March in E-flat major, BWV Anh. 127
The March in E-flat major, BWV Anh. 127, from the 1725 Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach, is a Beginner piece in cut time, Octotune grade 4 of 8. Three flats, a one-beat pick-up and quick triplets in the right hand over a steady left hand.
At a glance
| Composer | Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Beginner: grade 4 of 8 |
| Key | Key signature: 3 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭) |
| Time | 2/2 |
| Tempo | 96 quarter-note beats a minute, as the app starts it (it can go slower) |
| Length | 29 measures, about 1:11 |
| Hands | both hands |
| Right hand | E♭4 to C6 |
| Left hand | B♭1 to C4 |
It reaches past the staff: see ledger lines explained.
Levels in the app
| Version | Grade | Levels |
|---|---|---|
| March in E-flat major, BWV Anh. 127 | 4 of 8 | Melody, Melody and bass, Full |
Practice notes
A march from the Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach (1725), the Bach family's book of pieces to play at home. Its composer is unknown; the Bach catalog lists it in its appendix (Anh.).
How it is built. It is in E-flat major: three flats, B flat, E flat and A flat, in the key signature. It starts on a pick-up of two eighths, E flat and G, and is written in cut time (2/2): two beats in a measure, each a half note, so it moves with a march's stride. The right hand has the tune in eighths and triplets; the left hand keeps a steady bass, mostly in quarters.
The tricky parts
- Three flats. B, E and A are all flat. Mark them, or play the E-flat major scale a few times first.
- Triplets. Three quick notes in the time of two eighths. Keep them even and don't rush into the next beat.
- Cut time. Feel two big beats, not four. The music should stride, not plod.
- Leaps. Both hands jump more than an octave in places; look ahead.
Practice plan
- Right hand alone in Wait for me, counting the triplets aloud.
- Left hand alone, then both hands at 50% speed, with Loop this measure on the triplets.
- Play along, raising the speed toward a firm march.
Before you start: Octotune's path through Unit 10, which teaches B flat. The E flats and A flats go a step beyond it.
Questions
Is the March in E-flat, BWV Anh. 127, hard?
It is a Beginner piece, Octotune grade 4 of 8. It has three flats and triplets in the right hand, but mostly one note at a time in each hand.
Who wrote the March in E-flat, BWV Anh. 127?
It is not known. It was copied into the 1725 Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach, and the Bach catalog lists it in its appendix (Anh.) of works not confirmed as J. S. Bach's.
Credits and license
- Music: Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
- Typeset by Steven McDougall for the Mutopia Project
- License: Public Domain
- Source and printable sheet music: the Mutopia Project’s page for this piece