Phil Hilborne on Johann sebastian bach
How the legacy of a classical master continues to influence
Allow at least 30 mins per section
Tutor Phil hilborne | Gear used PRS ‘Signature’ Custom 24 Guitar into a Fender Blues Deluxe amp mic’d using a Royer 121 and a Shure SM57. The distortion was from a Freedman BE-OD overdrive pedal and any additional reverb/delay was added via Logic plug-ins in the mix Johann Sebastian Bach is – without doubt – an absolute titan in the world of music. And that’s all music. His influence and legacy straddles everything from classical and jazz to rock, metal and pop. Tracks such as Procul Harum’s Whiter Shade Of Pale, The Beach Boys’ Lady Lynda, The Beatles’
Penny Lane (trumpet solo), Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s The Only Way, Jethro Tull’s Bourrée and lots of music by Deep Purple, Yngwie Malmsteen and all the neo-classical rockers simply would not have existed in the same form without him. Other iconic musicians and composers who acknowledge a debt to him include Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, Liszt, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Rachmaninoff, Schoenberg, Arvo Part, Bill Evans, Dave Brubeck, Paul McCartney, Paul Simon – this impressive list could go on and on!
Bach played many instruments including the organ, harpsichord, clavichord, violin and viola. Of all these instruments, it’s likely that the organ and viola were his favourites. He also preferred to play the viola over the violin in ensembles because it put him ‘in the centre of the harmony’.
There is a massive amount to be learned from Bach and so we take a look at just a few ideas – however, do bear in mind, these only really scratch the surface! Not only is playing Bach on guitar fun, it also poses a rewarding challenge! Here are my examples…