{"id":14749,"date":"2020-05-18T12:32:44","date_gmt":"2020-05-18T19:32:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/classicalguitarmagazine.com\/?p=14749"},"modified":"2021-06-29T15:38:59","modified_gmt":"2021-06-29T22:38:59","slug":"learn-to-play-j-s-bachs-bourree-in-e-minor-for-guitar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/classicalguitarmagazine.com\/learn-to-play-j-s-bachs-bourree-in-e-minor-for-guitar\/","title":{"rendered":"Learn to Play J.S. Bach’s ‘Bourr\u00e9e in E Minor’ for Guitar"},"content":{"rendered":"
By Teja Gerken<\/h5>\n

For many classical guitar students, tackling the “Bourr\u00e9e in E minor” by Johann Sebastian Bach<\/a> (1685\u20131750) is a rite of passage from playing mere exercises to playing music that many non-musicians will recognize and appreciate. Bach wrote the Bourr\u00e9e sometime after 1712 (the exact date is unknown) as part of his Lute Suite No. 1, and it was adapted for guitar in the 20th century, after the instrument earned acceptance in classical circles. Andr\u00e9s Segovia recorded a version<\/a> of it in 1947. Since then, the piece has made its way onto countless classical guitar recordings, and it has a firm place in the repertoire.<\/p>\n

Classical guitarists aren\u2019t the only ones to cut their teeth on the Bourr\u00e9e. British rockers Jethro Tull included a jazzed-up band version on their 1969 album Stand Up<\/a>. Their decidedly nonclassical performance provided the blueprint for an arrangement often performed live (but never officially released) by Michael Hedges\u2014playing flute!\u2014and electric bass virtuoso Michael Manring.<\/p>\n

Thanks to its popularity outside the classical realm, referring to the piece merely as \u201cthe Bach Bourr\u00e9e\u201d will generally allow people to recall the correct tune, but you\u2019ll probably want to be more specific when trying to impress your classically trained friends. This is because \u201cBourr\u00e9e\u201d actually refers to a dance popular in France\u2019s Auvergne region during the 17th century, and the name has been used for countless compositions of the Baroque period.<\/p>\n

The Bourr\u00e9e in E minor makes for an excellent introduction to Bach’s music. Even though it isn\u2019t overly complex or difficult to play, it is a beautiful representation of Bach\u2019s sense of harmony and counterpoint, with distinct bass and melody lines moving so perfectly against each other that it may give you the chills as you play the piece. If you\u2019re having difficulty with the independence of the movements, try learning the melody and bass line separately, one at a time, fusing them together after you\u2019re comfortable with each. Pay special attention to the fingering in bars 17 and 22, as it\u2019s easy to get your fingers tied up in knots if you\u2019re not careful.<\/p>\n

Mastering pieces such as this offers a great learning experience for any fingerstyle guitarist, because it not only teaches picking-hand techniques that are independent of set patterns but also demonstrates excellent form and structure.<\/p>\n\n

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\"Bach<\/a>
Bach Bourree in e minor for classical guitar<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/figure>\n
Classical Guitar Music to Play: Gavotte by J.S. Bach (Arr. S. Kenyon)<\/a><\/blockquote>