Invention No. 8 in F major BWV 779

About this work

The eighth Invention, in F major, turns broken arpeggios into an exuberant dialogue. The hands exchange the motif rapidly, and changes of register make the phrase seem to rebound from one voice to the other without losing its harmonic axis.

Beneath this liveliness, the bass organises sequences and cadences. Locate moments when the motif is complete and those where only a fragment remains. The rhythm gains relief when arpeggio peaks are directed without becoming automatic accents.

Practise movements by preparing the next position at the end of the preceding group. Bring out each voice in turn, then seek a balance in which the exchange feels natural. Keep fingers close to the keys, use little pedal and retain dynamic room for important returns; speed will grow from coordination rather than tension.

What the document containsThe two-page PDF contains the complete two-part Invention No. 8 in F major, BWV 779, for keyboard. Allen Garvin’s engraving, distributed by Mutopia from the Bach-Gesellschaft edition, is declared public domain. LesPartitions.info also provides a MIDI file.