Share Posted June 4, 2020 Hi Ben, forget the second part of my question. I can see you used a Warwick Streamer. Fab Sound. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lownote Posted June 4, 2020 Share Posted June 4, 2020 My thoughts are completely irrelevant. My admiration is so total there's no room left in my head for thoughts. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Krow Posted June 4, 2020 Share Posted June 4, 2020 Loved it! Do you have your six string bass tuned in trad. B, E, A, D, G, C? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Papabull Posted June 4, 2020 Share Posted June 4, 2020 Hi Ben, forget the second part of my question. I can see you used a Warwick Streamer. Fab Sound. Also was going to ask about how your 6 string was tuned and what strings you used. Cheers Paul 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funkypenguin Posted June 4, 2020 Author Share Posted June 4, 2020 3 hours ago, Papabull said: That's great Ben. Can you send me the You Tube link? What was the bass you played it on? very best wishes Paul h Hey Paul, Its a 97 streamer LX6 custom shop retrofitted with an East U-Retro deluxe preamp in place of the old MEC 2 band unit. The wood combination (wenge/maple) is naturally quite bright and the U-Retro does an amazing job of sweetening the high end as I found the old MEC unit far too harsh in the top end. strings are DR Hi-Beams (.125-.030) and my bass is tuned standard, B-C I'll post a link of the video series as soon as we're finished editing it! Best, Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funkypenguin Posted June 4, 2020 Author Share Posted June 4, 2020 1 hour ago, Al Krow said: Loved it! Do you have your six string bass tuned in trad. B, E, A, D, G, C? Thanks so much! yes, my bass is tuned B-C Best, Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Papabull Posted June 4, 2020 Share Posted June 4, 2020 Thanks so much for the info Ben, really appreciate it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lownote Posted June 5, 2020 Share Posted June 5, 2020 Be sure to post link to your video when it’s done. Thanks 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lownote Posted June 6, 2020 Share Posted June 6, 2020 (edited) Did you play the regular score for this, as found by googling, or did you modify it in some way? Edited June 6, 2020 by lownote12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funkypenguin Posted June 6, 2020 Author Share Posted June 6, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, lownote12 said: Did you play the regular score for this, as found by googling, or did you modify it in some way? I used the score on IMSLP. I've attached it below. The only change as far as the notes are concerned is that I read it up an octave from written. I had to make some changes to articulation due to the fact that im not bowing the piece but other than that its as true to the music as I know how to play it. Ben IMSLP70851-PMLP04291-Bach_-_Cello_Suite_No1_in_G_(Becker_Peters)-2.pdf Edited June 6, 2020 by funkypenguin 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lownote Posted June 6, 2020 Share Posted June 6, 2020 Many thanks! This could take me some time....... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Papabull Posted June 6, 2020 Share Posted June 6, 2020 Hi Ben, It wouldn't surprise me that you've learnt this from memory. Thanks for the download. It's taken me an age to learn the Bouree No1. Looking forward to seeing the YT video. Very nbest wishes Paul h 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funkypenguin Posted June 6, 2020 Author Share Posted June 6, 2020 1 hour ago, Papabull said: Hi Ben, It wouldn't surprise me that you've learnt this from memory. Thanks for the download. It's taken me an age to learn the Bouree No1. Looking forward to seeing the YT video. Very nbest wishes Paul h It got to the point where it was memorised yeah, I stopped needing the score around 3 weeks before I recorded. As with everything else, its just repetition that gets it to that point Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Papabull Posted June 6, 2020 Share Posted June 6, 2020 I'm self taught, so half of the fun for me is discovering the best technique and choices to enable a fluent performance. I'm not convinced all of my choices are the best so am constantly revisiting to see if other choices enable a better performance. Does that make sense? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Papabull Posted June 6, 2020 Share Posted June 6, 2020 I'm just about to order another set of strings for my Mayones Caledonius (advertised on BC which I'm going to keep now) but re stringing from B-G to E-C. The hope is that the high C will make things a bit more manageable . 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pentode Posted June 6, 2020 Share Posted June 6, 2020 Absolutely beautiful! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funkypenguin Posted June 8, 2020 Author Share Posted June 8, 2020 Ok folks, the editing is finally finished! Here is my complete video series of Bach's first Cello Suite in G Major! If you enjoy my performance please like and share the videos! the Prelude is the video linked but the complete playlist of 6 movements should open in YouTube Enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lownote Posted June 8, 2020 Share Posted June 8, 2020 (edited) I have tried to copy your achievement. In four days I have stumbled slowly through eight bars. I think I won’t get much further. Greatest respect to you. Edited June 9, 2020 by lownote12 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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