Sheep May Safely Graze (Bach; arranged by Rick Foster)

[pvfrank]

Beautiful Piece done Brilliantly.

[jsbach15]

Wow, haven't heard you play a classical piece until now; Bach too boot? YEAH, life is good!

[TinGoddess666]

I wish I had found this so many years ago. I love your playing. I found you when I happened to click on your cover of Rain Song by Zeppelin and I'm hooked. Thank you.

[troubleclef]

@TinGoddess666

thanks. well i only posted it a couple months ago.. ;) cheers.

[PlymouthVT]

@TinGoddess666 Yes his interpretation of Rain Song is the finest I have ever heard. Its mesmerizing isn't it? He plays bass notes too. What a shame Zep @ucked it all up with violins and over production when Tony proves that Jimmy wrote a brilliant brilliant piece of music on the 6 string. Well done Tony.

[whmitty1]

Outstanding!

[prohumanbeing]

Bach was a wily surgeon engineer with music.

You are a master artist who breathes life and love into JS's mathematical intricacies and playful as a puppy chasing a piece of paper in the wind ideas.

[oliverecords]

@prohumanbeing Come on, I'm sure JS had some sensibility. Though I agree on saying that Tony makes really nice and personal renditions of virually anything.

[wardogrs]

Another great sounding piece! Thanks for taking up the challenge, meeting it and posting it.

[aatz1982]

Firstly would like to say this is a great recording, beautifully played. I would love to learn this but can't find tab. i understand it's in the book for 'Parkening plays Bach' but please do you know; if I buy this will it be sheet or tab? If it's sheet I may as well not bother, will never get round to working it out. I also read you simplified the arr. slightly, can I buy tab from you? Many thanks, from Robin, South London, England

[troubleclef]

@aatz1982

only in standard notation and i realize that when an odd tuning is employed, tab is a much better system. I don't have anything written down.

[robbourassaguitarist]

Great work Tony.

[troubleclef]

@robbourassaguitarist

thanks a lot, Rob! tricky one, this. have to keep practicing it but it's in such a weird tuning that the finger memory is peculiar to this piece only! so it's going to be hard to remember it unless i play it all the time!

[jmspeters]

Just sent you a friend's request via Facebook. Though I've remained mainly silent, I've admired your wonderful work since I'm with You Tube and I will definitely buy your album.

[troubleclef]

@jmspeters

thanks, buddy

[AndanteLargo]

Just beautiful Tony! I am actually going so far I would say; Amazing! Your changes to Fosters arrangement are perfect.

I am still enjoying your new album! If only this had been on it... well, next time. :-)

Peo

[troubleclef]

@AndanteLargo

thanks, I'm truly grateful since I know you play Bach so well. there's just a lifetime of improving this needs and i can hear it as soon as i look away from the video. but that's what playing's all about, right? thanks, again!!

[carvetop01]

Wonderful interpretation Tony. This looks like a bit of a challenge. I think you nailed it!

Cheers,

allen

[troubleclef]

@carvetop01

oh, it's a challenge alright and i'm far from nailing it. last night i practiced it for another hour or so and found how far it's strayed already. lifelong work on this will be required. thanks, allen

[carvetop01]

@troubleclef

Not so fast there Tony. Classical music is a discipline. You are playing what someone else wrote note for note. No re-harmonizing or improv of any kind (should the mood strike you.) You may feel that you did not express each phrase as you would prefer but cut yourself some slack. You will never perform this music the same way again. So let's appreciate this performance for what it is. Damn good.

Bravissimo Maestro,

allen

[troubleclef]

@carvetop01

no undue self-criticism involved. i thought i played it pretty good, that's why i posted it. but it can always be better, especially a piece that's so tough.

[Conzerned]

So I figure some alien starship just did a fly-by of earth and dropped you off here. It's the only explanation to such ethereal notes emanating from your guitar. Breathtaking stuff!

[PB11784]

I am beginning to think you are one of a set of musically enchanted triplets because this is so pure and beautiful it cannot be the same player that gave us the Chipmunk Christmas and the hot Latin numbers. I would love to see YOUR ipod, the music is so diverse yet each one is a gem...Thank you!

