Variation Goldberg n°1...

[babaz]

Hi!

Please watch (and ideally comment) this video :

It's a beginning but in high-definition (thanks to firewire !!!)

Thank you!

[baso]

Good job.  It seems like you've got all the notes worked out for the first half of the piece. 

My advice is to adjust your tempo (i.e. slow down a little bit for now) so you can play the piece more evenly.  I noticed that you slowed down when you started crossing your hands. 

Once you have mastered the notes/fingering, I think that you should play this piece using a tempo that matches your "bottleneck" so that you have a consistent tempo all throughout the piece.  Then start increasing the speed gradually so you can play the difficult sections without slowing down.  I don't know if everybody will agree with me on this advice but it worked for me when I was learning this piece.

Also, try to relax your left hand a little bit more.  I saw your pointing finger getting a little stiff on certain parts...

Keep on playing!  Have fun!

[ramseytheii]

This variation by the way should be the same tempo as the Aria.  Do you play the Aria this fast?

I think it needs more character.  When you have several bars of sixteenth notes, you have to get heavier here, lighter there, as you see fit to create a certain style, or a certain image. 

One of the things that is so wondrous about Glenn Gould is that he gives such a vivid note-picture or imagery of the music.  You feel you can see the music dancing in front of you.  The trick to this is using natural weight to make certain elements of the melodic line heavier, and certain lighter; or to make certain registers heavier, and certain lighter; that is the art of playing Bach on the piano.

Looks like you have good fingers!

Walter Ramsey