Invention No. 6 in E major BWV 777

About this work

In Bach’s Invention No. 6 in E major, BWV 777, one hand begins with three quavers while the other starts with a rest. The entering line then moves through tied notes and semiquavers; a few bars later, the hands exchange roles. Each hand has to support the other and take the lead in turn, without changing the pulse at every handover.

The 3/8 bars provide a short rhythmic frame for phrases that continue across the bar line. To practise them, play one voice while singing the other, then swap. Pay particular attention to tied notes: they keep sounding while the other hand moves. Releasing them early breaks the conversation between the lines.

With four sharps in the key signature, added accidentals need close attention. Take a passage containing an extra sharp or double sharp, play both voices slowly, then begin again from the preceding bar. That restores the note to its phrase instead of learning it correctly in isolation and missing it when the music moves on. Both sections have repeat signs, giving you another chance to listen to each voice in turn.


What the document contains

The three-page PDF contains the complete keyboard Invention, BWV 777. jeff covey’s engraving, distributed by Mutopia from the Bach-Gesellschaft edition, is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Bach’s work is public domain; reuse of this engraving requires attribution, and adaptations must use the same licence. A MIDI file accompanies the score. A link to LesPartitions.info has been added to the PDF.