I went to college in a pre-internet time. It was a time that predated not only the internet but also the widespread use of what is now the common PC. When doing research, the library was the place to go for free information where I discovered Bach’s Little Fugue in G minor. I made a copy of the score via the library’s photocopy machine and left feeling like I was carrying a secret treasure.
Originally composed as an organ piece, I fell in love with the melodic logic of the Fugue and was dying to hear it on guitar. I would learn phrases here and there and these would serve as my daily warm-ups for years. Eventually I recorded the piece on an early hard disk recorder: a Roland VS-880. I painstakingly learned short phrases and assembled the tune piece by tiny piece until, when it was finally complete. The Fugue was realize, on guitar.
I continue to play excerpts from this piece even today. When my mind wanders and my fingers are allowed to do as they wish, they find themselves nimbly walking the path Bach so thoughtfully laid-out.
Years passed and I decided to give the fugue another go, this time video taping as well as recording audio. This is the most time-consuming and labor-intensive video that I’ve produced yet! The main melody (the “white shirt” part) was all played in a single pass, from memory and with no edits.
I would guess that over the years, I’ve put in hundreds of hours of preparation into this video.
You can watch in-studio performance here:
youtu.be/3k38m9sFFtY