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The short answer
Menuet, French Suite No. 6, BWV 817 is a piece by Johann Sebastian Bach from the Baroque era. PlayPiano puts it at Level 5, an estimate.
- menuet
- Baroque
- Key of E major
- dancing
- gentle
- hand independence
- voicing
Also known as French Suite No. 6 in E major, BWV 817; J. S. Bach.
History
The upper voice begins alone with a small falling and rising figure. More upper harmony appears before the bass enters. Hear the growing texture as part of the phrase, not as three separate starts.
Sources
What to listen for
An unaccompanied start
The opening upper eighth-note line sounds while the lower part rests. Give its shape enough direction to stand on its own.
The texture fills out
The next position adds another upper line before the lower figure appears. Listen for the change in fullness while keeping the phrase connected.
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 moves from a single line into simultaneous upper voices and a delayed lower entrance. Balancing that changing texture 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
