Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Wich J.S.Bach piece is best for pianistic development?

I am trying to play some baroque so..

None of them - I would look for a composer who wrote more difficult music :p

There's no one answer, and even the possible choices would depend on your level overall and your experience with contrapuntal writing.

Can you tell us more?

Steven

Depends on your skill level. I've learned a great deal from the Well Tempered Clavichord, especially the fugues. I've really enjoyed learning and playing them. Also the Italian Concerto. I've never liked the two and three part inventions. They've always bored me.

The fingering in Bach can be a challenge at first but you will soon find that it really sets you up for what is coming next in the music. In in the long run, it really helps your technique.

Oops, Steven posted right in between. What he said...Also, if you are at the level required, start with the first 2-part invention.

Sorry, I don't understand. Can you explain what you mean?

Any of the fugues will be good for coordination, texture, and pedaling.

For speed and fluency, two of my favorite "figuration" preludes are the D Major and Bb Major from book 1. Both offer opportunities for developing the hand and arm, albeit in different ways.

Bach wrote some pretty difficult stuff IMO. Not necessarily difficult in the "gee that sure is a lot of notes on the page" kind of way, but it is hard to play Bach and play it really well.

to the OP, check out the Well Tempered Clavier.

Since the usual suspects have been mentioned, I'd like to point out that the various bodies of suites (in order of increasing difficulty: French Suites, English Suites, Partitas) are also invaluable to a pianist's musical and technical development. And in many ways they may be more appealling than the WTC.

Start Prelude BWV 999 and you will feel Bach in your fingers.......

Johan B

Bach 2 or 3 part inventions, and many Scarlatti sonatas.

I'm just finishing BWV 1056 Piano Concerto. It's gorgeous and SOO much fun!

After all the negative Bach criticism by others in other threads, I'm delighted to find more Bach lovers!

For the right hand development, try Bach WTC Bk1 prelude in D Major. Those 16th note patterns are really tough to get up to full speed, but it will really get your fingers moving. Also the one in C minor is great for harmonizing motifs in sixths for both hands of course. There are others and I will make more recommendations when I can think of anymore

katt

Bach-Liszt Prelude and Fugue, BWV 548 in e minor, is probably as close as you can come to some extreme difficulty. The partitas also have some very difficult imitative developments.

I'd start with the prelude in D minor (5? maybe 6) from WTC I.

it is so helpful

Or, even better, for not pedaling.

what? no love for the G. Variations?

Personally love that stuff, and there seem to be both easy and rather difficult pieces, depending on your level and your taste. Not for everyone, though.

(currently finishing #13 and working on #1... not too hard, I know... Im only 9mo or so into my piano obsession )

Hmm...some of the judges my students ran into at festivals will grill you for using _any_ pedal.

Quoting one of such judges..."You need to make the piano sound like a harpsichord." :t:

To answer the question--all the 2-part Inventions are wonderful for developing technique, such as the independence of hands and voice-leading.

Because we all know how easy works such as the Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue are, right?

:p

Bach's music develops some pianistic sides, but his music is not what you could call typical piano music.

Nevertheless some teachers put great emphasis on playing Bach. But I consider many - not all - of his piano works boring etudes or fingerexercises.