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Topic: Bach Score: what do this notation mean? (Read 2741 times)

dsch010

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Bach Score: what do this notation mean?

on: July 21, 2018, 06:41:52 PM

I'm working through BWV 114 and a few of the notations aren't clear to me. Anyone know what the 4 things below mean?

Is the first one telling me to quickly move from a B to an A and hold for a dotted half note as if it were just one note? What's the significance of the bracketed notes underneath? I assume the rest of the lines are just someone drawing on the scanned text but I could be wrong.

For the second one, why does the A in the bass clef have two fingerings?

For the third one, what does it mean when you have fingerings above and below a line like that? If it's separating bass and treble clef why are there three fingers for two notes in the bass clef?

For the last one, why are there rests above the bass clef but also notes that are playing? I assume the other line is also random drawing on the score, but let me know if that's wrong.

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themeandvariation

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Re: Bach Score: what do this notation mean?

Reply #1 on: July 21, 2018, 08:21:28 PM

in example 1:
Treat the ~~grace~~ appoggiatura note, B as a quarter note, the following note A is then held for the rest of the measure - (for the remaining 2 beats).
Ignore the bracketed note. Ignore the lines written by hand.

In example 2:
offers alternative fingering for the A.

In example 3:
Again, alternate fingering is offered. Choose either the top fingering or the bottom.

In example 4:
Your left hand is playing 2 'voices'.. No big deal. Hold the D for the whole measure; on Beat 3 (hence the 2 quarter rests) play the f# while still holding the D.
The random line is to remind the player to hold the D while playing the f#.

PS... Thanks, Ryoutak. (I'm guilty of being loose w the term). Yes, the proper term is appoggiatura - 'grace' being too generalized a term here.
The appoggiatura is always worth 1/2 the amount of the note that follows. However, in this case. that would have you striking the 'A' on the & of 2.. which would sound a bit off. Originally I had indicated to treat the appogg. as an 8th note, (realizing that 1/2 amount wouldn't quite seem logical), though now, I think the quarter is best for the value of the appogg.

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4'33"

dsch010

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Re: Bach Score: what do this notation mean?

Reply #2 on: July 21, 2018, 08:42:47 PM

great, thank you!! one follow up, on the first one, what's the point of having bracketed notes there? Is it something about the value of the dotted half note?

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ryoutak

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Re: Bach Score: what do this notation mean?

Reply #3 on: July 21, 2018, 09:24:38 PM

Quote from: dsch010 on July 21, 2018, 08:42:47 PM

great, thank you!! one follow up, on the first one, what's the point of having bracketed notes there? Is it something about the value of the dotted half note?

Actually for the first question, it is an appoggiatura, a leaning note.

https://www.piano-play-it.com/appoggiatura.html

The bracket is actually showing you how to play it. Play B for one crotchet and then A for a minim.

Please do that note that it is very different from an acciaccatura (https://www.piano-play-it.com/acciaccatura.htmlhttp://www.piano-play-it.com/acciaccatura.html), aka grace note, which you are suppose to quickly play B then A. To notice the difference, the grace note usually have a line across the note.

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andrewuk

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Posts: 68

Re: Bach Score: what do this notation mean?

Reply #4 on: July 24, 2018, 08:19:42 AM

Incidentally, this famous Minuet in G, found in the Anna Magdalena Notebook, was not written by Bach, but by Christian Petzold.

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