Here starts what I consider to be a very long journey. I’ve been listening to a few recordings of this, and it’s challenging, to say the least, to figure out where the phrase boundaries go. First, I’ll learn the notes, and then figure how they should be in my hands. I’m working on the first two lines, and I should have clips of that over the break. I’m going to need to work on that chord trill a few hundred thousand times.
How did you work through this when you first encountered it?
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The Cello Suites are all about chords. Even when they aren’t chords. I spend much time just playing the chords and listening to the sound and looking at what my bow is doing to make the best sound. Seems like it works best for me when I play the two lower notes close to the frog, and not too long, and not gruff, and play the next two notes with the bow staying parallel to the bridge. I wouldn’t put the trill in until you had lots of practice on that much of making the chord sound gorgeous. Not an easy task and I’m still trying. Good luck and don’t put a time limit on it. I think I’ve been working on the First Suite for 5 years. I don’t think there’s a finish line to it.