[nseston]

wow....

[jgariano3]

Well done!

[guitargalsings]

Thank you for the response Tony. I'm looking forward to learning about the details of your audio set up. ~Janie

[troubleclef]

@guitargalsings

Send me a private message with your email and I'll send you the reply. (it's too long for this box) Or read my blog at tonyrclef dot blogspot dot com. Thanks!

[jack34695]

Wonderful, Tony! Beautifully played.

Michael

[troubleclef]

@jack34695

thanks, Michael

[guitargalsings]

Tony....I adore this piece of music. You know, your sound is fantastic even with my little laptop speakers, but when I listen with my Sony MDR-7506 headphones, your recording sounds like a slice of heaven.Your playing and rendition are both gorgeous. Marvelous touch on the guitar and dynamics and the awesome stereo sound you achieve is wonderful! May I ask how your audio is set up? I see no mics in your video. Is there a guitar pick-up? I could listen to you all day and night. Thank you! ~Janie

[troubleclef]

@guitargalsings

Thanks, Janie. The mic is just off camera. No pickup. I can send audio setup details when I'm back home.

[hyperboreal]

Thanks for the glorious music Tony, I like that low tuning on those bass strings. It must be hard to play regardless of the adjustments.

[troubleclef]

@hyperboreal

Oh, it's a beast to play. I'm still practicing it even though i've 'committed' the recording to youtube. there's lots I can work on doing better when I sit back and just listen to the audio. Thanks, Alex!

[mynameisvanille]

As much as I adore The Beatles, Bowie, Clapton, Sting, classical music will always be beautiful. It's the surviving music, the one we don't forget.

[leelotx]

Simply precious. A long-time favorite of mine, your work and this arrangement really put the polishing cloth to it. I could listen to it all night...makes a nice lullaby. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz :-) Linda

[MasonIFTW]

thank you



[EylerC]

Tony, First-time responder, long-time fan here. I am grateful that you added extended notes on how you played this. This was my dad's favorite piece. I've made a resolution each year since his passing a few year's back to learn and perform this in his honor. Trying to play it exactly like Parkening's recording has been my downfall each time. I am going to take your approach and attempt it again. Thanks for all the work that you put into this. I know its many times harder than it looks. Eyler

[troubleclef]

@EylerC

Thanks, Eyler. toughest thing i found to work with was the double detuning (tab is so much better as a teaching tool when the notes aren't where you've always thought they were!) If there are any particular spots you'd like to know how i changed let me know. (2nd half of measure 12 into measure 13 is my favorite "fix".) cheers. and best wishes.

[zinger52]

I can not tell how much I do enjoy your playing and interpretations I'm sure you have been told before

[troubleclef]

@zinger52

thanks so much. always appreciated.

[torisand]

Touching!!

[ddanze]

Absolutely beatutiful!

[tecoomexicano]

Wept like a baby. Your interpretations are always breathtaking!

[Socratease1]

Beautiful!

[nightwalker665]

Bravo. It has brought some peace to my ears and soul.

[elmestra]

Fantastico , Bravo .

[gjfanatique]

I'm sure that most of us know what crushingly brutal hard work it is for most of us to gain any degree of mastery of one of these arrangements, especially to play them live. Either you're insanely good at this, or you have some kind of secret vitamin formula. And if you have a day job, I don't even want to know that.

[troubleclef]

@gjfanatique

Whole Grain Total, my friend. Whole Grain Total. :D Thanks, once again, for your kind words and encouragement.

[doelman]

Wonderful job, amazing

[homeskillet1962]

Outstanding.

[WestcountryDude]

Splendid job on one of my all time faves.

[troubleclef]

@WestcountryDude

It is one of my all time favorite pieces too. One of the single most truly beautiful pieces of music ever written. Listen to Leon Fleisher play it if you haven't already. See my favorites or check out his album "two hands".

[BobsArtGallery]

Marvelous as always !!

