Complete 1st Cello Suite by Bach on Tenor Banjo by Rob MacKillop
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- Опубліковано 29 вер 2024
- Some of you might not play this video because it has Bach's great music on a tenor banjo. As a guitar and lute player, I have to say I have never enjoyed playing Bach's music so much as in the tuning he wrote the music for. Honestly, it's a revelation! It's as if he had the instrument in hand while composing, so well does everything fit under the fingers. We have learned in the last decade that he probably didn't write his cello suites for the cello, but for a different kind of cello called violoncello da spalla - to be played on the shoulder (la spalla) like an overgrown viola, nowhere near as large as a cello. In fact, very similar to the string length of the tenor banjo. And then there is the sound. The tenor banjo lacks sustain, but so does Bach's favoured keyboard, the clavichord, and so too the harpsichord. This precise pluck seems to go against the nature of a singing line, yet Bach's keyboard works sing beautifully on their original instruments. Now, I'm not saying we guitar and lute players should all sell our instruments and buy tenor banjos instead - not at all - but I urge you to try Bach's 'cello' suites on a 5ths-tuned instrument, whether tenor banjo or ukulele in 5ths (Aquila sell sets for 5ths-tuned ukulele). And as for my banjo friends, I hope you spend some time in the company of the great Bach. His music is incredible to play. Mel Bay has published my "Bach's Cello Suites I to III arranged for Tenor Banjo" which has both treble clef and tab. And Mel Bay recently brought out my "Classical Studies for the Tenor Banjo" to help get you to the level - musical as well as technical - to take on Bach suites. And to anyone who is interested, I also teach online. Pitch Alert: I sometimes tune my banjo down two steps - a whole tone - to BbFCG, to lower the tension and increase sustain for playing classical music. This happens to correspond with 392 pitch, not 440, and in Bach's day this pitch was quite popular. More videos to come. I teach students across the globe via Zoom. Let me know if interested. If you like what I do, why not "buy me a coffee" by making a donation to www.paypal.com... All donations go to help fund my free videos, research and websites - a sadly not-for-profit venture! Rob
I recorded the whole suite yesterday afternoon, came to edit it, and discovered I had not switched the mic on! At midnight I tried again, which you can see and hear above. But not everything went to plan. The fancy light I use for video recording gave out before the last two movements, its battery depleted. So the last two movements are in a different lighting. At least I got it done!
I love it!! I always wanted to learn this on tenor, truly inspiring
@@robert0price What's stopping you, Robert? Get stuck in! 🙂
My first instrument was a viola, reading in the Alto clef, so an overgrown viola is a great idea! Your version of this really works!!
Thanks. Yes, look for violoncello da spalla on UA-cam. Fascinating instrument.
Interesting! If you wanted to replicate the fifths tuning on a guitar, would you just ignore the bottom two strings?
No. D to G is a 4th. G to B is a 3rd. B to E is a 4th. Where did you learn Math? 😂
I meant re-tune your guitar in fifths. So you could play basically what you're doing on the tenor banjo but on a guitar.
@@zakbravermanOkay. That wasn’t clear. I’ve heard guys do that, but I wasn’t convinced. It just doesn’t sound good. Something to do with string length and pitch, maybe.
Andrew York has some pretty excellent recordings with his lowest four strings tuned down to C G D A... you might enjoy it!
He recorded the third cello suite and the prelude from the fifth. The fifth is convenient because you don't have to tune the G string up to A; it uses a scordatura.
1 - Prelude: 0:06
2 - Allemande: 2:35
3 - Courante: 7:03
4 - Sarabande: 10:15
5 - Minuet I/II: 13:36
6 - Gigue: 16:44
Thanks, Aden!
Hello Rob! Hope you are well. Thank you for sharing this wonderful music. It's late and I have to go to bed now but I'll listen to this first thing in the morning. Cheerio!
Cheers, my friend. I hope you like it when you do hear it. Best wishes, Rob.
How interesting! Sounds great -- the type of attack and lack of sustain really suits the music I think. The soundworld became especially magical in the Sarabande -- the quieter sounds are somehow muted yet very clear. Another powerful example in favour of classical banjo.
Recording can be the biggest nuisance... What's the fancy light? I've yet to progress beyond a desk lamp held together by superglue...
Hi Steven. I agree with all you say about the suitability of the banjo for the music, but many people can't get beyond their perception of a "dumb banjo". Their loss. It's great fun to play too. I too like the sarabande - the banjo is remarkably subtle with the sarabande's nuances. The fancy light is one of these: www.amazon.co.uk/Elgato-20LAD9901-Key-Light-Mini/dp/B09PRNHLM7?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&th=1 You don't need it, though, as you record your videos in a light room. My room gets very little light during the day, and I often want to record around midnight too. If you ever want to write a tenor-banjo sister to "Nightfall", I'd be happy to take a look. Same tuning as a cello/viola.
Thanks for the offer, that could be interesting, I'll give it a think...
This came up on my recommended feed and I've never been more glad I clicked on a recommended video. This is absolutely beautiful and it's serving as motivation for me to practice banjo again - thank you so much!
Cheers, Snuffy. Good to see you here. Get practising!
Rob, could you recommend a rqnge of entry level tenor banjos suited to that Bach repertoire? Im a cellist, recently picked up 5 string banjo very interested in adding tenor to play these suites!
Beautifully played. It's interesting to hear this melody on this instrument, i really enjoyed it. This whole video just resonated a lot of warmth and calmness.
