Ukulele in 5ths Tuning: Bach 1st Cello Suite - Rob MacKillop 

Thanks, saam. Appreciated. I have pinned it to being the top comment.

@@RobMacKillop1not that it shouldn't be enjoyed in its entirety :) but since I'm learning it movement by movement, it was helpful for myself :) question, in your notation you don't have a slur on the ascending lines that start at the end of the 22nd measure, but you do play it that way here. I don't think most cello renditions do the slur either. Was it an in-the-moment creative inclination? You certainly nailed it (I can't).

@@saam6768 From many years of studying Bach and Weiss, I can say that slurs appear in different places with different editions or manuscripts. My impression is they put them in whenever and wherever they felt like. So that's what I do. And that decision could change with different performances. Good luck! Rob

Thanks. I will from now on. I had to get this one out of my system!

Thanks. Glad you like it. I was suffering from 7 months of Long Covid. Most days I had no energy to do anything, and then suddenly I would have tremendous energy…and caught this on video. I’m fine now, but could do with the boost I got for this video!

What's stopping you? 🙂

I've just bought your book of lute solos for plectrum guitar - that'll be plenty for me to be going on with! 🙂@@RobMacKillop1

@@gam1471 It sure will be! Good luck.

They do. But slowly attitudes are changing.

Ou combien de beauté peut-on trouver dans un commentaire sur RU-vid. Un grand merci Bernadine !

Glad you like it! Many thanks. Rob

Cheers, Peter, and also many thanks for the coffee! Much appreciated.

Thanks, Calus!

As is your comment. Thank you!

Agreed, Carla!

Cheers, HH. Glad you enjoyed it.

Nice comment, Brad. Many thanks. Rob

Grazie, Franz!

Cheers, Steve. Appreciated.

Yes, BB, it does suddenly sound like a "real" instrument. Of course, it was all along, but now it seems to fit more within a living tradition, and is at peace with itself. I never expected that.

@@RobMacKillop1 Of course I'm not the classical music virtuoso... I just use it for some easy-listening somewhat folky pop music :) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-FR4biCmHQss.html

Thanks, Josh. Appreciated.

Cheers, Rain. Appreciated.

Yes, musicians sound best when they listen to their ears :-)

Thanks. If you haven’t done so, try my ‘Ukulele in 5ths Tuning’ book with soundfiles and TAB, published by Mel Bay. Good luck!

Cheers, Pietro. I'm pleased to hear you have recovered. That gives me hope. I am almost there, but still sleep three times during the day, exhausted. It's just a matter of time. Best wishes!

Thank you! I am slowly recovering, but it is taking time. I'm not very good at relaxing!

Glad you like it. Here’s more: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-XqsXByT5kic.html

Thanks, Marius. Bach was amazing.

@@RobMacKillop1 kinda like you ;-) wink wink

Cheers, Maxime :-)

Thank you!

Thanks, Ritesh!

Thanks, Swan. Thank you for saying what you say :-)

Thanks, Sharon. I have Long Covid, meaning the virus has gone, but my body is taking a long time to recover. But I'm definitely recovering 🙂 and messages like yours help. Music helps me too, music therapy is a wonderful thing. And yes, the mandolin repertoire can all be played on the ukulele in 5ths. The potential repertoire is HUGE. Get stuck in! 😎

Cheers, Rich. Appreciated.

Thanks, Micha. Lang may yer Lum reek in Scots - long might there be smoke in your chimney :-)

Ha, thank you, Frau. Your comment has touched me. Keep working on your music!

Thanks. Well, a lot of them have similar techniques. It’s just a matter of finding where the notes are.

It's the only tuning for these suites. I've tried the 5th suite - same good result. :-)

Hi Ken. Haven't seen you for a while. Thanks for the nice comment. I hope you are well and thriving! Cheers, Rob

Hi Rob. We are fine, thanks. Hope you are too. I don't know about you, but I am looking forward to doing some travelling as soon as they let us free.

