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The short answer
Gigue, French Suite No. 2, BWV 813 is a gigue by Johann Sebastian Bach from the Baroque era. PlayPiano puts it at Level 6, an estimate.
- gigue
- Baroque
- Key of C minor
- dancing
- playful
- hand independence
- voicing
Also known as French Suite No. 2 in C minor, BWV 813; J. S. Bach.
History
The upper voice begins after short rests, and the lower voice joins later with its own lively figure. The dotted rhythm gives the music a spring. Keep both entrances clear and let the phrase travel.
Sources
What to listen for
An entrance after silence
The melody starts with C and G after rests. Let the silence set up the gesture.
A later answering voice
The lower line joins after the upper opening and then shares its dotted rhythm. Hear it as a second voice with its own direction.
How to practise it
- Practise the independent lines separately, then combine their different rhythmic roles.
- Keep sustained and moving voices audible without making the supporting layer heavy.
How hard is it
The first three positions stagger the voices and combine dotted eighths with sixteenths. Clear rhythmic coordination across this source-expanded dance supports an intermediate estimate.
About this piece
- Licence
- cc-zero
- Source
- musescore.com
More by Johann Sebastian Bach
- Prelude in C major, BWV 846Level 4, estimatedOpen to everyone
- Two-Part Invention No. 1 in C major, BWV 772Level 5, estimatedWith Maestro
- Italian Concerto in F major, BWV 971: III. PrestoLevel 9, estimatedWith Maestro