Thank you! I was actually quite cold at midnight! 😀
Beautiful ! Been trying to play all of this in one take for the last 2 years and so far there seem to be some minor improvements
Keep at it. Each movement has its challenges, as you will know. It's a great feeling, being able to play it all in one sitting.
@@RobMacKillop1Thank you master MacKillop
Excellent performance Rob, the truth is that the banjo sometimes doesn't do justice to certain melodies, but you have managed to play something very beautiful with it. I really congratulate you
Thank you, Maks! Yes, one has to choose carefully. I’ve started on the second cello suite, which has long been my favourite. We shall see how it turns out. Best wishes to you.
Bravo, Maestro! It's absolutely brilliant. I've been working away at this on mandolin for a while, teaching myself to read after years and years. UA-cam suggested this video and I'm very glad it did. There are many tiny details I can hear that you've found so delicately on the banjo. And those last few notes made me smile! I love it.
Cheers, Jesse. Yes, there is a lot of subtlety to be found in these great works, and the banjo is certainly capable of articulating it, the mandolin too, most certainly. Keep working at it! Glad you liked the last few notes - I almost went through the whole thing again! Sometimes I do.
Thank you Rob. Wonderfully played and a joy to hear. I was asked to play a banjo piece for a memorial service for a woman who, in her youth, had been an excellent tenor player. I played only the first movement. The reaction after the service was wonderful. Ain't no such thing as bad Bach music. Nice to hear your new-to-you Ome. Congratulations.
Thanks for the story, Ryk. I’ve played at a few funerals, but never with a banjo. Good idea, and the perfect choice of music. The Ome is great. Love it.
Love it. I think the banjo is the best baroque instrument there is.
Ha! I know some who might question that, but I’m willing to go along with you 😎 Glad you like it.
I think Bach would have liked this.
I hope he would have. Let’s pretend he does!
Gorgeous. You have captured the beautiful lyricness of Bach's phrasing. I played this on a harpsichord many years ago, and you have waaaaaay outdone me in sound and emotion. It was wonderful to land on this video. Thank you.
Oh, thank you, Anna. We are all our severest critic, so I imagine you were not so bad as you make out! I just imagine I am singing against a hinted-at background of chords, and singers need to take breaths at the end of phrases. Well, that's my approach. Best wishes to you, Anna!
There is also the theory that Cello suite #6 was written for the five string da spalla, with the high string tuned to e'.
Good work on persevering after the setbacks.
Simply gorgeous❤
Thank you, Karen. Deeply appreciated!
Wonderful Rob!
Cheers, Tom! Evidently imperishable music 😂
Great !Thanks!
Cheers, Alexander. Glad you like it.
Thank you.
And thank you too!
Хорошо когда электричество есть🐉
Indeed!
bravo!
Thanks, Edward. Appreciated.
Rob is this available for ukulele tenor GCEA tuning? Or any Bach? Thank you
There is one called The Bach Uke Book (pub. Mel Bay) but it is a book of duets for gCEA ukulele and baritone ukulele tuned DGBE - like a guitar. But I urge you to buy a set of strings from Aquila for 5ths tuning. They have one set for Soprano uke, another for Concert or Tenor. Then two books of mine should interest you, Karen: Play Ukulele in 5ths Tuning, and Bach's Cello Suites I-III arranged for Tenor Banjo, both books published by Mel Bay. If you can't find them, you might be able to download them from the Mel Bay website. The tenor banjo has the same tuning as the ukulele in 5ths. There is a video of me playing the whole 1st cello Suite of Bach on ukulele in 5ths tuning. I'm not joking when I say it is 100 times easier to play Bach in 5ths tuning! Really, it is worth changing strings or buying a second ukulele just for 5ths tuning. You will not regret it.
@@RobMacKillop1 thank you so, so very much. Yes, as you may have guessed i have seen and listened to you playing! I realise now, even more, that i need a second ukulele, can you suggest one (tenor?) with the resonance we need and expect. I will try amazon for the strings but being very rural it’s usually a challenge!!
Last time I bought a ukulele was ten or more years ago. It was by Kala, a tenor. It’s ok. Search online for reviews. Good luck!
@@RobMacKillop1 haha! OK!
Wonderful. That Ome sounds superb - is it muted in any way?
Yes. I have neighbours who are not banjo fans - I know, it's a mystery to me too! - so I put a bit of stuffing inside the resonator.
@@RobMacKillop1 Thought so. The increased rate of decay is probably very beneficial musically. I dislike Bach played on harpsichords with excessive sustain.
@@jwoodman Me too. I love this banjo with this set up. I’ve started working-up the second cello suite. I recorded it a good few years ago for my edition, but haven’t played it since. Enjoying rediscovering it. Hopefully I’ll get around to recording it on video.
Hooray, Rob! This is great.
Cheers, Andy! Nice to have a Hooray!
Well played, I’d never have thought that Bach would work on banjo. But can you play duelling banjos?
Somebody had to ask 🙄😩
Well, the original song that Dueling Banjos was taken from (the composer successfully sued for copyright infringement and royalties) was Feudin’ Banjos, a duet between Arthur Smith on tenor and Don Reno on five-string. That the tenor also works wonderfully for Bach shows the range the instrument can cover; a versatile instrument, as beautifully demonstrated by Rob here.
@@rudolphpyatt4833 Duelling harpsichords!
Magnifique!
Bon soir, Karine! Comment ça va?
@@RobMacKillop1 ça va, débordée ces derniers temps avec un double emploi .
@@karinemarchitto6368 Bon chance!