Playing many voices

I always have problem with Bach Fugues mainly because of voices.
I'm playing WTC 1 G sharp Minor (4 voices :!: )and I'm having trouble with the fugue.
Can you guys give me some tips with this fugue?

 

Analyze the fugue in as much detail as possible. Know where each little bit of material in the counterpoint, during subject or sequence, comes from. If it's a bit of a motif, you'll want to treat it accordingly. Look for BACH signatures. They usually mark some sort of profound harmonic shift, not because Bach was conceited, but because the tones themselves force such a shift. I would suggest analyzing it yourself because if you read someone else's analysis, you won't appreciate it as much as if you had found everything yourself. But of course check out an online analysis when you are done - all of the WTC analyses are available online, somewhere.

Try playing through it, only playing subject material. Mark it on the score that you practice with. Practice slow, and don't go faster if you can't maintain clarity of your voices and their interactions with each other.

 

A very late post, maybe you'll read it........... My teacher is amazing at playing Bach preludes&fugues - the tips she passed to me were:

Make sure you know every voice off by heart separately.

-Before combining any parts, play one and sing/hum another.
-When combining parts, play them in pairs in all different combinations.

The above plans of attack really helped me to 'hear' the voices independently when playing.

 

an even more late response

My teacher has told me numerous times that Julliard students are told to solfeg one voice while playing the others...it sounds like a nightmare, but once you got it, you're golden...
I've never done it, but I've seen it done and it's crazzzzzy
Rich

 

Here is a newbie (n00b) question:

Do all piano compositions have voices? I would assume that if both hands are used to play notes, then that piece has two voices.

Anyone want to clarify?

Thanks.

 

Re: an even more late response

Hey, I thought only I did that. :lol:

 

Some pieces have just one voice like a violin/cello/voice solo with accompaniment (Chopin nocturne op. post. in C# minor or Chopin etude op25 no7).

Some pieces aren't fugues but are composed SATB, like a string quartet (Beethoven piano sonata #16, last movement, introduction)

In these, you can clearly hear the individual voices (melodies) in contrast to any accompaniment, which tends to be less melodic and more harmonic (chordal).

PF