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The short answer
Courante, French Suite No. 4, BWV 815 is a courante by Johann Sebastian Bach from the Baroque era. PlayPiano puts it at Level 6, an estimate.
- courante
- Baroque
- Key of E-flat major
- dancing
- joyful
- hand independence
- voicing
Also known as French Suite No. 4 in E-flat major, BWV 815; J.S. Bach.
History
A short B-flat prepares a phrase that grows upward in eighth notes. A held low E-flat and an inner moving line sit underneath. Let the rising melody emerge without burying the quieter layers.
Sources
What to listen for
An upward route
The upper line moves from B-flat through C, D and E-flat toward G. Hear one rising direction across the shorter notes.
An inner conversation
An inner voice starts after rests while the low E-flat is held. Listen for that extra moving layer between melody and bass.
How to practise it
- Keep sustained and moving voices audible without making the supporting layer heavy.
- Practise the independent lines separately, then combine their different rhythmic roles.
How hard is it
The opening develops several overlapping voices from the pickup, including a dotted-half bass beneath moving lines. Coordinating those layers and the eighth-note figures 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
