A friend of mine from Japan said her teacher in Japan told her this. But she didn't elaborate on why she thought this was true. Any thoughts on why would be appreciated.

pdolce

I think it has to do with two things:

Finger dexterity.

Thinking of the hands independent from each other.

That's , but it doesn't hurt.

Kreisler,
I'd be surprised if that were the reason that Japanese person recommended Bach.

I think it is for the same reason Mozart,Beethoven,Chopin, Schumann went to Bach : inspiration, genius, vision, transcendance and this dialectics of RATIO (construction and INVENTIO (expressivity).

Just my half cent.

Hmm..That's kind of weird.

It reminds me of something I read somewhere -- that Baroque music had Jazz elements because figured bass was used.

My interpretation of that is that the person did not only mean Bach. They meant that you should be classically trained so you have all of the techniques to play the piano regardless if it is classical or jazz.

Because you need to get Bach to the basics?

Because the rules need to be learned before they can be Baroquen?

Ok ok I'm sorry. BUT Bach was a fantastic puzzle solver. He seemed to be able to get from chord X to chord Y in however many beats he needed to do it in. This is one of the challenges in jazz as well. And the maxim about learning rules before you can bend them is true.

This is just to add to Kreisler's and Ben's edicts.

Bob

I am currently reading a biography on Bill Evans, regarded as on of the greatest jazz pianists ever, and he said this about Bach..
"Bach changed my approach to the piano. I used to use alot of finger technique when I was younger and changed over to a weight technique. Actually if you play Bach and all the voices sing, and sustain the way they should, you can't really play it with the wrong approach. It's going to straighten you out in a hurry...."

I agree with what Kreisler said about independence of fingers and dexterity. Also, Bach can use a tremendous amount of harmonic variation. The same can be said of a lot of composers, I suppose.
I sometimes think that Baroque music has more in common with jazz than with other classical stylistic periods. Both rely heavily on improvisation, the ensembles are fairly small - at least smaller than a symphony orchestra, and the prevalence of the figured bass in Baroque is similar to the bass and rhythm section of a jazz ensemble providing an anchor and harmonic underpinning to whatever is being played.

Bach so complex, so intricate, so intellectual, so fascinating.... maybe the Japanese teacher thinks if the student would play Bach, he (she) wouldn't want to play jazz. I find I don't.

Have you listened to Bill Evans much? He has some wonderfully serene moments.

Yes. I am trying to get more into his work. I was more impressed with his piano work on Miles Davis's "Kind of Blue" then I was with Miles horn playing. One of Evans big influences was Nat King COle, who I think is the most underrated jazz pianist ever... his style was so tasteful and sophisticated.

Seek out the piece that is called "Peace Piece."

I think the answer is obvious. No other composer I have tried (Not even Chopin's etudes, since they instill a different type of technique) can match the amount of technique and musical understanding Bach gives you. When I learn a new piece, such as a Beethoven sonata, I am just as interested in the counterpoint (whatever type there is, most likely not strict counterpoint such as in a fugue) and the different things occuring at once as I am in the actual musical result, thanks to Bach's works.

I took a few lessons with jaki byard a jazz piano legend ,and the first thing he started me on was bach inventions because of my lack of classical training, no doubt it has helped my technique, but I've fallen in love with some of the scriabin preludes which remind me alot of the way bill evans plays, phrasing and all.

I am in a minority as usual. I don't see that you have to play anything in order to play something else. I certainly don't see that it's mandatory to play any of the old masters unless you enjoy their music. I don't play any strictly classical music because I don't like it. I haven't experienced paralytic limitations of technique and creative enjoyment as a consequence. There are many situations like this where somebody nominates something as a prerequsite for something else. Heeding this sort of advice leaves you at the starting line like Achilles with the tortoise.

HAHA! Love the smiley!

Just relating what a couple of local players have said Bach did for them.

(Of course, knowing these guys, the idea that they're full of it isn't out of the question, either...)

Thank-you all for your replys. They made a lot of sense to me. Especially the figured bass and different voices. We happen to be studying that at the moment in my music fundamentals class.
Thanks again.

pdolce

P.S. RKVS1, If it ain't Baroque, don't fix it. :rolleyes: