The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
Reply to Thread Bookmark Thread
Posts 1 to 21 of 21
  1. #1

    User Info Menu

    Not 100% yet but aiming to have it perfect by end of May for my exam.


  2.  

    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

    User Info Menu

    Nice job! Good luck with your exam.

  4. #3

    User Info Menu

    I have no idea what the level of performance expectations are in your exam, but given that you have a couple of months left I would assume that you are in pretty good shape here. Well done.

    dave

  5. #4

    User Info Menu

    You might find this helpful with your performance and understanding of this piece:

    John Hall | Music for Guitar | Blog : Harmonic Implications in Counterpoint: Bourree in E minor, BWV 996

    Good luck with the exam.

    John

  6. #5

    User Info Menu

    Beautiful!

    Up until the 1920s and for hundreds of years before then, that was the way the guitar was supposed to be played. I clearly understand why. Don't sweat the exam.

    Thanks,

    Tony D.

  7. #6

    User Info Menu

    I'll always love that piece.

  8. #7

    User Info Menu

    Been attempting that one for years now. Usually, for me, it always seems to fall apart near the end. Love it though. Well done !

  9. #8

    User Info Menu

    Thanks for all your kind words guys.

    The exam is Trinity grade 6 which involves playing 3 pieces, a technical piece, sight reading and an aural test. We've done one mock exam and I got graded 81% (my teacher is a former examiner) so I'm looking forward to the exam.

    Funny think is I'm mainly self taught (rock, blues, folk etc) but started classical lessons at the end of last summer. It's doing wonders for me.

    John - when I saw your photo I could smell that cigar!!

  10. #9

    User Info Menu

    OKay, I'm going to perhaps upset you, but my comments are here to encourage you. You are obviously totally free to tell me where to go!

    You are playing it far too fast for a) your ability, and, b) a bourée.

    Unless you can play it all at one tempo, don't play it. Play it slower instead. The cadential trills need a lot of work. I play them across strings. Look up cross-string trill online - David Russell is the master of them. They work really well in this piece. If you prefer standard trills on one string, try to reorganise your fingering so that you do not end up playing them with your weakest fingers. I hate to sound cruel, but they are a bit of a mess, and will lose you marks.

    The last few bars - you slow down both times. This will get a bunch of marks taken off you in an exam. Clearly you can't play those bars at your chosen tempo. An examiner looks for exactly this type of thing. All examiners would give you more marks for playing it slower and more competently.

    The bourée was one of those pieces that bridged the gap in the suite between the slow sarabande and the vivacious gigue. Like gavottes, bourées are characterised by a certain heaviness - not slow or fast, but with heavier downbeats than the other dances. As such, they were regarded as a peasant's dance, as opposed to a courtier's. So, play it slower, and lean on the downbeats more. I don't care if you've heard some famous classical guitarist ripping through it at great speed - as they often do - spend some time with lute players, those who have studied the period in more depth.

    Also, baroque music speaks best when you think of shorter phrase lengths, two and four bars, not eight. This helped the dancers. Try singing it. Look how Bach separates the upward and downward parts of the melodic-minor scale. This will give more shape to your interpretation.

    And try to unify your tone a bit more. For instance, your index and middle fingers are making different sounds. It can be confusing. That said, you used a phone camera, which rarely gets a sympathetic sound.

    Am I being too harsh? I apologise if that's the case. Best of luck with the exam.

  11. #10

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
    OKay, I'm going to perhaps upset you, but my comments are here to encourage you. You are obviously totally free to tell me where to go!

    You are playing it far too fast for a) your ability, and, b) a bourée.

    Unless you can play it all at one tempo, don't play it. Play it slower instead. The cadential trills need a lot of work. I play them across strings. Look up cross-string trill online - David Russell is the master of them. They work really well in this piece. If you prefer standard trills on one string, try to reorganise your fingering so that you do not end up playing them with your weakest fingers. I hate to sound cruel, but they are a bit of a mess, and will lose you marks.

    The last few bars - you slow down both times. This will get a bunch of marks taken off you in an exam. Clearly you can't play those bars at your chosen tempo. An examiner looks for exactly this type of thing. All examiners would give you more marks for playing it slower and more competently.

