Invention No. 10 in G major BWV 781

About this work

In the Invention No. 10 in G major, BWV 781, Bach sets quavers spinning in groups of three. The 9/8 metre has three main beats, each divided into three. Counting nine equal little beats would make the phrase heavier than its arpeggio patterns suggest.
The motif climbs through the chord, turns back and passes between the hands. Practise each group within a single beat, then join the bar’s three groups without accenting their last notes. Rests in one hand leave the other free to continue moving. They belong to the dialogue and need their full duration.
Later, the right hand holds a tied note across several bars while the left continues its quavers. Here you can hear the bass as a melody in its own right. Hold the upper note to its end and let the left-hand pattern lead the phrase. Add the ornaments marked in the engraving without losing the compound pulse.


What the document contains

The two-page PDF contains the complete keyboard Invention, BWV 781. The engraving by Allen Garvin, distributed by Mutopia from the Bach-Gesellschaft edition, is declared public domain. The PDF retains the printed ornaments. A MIDI file accompanies the score. An added link points to LesPartitions.info.