Good to know, Ralph. Cheers.

Where’ve you been, Jon?! 😀 Seriously, welcome!

@@RobMacKillop1 Better late that never :)

What are you waiting for, Mike? Buy those strings, and get stuck in! :-)

I’m fine now, Andy. Many thanks!

Indeed, sir! Thank you.

Indeed, Paula, it is fun. Get stuck in!

Thanks. It's just a slow post-viral recovery now. Could take a while, apparently.

Cheers, Michael! I love your comment.

Thank you!

Cheers, Ritchie. Good to know my teaching didn't put you off music forever ;-)

Glad you like it, Kerstin!

Thanks, Jason. I play mandolin too, so I was coming from that direction. But I play it fingerstyle too when the mood strikes.

I was actually looking on YT to see if anyone had attempted the Prelude from Violin Partita No. 3 on the uke. Couldn't find one. Maybe you should give it a go? :)@@RobMacKillop1

@@650mm Maybe you could? 😎 The Chaconne awaits 😂

@@RobMacKillop1 🤣🤣

Thanks.

Cheers, Rowan. I think of its European roots in the Renaissance guitar...but that's a long story.

Thanks, Paula. I wish you and yours all the best!

Cheers, Steve. I'll pay for it!

Cheers, Rob. Glad you like it.

Cheers, Stephen.

J'aime votre comment! Sorry for my poor French! :-)

Getting there, Fred. By the way, Bach loved strumming the old uke of an evening. ;-)

@@RobMacKillop1 😁

Thanks, Peter. I love playing Bach, and he feels right at home in this tuning and instrument. Glad you like it!

Cheers, David. Glad you like it.

Cheers, David. Appreciated.

And I'm glad you heard it, Jelma!

Hey, Kacper, great to hear from you. I have to admit, the ukulele in 5ths tuning feels a wonderful instrument, a "real" instrument, not a toy. Bach works perfectly on it, naturally, as this is the tuning he used. The extent of repertoire for 5ths tuning is enormous, so we will never run dry. Get yourself a set of Aquila Concert 5ths strings, and tune down a tone for the longer string length of the tenor. You'll be glad you did. I hope all is well, and that you are doing good research. Take care - I'm still recovering some 13 weeks after getting covid. It is to be avoided at all costs! Cheers, Rob.

Exactly. This is not far removed at all from the Cremonese mandolin.

Great. I think I'll write a book for ukulele in 5ths.

Cheers, Mark. Good luck with your studies!

Cheers, Billy. Glad you like it.

You never know 😎

Cheers, David. Appreciated.

Good to know! Keep at it!

How do you play it in a lower tuning? Thank you! Can you explain?

@@wendym2544 Hi Wendy. The strings I use are from Aquila, called 5ths Tuning (CGDA) for Concert ukulele, but I play a Tenor. So there is a chance the strings might break if I tune them to CGDA on the longer length of the tenor. So I tune them down a tone (two steps) to Bb F C G. By the way, you can’t use regular ukulele strings for 5ths tuning, you have to have a dedicated set. I’m not sure if I answered your questions, so if not ask again, but try to be very specific. Cheers, Rob

@@RobMacKillop1 Thanks so much Rob!. I play on a concert and don't have those strings. Your playing of this song sounds so good, that's why I asked. I was interested in changing the tuning (GCEA with a low G) I am using if it would sound better. But sounds like I'd have to get some strings etc......I love this song. I play it myself, and know it fully, but have a while to go until I get the speed up and play it well. Thanks!

Cheers, William. I love a good harpsichord, loathe a bad one ;-)

Rob MacKillop, Sadly there are a lot of untended unhappy harpsichords out there, we harpsichordist have to be very good about making sure all those quills are in good shape, that those ~183 strings are in tune to a reasonable temperament. Sometimes an instrument with only 4 strings is very inviting.

