# How do you listen to Bach?



## yoshtodd (Sep 6, 2009)

I really want to experience what so many describe as his genius, but I find his music so fast and multi voiced that it's hard for me to follow. I've tried searching the web and this forum for tips but with not much success. Is there a certain thing to concentrate on when 2 or 3 melodies are running really fast simultaneously? Even some of the solo instrumental works I find myself lost and confused in. Any help would be appreciated.


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## mueske (Jan 14, 2009)

1. Listen to it, follow one line

2. Listen to it again, follow another line

3. ... Repeat until all lines are covered

???

5. Profit!

Seriously, following along with a score helps a lot. Just get familiar with the music, it'll come.


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## Ravellian (Aug 17, 2009)

If you mean the fugues, it's not that hard. The main melody (subject) is always stated by itself at the beginning, then in the other voices. After that, either the main melody is appearing somewhere or there's simple episodic material with sequential patterns.


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## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

Just listen to it; don't try to listen to any one voice, just take it all in. It gets much easier from there.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

You might also try to listen to some cheesy synth version of Bach, such as the groundbreaking Wendy Carlos recordings of the late 60's / early 70's. These make the voices more distinct from one another and somewhat easier to focus on just one. Also as a rule of thumb, the inner voices (mid range) are not quite as important melodically as the outer voices (bass and uppermost), so you might want to focus just on the upper voices or the bass first, though they sometimes cross over the middle voices' territory and vice versa, and toss a line back and forth like a tennis ball.

But part of the charm is being overwhelmed by all the polyphony. That is precisely why I like baroque. It's also a good part of why I like progressive rock. There is a lot less mere accompaniment and a lot more deep textural complexity to yield more surprises with each listen.

I liken it to a really complicated painting. There is a_ lot_ going on in the painting below (some would say too much), yet most people can focus on individual elements and it makes a kind of simple structural sense when one squints the eyes to tone down the detail, but it's the detail, so unlike how our eyes really work, that makes it rich and scintillating to my eyes. (I hope this pic is small enough.)


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## Conor71 (Feb 19, 2009)

It has taken me a while to get to know Bach's music but I am glad I made the effort - I was initially quite baffled by some of his works but I was able to make sense of the pieces through repeated listenings so no special techniques required, just the usual time and patience .
I dont rate myself as a particularly great listener and would estimate it has taken me some 20 or more listenings to the WTC for example before I was able to make sense of it, even the Cello Suites have taken me more than 10-15 listens - maybe others are able to make sense of the music with less listening time, an ability to read the score seems like it would be an advantage?.


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## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

How to listen to Johnny Bach? Press play, sit back and relax, ears wide open.


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## Agatha (Nov 3, 2009)

Today, i was driving from Whistler, (last day of skiing this season; tomorrow it will be closed for summer) and listened to Robert Greenberg lectures - "how to listen and understand great music", i believe in lecture 10 he explains how to listen to Bach's fugue" - it is so much clearer now! Even my husband, who is hardly interested in classical music, said he shoud listen to Bach's fugues now.

By the way, I picked up the reference to Robert Greenberg lectures on this forum - thanks guys!


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## bigham45 (Apr 26, 2010)

There is a lot of great advice on this thread already! 

I agree with sitting with the score, and then listen over and over and over and over and over...you get the idea...if you really wanna get in deep with it! 

If I have the score for a piece, it's great to just follow along; I know it keeps me for focused and not ADD'ing around my room!


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## ozradio (Oct 23, 2008)

HarpsichordConcerto said:


> How to listen to Johnny Bach? Press play, sit back and relax, ears wide open.


And turned up to 11.


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## yoshtodd (Sep 6, 2009)

Thanks for the advice everyone, lots of stuff to try... I can't read musical notation unfortunately. Perhaps just repetition might be the trick instead of giving up on a piece and moving to the next like I usually do.


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## Guest (Apr 27, 2010)

yoshtodd said:


> Thanks for the advice everyone, lots of stuff to try... I can't read musical notation unfortunately. Perhaps just repetition might be the trick instead of giving up on a piece and moving to the next like I usually do.


Start with the easiest pieces first. Honestly, the stuff is just beautiful, you really don't need a grand strategy to come to appreciate it. I just listen. Start with:
Brandenburg Concertos
Orchestral Suites (esp. the Air from the 3rd Suite)
Cello Suites (esp. the first movement of the 1st Suite)
Violin Concertos

If you like choral music, listen the his Mass in B Minor. If you really like that, try the passions - Matthew and John.

Then if you like those, you can try some of the "tougher" pieces - Well-tempered Clavier, Art of Fugue.

Lately I have also been really enjoying exploring his organ works.


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