    The bourée was one of those pieces that bridged the gap in the suite between the slow sarabande and the vivacious gigue. Like gavottes, bourées are characterised by a certain heaviness - not slow or fast, but with heavier downbeats than the other dances. As such, they were regarded as a peasant's dance, as opposed to a courtier's. So, play it slower, and lean on the downbeats more. I don't care if you've heard some famous classical guitarist ripping through it at great speed - as they often do - spend some time with lute players, those who have studied the period in more depth.

    Also, baroque music speaks best when you think of shorter phrase lengths, two and four bars, not eight. This helped the dancers. Try singing it. Look how Bach separates the upward and downward parts of the melodic-minor scale. This will give more shape to your interpretation.

    And try to unify your tone a bit more. For instance, your index and middle fingers are making different sounds. It can be confusing. That said, you used a phone camera, which rarely gets a sympathetic sound.

    Am I being too harsh? I apologise if that's the case. Best of luck with the exam.
    Thanks for that Rob. I guess that this is the type of post that I was after as I will take your points onboard.

    I've very recently started playing with my nails and haven't figured out the best way to file them yet.

    As you said though phones dont make the best recordings. I did record the piece on my focusrite but am still learning how to replace the audio.

    Anyhow I'll make a proper video for this song in May just before the exam.

    Thanks for your tips.

    Sent from my MYA-L11 using Tapatalk

  12. #11

    User Info Menu

    That's a relief Best wishes.

  13. #12

    User Info Menu

    I agree on everything Mr. McKillop wrote

    to help you a very little more, some suggestions :

    - you can fold a very fine abrasive paper, grade 2000 or so, over your strings
    then pretend to play ... and you get the proper angle for your fingernails
    file the edges until they are round
    polish them until they are smooth, do not forget the inner side - there you touch the string
    the string sees the skin of your fingertip first -here you get the fullness
    then it slips over the nail (where any friction results in a thin sound) - here you get definition
    a leather belt is good for finishing the nail's edge

    - play the bassline and the melody seperately
    try to "glue" one tone to the next - there should not be any gap between them
    sing along loud in the same way (daadaadaaaadaadaadaaaa...),
    your need to breathe (do it!) results in phrasing
    your guitar's tone should last as long as the sung syllables, so keep your fingers on the fretboard
    next step: combine the parts and try to keep the quality of your single lines

    that's what l was told and like to pass on to the next generations of players
    tone is in your head first, then in your fingers
    hope l could help, good luck .

    be happy,
    woodpecker

  14. #13

    User Info Menu

    You're doing a great job, but I'll go a step further than Rob and suggest playing something not as technically demanding for were you are at this time. That is a difficult piece for anybody but there are other Bach pieces that fall easier on the guitar. Playing a simpler less technical piece more musically will get you more points. I tried the Courante from this suite for my audition with Oscar Ghiglia at Aspen Music School and I wasn't ready for it. Just a suggestion. I think even a simple Fernando Sor Etude played with good interpretation and musicality will go over better. Best of luck.

  15. #14

    User Info Menu

    Off the top of my head I can‘t think of an easier piece from Bach‘s Lute repertoire. There may be arrangements of keyboard pieces, but the only thing that is easier to play is the Sarabande from the A minor suite (at first glance - in reality this is one of the hardest pieces to play well).

    So stick with the Bouree by all means and listen to Rob‘s sage advice. The piece is a kind of touchstone for aspiring players. If you play it well, you have made a significant step to the next level.


    Gesendet von iPhone mit Tapatalk

  16. #15

    User Info Menu

    Here is video by Jason Vieaux w/tips and pointers playing Bourree, that I found helpfull. Good luck with exam!


  17. #16

    User Info Menu

    Hey Guys,

    Thanks a million for all your replies.

    I found that by just slowing the piece down a touch greatly improves it so I'll be playing it a touch slower for the exam.

    In the meantime I'm going to learn the bass and melody independently. That's a great video above.

    Peace

  18. #17

    User Info Menu

    I got 82% for the exam which consisted of 3 grade 6 pieces, a technical piece, scales and arpeggios, sight reading and aural. I aced the aural, technical piece and scales and arpeggio. On to grade 7 Bourree in Em by JS BachBourree in Em by JS BachBourree in Em by JS Bach

    Sent from my MYA-L11 using Tapatalk

  19. #18

    User Info Menu

    Congrats !

  20. #19

    User Info Menu

    Congratulations!

  21. #20

    User Info Menu

    nice One Bro.

  22. #21

    User Info Menu

    Great! Well done.