Bach on steel string guitar

[vajraroshana]

I've played many of the Bach pieces arranged for guitar for years, even after I sold my classical guitar.

I play the few pieces every now and then on my steel string guitar. I think they sound very good on it. But frankly, it hurts my fingers a lot.

I've asked my SO to get me the Bach cello suites arranged for guitar sheetmusic for christmas and the lute pieces for guitar as well and I'm working my fingers out in anticipation. I think they're wonderful to play for yourself. I wouldn't think about performing them (at least at this point).

Are there any notable recordings of Bach played on steel string guitar?

Personally, I think they're sounding more vibrant and expressive on steel-string. But there's a tremendous amount of difficulty.

[bullimiami]

1. i would love to hear that

if you ever record some of yourself, and dont be shy i like it human, please share.

[jpgray]

2. His Partita No. 3 in E Major is an awesome piece to play on guitar

People will look on you in awe if you get it up to speed and play it smoothly. The fingerings can be a bitch, though.

[no name no slogan]

3. I feel your pain

The main reason I bought a solid-body nylon-string guitar was for the reason you cited: I just couldn't do fingerpicking on steel strings-- plus, the snap of the nylon strings was just easier for me to play.

I've never heard of any steel-string Bach recordings. It seems like it would be a real challenge, considering the feel of steel-vs-nylon stringed instruments. If you have any audio, please consider post it!

[jpgray]

4. I play all my Bach on a steel string acoustic

It's a great left hand workout. My warmup for fingerpicking is to run through the last three movements of his Suite in E Minor (BWV996). Starts nice and slow with few difficult fingerings and then moves to some quick playing.

[vajraroshana]

6. It hurts a bunch on steel string

but I think it sounds beautiful.

There's a lot of issues, like dampening techniques, because there's a lot of "sound" from a steel string with the next strings ringing, etc.

I won't fret about it though (ooh, what a bad pun). Because I'm not much of a performer -- I play guitar mostly for myself. That is a sweet deal with Bach. He seems to have written a lot of these "solo" pieces just for us musicians.

(I found this "streaming" place where an artist named Paul Berget plays the lute and then has the same pieces on steel string guitar, it's pretty good. You can hear it online, streaming, or you can buy it; I don't know anything about them, but it least they have some good music; it's amazing what google can do; anyway it's http://magnatune.com/artists/paul_berget). It's not Bach, but it's kind of what I was listening for.

[MuseRider]

5. Check out

Bella Fleck and Edgar Meyers. Some guitar some banjo with bass. It might give you some other ideas as well. Lovely CDs with some original work as well. A new look at old music.

[one_true_leroy]

7. Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring was played on steel string by

Leo Kottke. Can't remember if 12 or 6. I'd assume the latter, but with Kottke, all things are possible :)

[one_true_leroy]

8. btw, i have an ancient (1977?) folio of bach for guitar,

some of the 'cello suite sections (not one complete suite, but enough to string together) and Jesu. Fun to pick through, though I can't do it justice!