Thanks Scott, it's nice to hear how much you enjoy the process as much as you do the music itself. In my mind, that's how I make it fun. I like that you included that as your last requirement (if you can call it that). I have been known to inquire, to myself mostly, "what's my new favorite part?", as I sometimes need to convince myself to press on.

Maybe we should get together and do an FHF on the second bass part? I'd like to burn that one down with you if you are up for it? I've been wanting to do an FHF for a while, but I am fussing with better video / audio and I am way out of my league.

When you're ready Scotty!

Hell yeah, I love practicing - and finding ways to refine and streamline my own learning processes are like a musical sub-hobby of mine!

It's going good, I sent Stephen Sink one of my practice videos the other night (I video-tape the piece I am practicing, and then review it the next day. Useful.) I would have posted the video here for folks to check out, but maybe I'll post one of the practice vids along with my "best" version at some point soon here...

The more I practice this piece the more I realize just how out of my depth I am, but the good news is that I am learning so much, and honestly it's exploding through all of my playing - guitar, bass, drums, etc so that's cool. The other awesome thing is that this bit of music is now a part of my repertoire...

Gene I'd LOVE to participate in a Bach FHF, or any FHF lemme know how you want to do it, and when is a good time for you... I shall message you wa-ha-ha

Trying to put myself in your place, Scott, just trying.
Lots of practice, now I want to play.
What do I have under my fingers?
- Blazing lead guitar that can wail over all manner of chord progressions.
- A working musical knowledge and versatile skills on the Stick fretboard.
Could I marry them together?

Holdsworth did this in many live performances and in the studio, prerecording novel chords (that only he could hear) to serve his lead lines (live with bass and drums). He was outstandingly creative in both modes, establishing his own amazing style in the process.

You've already got the means to do the same while creating your own style.
- Disciplined Stick bass/chord rhythms and melodic patterns as "infrastructure".
- Live rock lead guitar flying through new harmonic progressions.

And you'd have an added bass register for ultimate control and definition.
What could go wrong?

Thanks for the kind words, always appreciated!

Well, here's the best I can do on camera haha



Here are a couple of older practice clips from last week,



This one was played with a metronome at 52 bpm, I try to videotape often so I can review it later and see what the hell went wrong... (lots)



And now this one was at 72 bpm, again with a metronome (The metronome is in the real world, I recorded direct, so you can't hear it)

I know, not very good - I am a bit disappointed too! I will keep at it...

Nice playing, glad to hear it coming together

Man, you're flying! Scott, you got it! This tune is yours and now it's on to playing it live in front of people!

Great job on all your hard work! "Otsu-kare-sama-deshita!" (Surely you must be tired!--Direct translating). You've got an Interlochen piece nailed down, too!

...congrats, just go on...

“Shiken haramitsu daikomyo...” or something like that.

Thanks again for the kind words, this tune has been kind of a double edged sword in most respects. Frustrating and disappointing because I wanted to present something of value, but I fell short of my own goals and expectations in regards to how I am able to play it. Simultaneously, this has been rewarding and gratifying on many, many levels. Just being able to play it is (to me) amazing. Being able to even just remember it, equally amazing (to me). The benefits to my playing, (to me) amazing. I am hearing things differently, and thinking about composition, improvisation, arrangement and performance much, much differently. All positive, thanks Mr. Bach. Major lunge forward (for me).

There are definitely some things I might have done differently to speed up the learning process and facilitate my retention... And of course, I will be refining this piece, and maybe getting it a lot tighter and faster so that I can play it for people (small gathering tonight, looking forward to playing it!)

I wasn’t sure which invention to go after next, but since I plan to learn them all I think I will go in order - Invention No2 will be my next victim...

The recital is there. Next step, the rendition, where you inject your own enjoyment and expressive interpretation into a live performance (with some speed and abandon). I think I'm just repeating what you've already observed about your work in progress.

On those passages where LH & RH are playing notes together (two-part counterpoint stressing harmony over dialogue), wouldn't it be interesting to lock the melody notes into the spaces between the bass notes. A FingerSticking travesty on Bach, I realize, but the intervallic harmony would remain intact and the rhythmic pulse would double!

No extra effort or speed required and no added notes, just a "global command" to the hands.

Yeah, I know, the brain is not a muscle.

Emmett, I am floored you would take the time to watch this, and then comment on it - thanks, it's really appreciated! This piece has definitely been a kind of thing where "g3tting it to the next level" has been an ongoing effort. I thought I'd share it, haha It's kind of funny how much sheer effort and concentration go into a Baroque piece - It's really quite mathematical I think... I have yet to be able to inject my own energy into something like this, but it's coming. One day...

I had a discussion with Gene Perry via Skype and we talked about Bach, and played some stuff back and forth (He really has this stuff down, I was amazed at his fluidity and how he could just rattle off so much different stuff. Really good. I was somewhat blown away, I'll admit. Anyways, for those of you who don't know - Gene Rocks!) I had a kind of realization of sorts while I was talking with him about just how different everyone is musically, and how the Stick can be a really powerful medium for that expression. Y'know, what I've done, what I'm doing, what I'm going to do, obvious things I've missed...



Funny story, I actually practiced the whole thing like this for a while, kind of "one note after the other" with no two notes ever being played simultaneously... It really helped me memorize the piece initially, but I had some work to do to get rid of the "offset" so I could play it as written. I am of the opinion that I can do whatever I want with Bach, I mean hey - it's still Bach! I love how you listen to people's stuff, and then you have all of these really great suggestions and ideas - Thanks so much!




I feel a bit bad, the lengths I had to go to trick myself and deceive my poor brain into learning this bit of music is almost criminal. On one hand, I was a bit disappointed I couldn't do better. On the other hand, I couldn't play this a few years ago, and all along the way I have reaped many benefits from working this out. Going through a big project piece like this really was enlightening.

Thanks, Bach!