Sorry about the ads, which are beyond my control and are the scourge of RU-vid. Glad you like the music. I have a book called Ukulele in 5ths Tuning being published soon by Mel Bay. It will come with forty or so sound files.

I finally decided to pay for RU-vid Premium to get rid of the ads. I didn't hear any ads on this.

Thanks, Henry. Appreciated.

Thank you!

@@RobMacKillop1 Is this a tenor ukulele?

@@catena92 Yes. With strings for a Concert ukulele, tuned down a tone to compensate for the extra length.

@@RobMacKillop1 Thank you!

Thanks, Petr. Appreciated!

Thanks, Lee. You can't beat Bach! I think the Allemande is my fav in the suite, but they are all wonderful pieces.

Glad you like it, Bobby.

Dear Gioia, thank you for your beautiful comment. One day I would love to visit Berlin, but not this year. Best wishes to you from Edinburgh!

@@RobMacKillop1 Well, this year is soon over ;-)! Wishing you a speedy recovery from C.

Thank you!

Cheers, Nathan. I'm working on it.

Thanks, Linda. Yes there's more than just the prelude :-)

Cheers, my friend. It's the lightest instrument I have - useful when convalescing.

@@RobMacKillop1 The lightest but in your hands it sounds great and so sweet...Thanks for your effort!!!

Really, the easiest way to play the cello suites is in the tuning Bach wrote for. The music just falls under the fingers beautifully, and you can just concentrate on interpretation. Recommended!

​@@RobMacKillop1 Have you tuned any of your guitars to 5ths? Perhaps making use of some strings from those Aquilla altered tuning sets? I would expect that to be really nice for the 6th suite. (BTW you've inspired me to dust off some of my ukeleles. I've ordered your book.)

@@eblackbrook I've no interest in tuning the guitar that way. I've heard others do it, and remain to be convinced. But never say never. Thanks for ordering my book! 🙂

Спасибо, мой друг!

Interesting idea. Never thought of that. Hmm.

ive become interested in and have decided to start playing tenor guitar, which is very similar to the baritone ukulele. C-G-D-A is the standard tuning for tenor guitar and actually how I landed on this video (great work, Rob. I've listened to this performance countless times in the last few weeks). I'm excited to start playing an instrument in fifths tuning.

Well, Ben, I suggest you gut two of my books: Ukulele in 5ths Tuning, and Bach Cello Suites 1 - 3 for Tenor Banjo. Those two books will keep you occupied for a few years. Have fun! Rob

@@RobMacKillop1 i will certainly be picking up your cello suites transcription ;)

Thanks. I didn't intend to return so soon, but lockdown has left me bored...

Thanks, Bernd. I'm getting there.

Cheers, Lewis. Glad you like it.

Cheers Scout. I'm getting there.

😎

Cheers, William. Nice comment, as always.

I’m doing fine, thanks. Glad you like it. I was reading from my Bach for Tenor Banjo album from Mel Bay - same tuning: www.melbay.com/Products/30430M/bachs-cello-suites-iiii-arranged-for-tenor-banjo.aspx

Mark Bailey, perchance? I've played these suites on lute, guitars in two tunings, an 18th-century guitar, mandolin, tenor banjo, and now ukulele. I've loved playing them on all these instruments. Just great music.

Rob MacKillop no, a guy I was at university with, Mark Summers (who’d certainly know Mark Bailey). I just got my first nylon string guitar, so that’s going to be my focus for the summer. A friend recommended Sor’s etudes so I started looking at his 24 Progressive Lessons.

@@jaywilsonmusic I've met Mark Summers a couple of times, but have never played with him. As for Sor studies, I suggest you start with the easier Opus 60. The 24 Progressive Lessons get too hard, too quickly. And the Opus 60 set is delightful. Anyway, best wishes for your study.

@@RobMacKillop1 oh brilliant, thank you! Hope you feel better soon.

LOL. No.