[ynotgnik]

Wow! Ihave had a Google alert out for a long time...waiting for THIS video. Thank you sir. Anthony

[troubleclef]

@ynotgnik

you mean me playing it or someone playing this arrangement? There's another guy with a fine "live" version of this (he was only 17 when he recorded it. in front of an audience and everything! Beautiful)

[jackdaddyfbomb]

Aaaaahhhhhh... I think that's just what I needed today. Thank you, sir!

[troubleclef]

@jackdaddyfbomb

glad to be of service. cheers.

[rootboyslim]

Great Job ! I used to have a vinyl record called "Virgil Fox Live at The Fillmore East"

I wore that record out, and now I have it on a CD. Bach Rocks,and you do as well.

[troubleclef]

@rootboyslim

thanks buddy. I think Virgil Fox was the organist at the Riverside Church in NYC which I've visited several times but never had the pleasure of hearing him live. I did take a tour of the bell tower once though while the carillon player was giving a lesson to a conservatory grad student. standing high above the city listening to virtuoso bell music was pretty exhilarating!

[babs4TLove]

Superb job on this complicated piece! What an interesting history this song has! Very enjoyable! (-; Babs

[troubleclef]

@babs4TLove

thanks for dropping by, Babs

[amccann7]

Very beautiful playing of this lovely piece by Bach...your guitar playing is always a sure winner for me every time, Tony.

[troubleclef]

@amccann7

Thanks again, Amy. I'm pleased when you're pleased.

[Lansdownekid]

That was beautiful! :-)

Thanks

[LovelyCuddly]

That was gorgeous! Thanks a lot!!

[mart1nsm1th]

Very beautiful indeed! Perhaps this piece or a similar offering may appear on your

next album.A very fine entry into the recorded guitar canon is 'Tuesday Afternoon'!

As regards secular versus sacred when dealing with Bach I don't believe the line is

as distinct as one might imagine.Afterall 'secular music' was also performed in churches at that time,just as the sacred permeated everyday life.Well done again

Tony on your album which brightened up a dreary Dublin day;that and a little bit of BTO

[troubleclef]

@mart1nsm1th

True, true. Thanks for the insight. And glad you liked the album. cheers.

[VegasBilgeRat]

what a beautiful song. it reminds me of church hymns being played as people file into the pews on Sunday morning.

[hrmerr]

Sounds great! Unfortunately, when I try to play stuff like this, the sheep all run away! I keep at it though.

[troubleclef]

@hrmerr

:D Never stop. If you bleet like I do, the sheep will come. :DD

[vyoorm]

God exists when Bach is played...

[gastal]

Lucky sheep...

[ovidiov]

wonderful!

[troubleclef]

@ovidiov

thanks, Ovidio!

[miaris]

Totally awesome stuff! Thanks for sharing this, Tony!

[buccix813]

wow ...

[daregularperson]

Awesome job on this song. Bach is a great composer, and some parts sound like traditional Christian songs to my ear.

So do you prefer Baroque, Classical, or Romantic? Or rather, who is your favorite composer? Any chance of you doing one of Gustav Holst's Planets?

[troubleclef]

@daregularperson

No preference really. Not a huge fan of the Classical period (Haydn, Mozart, early Beethoven) strictly speaking. I don't *dislike* it, I just don't collect many records of those composers work. So.... more early and later music for me. Not sure any of the Holst movements lend themselves to solo guitar but it's always worth checking out. I do love that piece (as a whole).

[exacerbatedtaboo]

That was excellent. I never heard that song before but you made it sound really good.

[CluvVenny]

Great guitar picking Tony, you're a genius and a master.

[AveragePope]

I wish I was you.

[saucylad]

superb



[warmingtone]

A lovely tune exceptionally well played as always...good luck with the album project...

[redtony58]

man can your fingers sing

[GuildF40]

class

[sinborn41214]

very nice

[sOneVii]

Tony uploads nothing but the best. Comments section is almost useless...words cant describe this mans playing.

[6thStringPlayer]

Many thanks for another incredible piece of ear candy !

[sangolt88]

Wonderful video mr troubleclef, love the dark scene.

[Andraxoriginal]

first?

[sangolt88]

@Andraxoriginal Whatever makes your mother proud.