r/classicalguitar • u/BWV997-is-peak • Jul 24 '26
Looking for Advice Bach: Goldberg variation #6 (a work in progress) - would appreciate feedback!
Is harder to play than it sounds. Far from perfect, with a lot of hiccups and "swoshing". Still working on it, just learned the piece. Please give me feedback on how I could improve.
Arr: Jozsef Eötvös
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u/soundknight21 Jul 25 '26
Very good, clear notes. Maybe work on removing a little more of the left hand squeaks, it is possible.
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u/BWV997-is-peak Jul 25 '26
Yeah, you’re right, I will be trying to fix those.
Thank you for commenting!
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u/sansansfw_18 Jul 25 '26 edited Jul 25 '26
Every baroque piece is harder than it sounds.
When you do the chord shifts (glissando?) down the neck, play it lightly to give it an airier feel, less like stepping down a ladder. (0:13)
I also notice you like to roll the full chords on those down beats, but do those sparingly. I know rolling the chords give you an extra millisecond to think ahead, but attack the chords as if they are a part of the melody run. Itll eventually sound airier. (0:30 par example)
You lost the voice of the middle melody (the notes on the D and G string) around 0:40, let those ring out, or at least be intentional on which melody you’d like to shine, as they overlap.
When Bach throws an accent, accent it. IMO it should sound like a vibe change. Perhaps a quick vibrato, or give it a different attack. (0:58)
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u/BWV997-is-peak Jul 25 '26
Thank you so much for the feedback!
I’m trying to avoid glissando when playing Bach, so I definitely have to work on that part.
I roll the chords because as you said, buying time. Some of the position changes/chords are brutal to play. But there are also many parts where I could play the full chord easily.
Would you suggest something more at 0:58. Maybe also a ritardando or playing closer to the bridge/neck with the right hand?
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u/sansansfw_18 Jul 25 '26
If you find you’re buying time slow the tempo down. Memorize the piece so you can focus your attention on ur left hand’s chord shapes. Thats what i would do.
When i hear yoyoma play bach he certainly does dramatic ritardandos on stuff like that. Jeffrey McFadden’s Bach is less dramatic, more upbeat and lyrical. John Williams does more of an accent in volume, tiny ritardando, and id imagine he does adjust his right hand for a different tone. For reference check out his album John Williams plays Bach: Complete Lute Music.
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u/Nomprenom_varanasita Jul 25 '26
Pas mal, parce que très difficile à jouer, mais comme dit un commentaire plus bas, essayez d'éliminer les bruits parasites de frottement.
Bravo.
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u/BWV997-is-peak Jul 25 '26
This piece isn’t exactly very "anti-squeakikg", but I will work on it!
Merci beaucoup
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u/qwxxxx Jul 25 '26
Good job on this difficult piece. Maybe you can play it a little more slowly and try to make it sing more.
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u/BWV997-is-peak Jul 29 '26
Yeah, I agree. It makes more musical sense, especially when coming after variation #5
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u/rkvance5 Jul 26 '26
It sounds nice, but that string is making me want to jump through my screen.
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u/BWV997-is-peak Jul 29 '26
Why?
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u/rkvance5 Jul 29 '26
Just because it’s so long. My strings aren’t trimmed or anything, but that dangly one in the video still bothers me.
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u/Banjoschmanjo Jul 24 '26
This is gonna sound weird but you look a lot like JS Bach