Piano Practice Tip: Analyzing J.S. Bach's Prelude in Bb major (B dur), WTK 1 

I love those unexpected moments/choices in Bach. I can picture him smiling as he wrote them out.

Thanks Eleonor for posting this humorous and erudite insight into Bach's complex and mystical mind, and reminders to bring to the piano this summer. Practice hands separate! Play slowly! Otherwise you miss the point. cheers and all best to you

Really helpful, just these few tips has absolutely transformed my prelude - I'd love a folow up on the fugue if possible 😅

That internal information certainly helps one to read/see the groups of notes, the piece too.

Yes, analysis is such an important piece of understanding and deeply appreciating the harmonic movement . Very jazzy there.

Thank you. Very helpful.

Your Bosey has such great sustain when you hold, the color of the chords becomes so obvious, textural. Thanks so much for this beautiful post, Ellie. Much appreciated.

Yes, yes, I do love that jazzy aspect too. Oh how pretty, lovely you made it eleonor. Prestidigitation, that is magic. Isn’t that comment of his amusing.

Wonderful! 🤯

I love to watch how you do that , so beautiful, Ellie .

Your playing is remarkable, I love it.

Thank you for the video. It's being helpful as im learning it at the minute and im struggling a bit with the rhythm

What a wonderful example. Terrific idea. Thanks Eleonor.

great great great ... very interesting clip !!!!!!!!!!!

Very nice. Thank you.

I think it is very helpful to play the block chord harmonies. Although I've heard it said that Bach didn't think in terms of harmonic progressions, they nevertheless are manifest and do serve as the foundation of the structure of the piece. Also, playing different aspects by themselves allows incremental learning that builds upon itself naturally. Anything to avoid getting into a rut of playing passages over and over and killing the airiness of the music. It is interesting that the prelude starts as sort of a techniccal exercise but then breaks into a sort of operatic recitative freeing us from that fairly intense pulse.

Thank you Eleonore 🌹

Just brilliant Eleonor. Thank you🥰✨

Merci.

Yes that diminished chord.

Is that a circle of fifths?

There’s magic in your fingers. You have to be careful how you wave them about. You don’t want to be casting about inadvertent spells do you.

Sorry - the dislike button was hit by mistake!!!!!