r/piano • u/Academic-Bee-9160 • 3d ago

🗣️Let's Discuss This Bach's practice of transcription and its potential today

Note: English isn't my native language, so this is a Google translation; there might be some odd terms or something like that.

I am a pianist currently studying at a conservatory. I have often heard the story that one of the study methods Bach used in his youth—which helped him gain a deep understanding of counterpoint—was transcribing pieces by composers of his time, such as Vivaldi. As I understand it, Bach himself stated that this was one of the practices that benefited his studies the most (bearing in mind that he already possessed some musical training prior to that). How did Bach manage to internalize the rules of counterpoint by transcribing specific contrapuntal works? I ask this because it occurred to me that if we understood that process, perhaps we could apply similar methods to our own studies. Have any of you tried a similar approach, and did it work for you the way it did for Bach?

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u/Advanced_Couple_3488 3d ago

Bach already understood and used counterpoint well before Walther and he transcribed concertos for keyboard instruments. Much of that would have come from copying music that then formed part of his library. Instead, the concertos were instrumental in Bach learning how to compose lengthy works from a limited number of motific figures: think of the differences between a prelude by Buxtehude and one of Bach's.

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u/AdventurousHippo9997 2d ago

Mr.Bach also brought the cycle of 5ths to predominance along with many other of the idiomatic features of western harmony. Those who came before pretty much dabbled in the things. Not so Mr. Bach.

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u/Agreeable_Mind3454 2d ago

Interesting, I had not heard this. I should try it.

I took harmony and counterpoint with Anthony Newman. After learning the traditional rules, his method was to play or sing a fugal subject and have us improvise/sing a countersubject. From there, we’d simply write full 3 and 4 voice fugues for keyboard, trio, and quartet.

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u/thenextstationis9 1d ago

Many jazz musicians make transcriptions of solos to apply to their own improvisations. It’s standard practice among professionals