Minuet in A minor, BWV Anh. 120
The Minuet in A minor, BWV Anh. 120, from the 1725 Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach, is a Beginner piece in 3/4, Octotune grade 3 of 8. The left hand answers the right hand's opening a measure later, an octave lower: a first taste of imitation.
At a glance
| Composer | Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Beginner: grade 3 of 8 |
| Key | Key signature: no sharps or flats |
| Time | 3/4 |
| Tempo | 80 quarter-note beats a minute, as the app starts it (it can go slower) |
| Length | 29 measures, about 1:04 |
| Hands | both hands |
| Right hand | E4 to A5 |
| Left hand | C2 to G4 |
It reaches past the staff: see ledger lines explained.
Levels in the app
| Version | Grade | Levels |
|---|---|---|
| Minuet in A minor, BWV Anh. 120 | 3 of 8 | Melody, Melody and bass, Full |
Practice notes
A short, serious minuet 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.). It is in A minor, with no key signature.
How it is built. The right hand opens: E, then A B C, with a dotted rhythm (a long eighth and a quick sixteenth) leading to C. One measure later the left hand plays the same notes an octave lower, so the tune is heard twice, one hand chasing the other. This is imitation, the idea Bach's Inventions build whole pieces from. Each hand plays one note at a time.
The tricky parts
- G sharp. A minor's leading note is G sharp, written in each time. It is not in the key signature, so watch for it.
- The dotted rhythm. Long, then short: hold the A for most of the beat and slip the B in just before beat 3.
- Independence. When the left hand echoes the right, each hand is at a different place in the tune. Listen to both.
- A few other sharps (F sharp, D sharp, C sharp) as the music moves through other keys.
Practice plan
- Right hand alone, then Left hand alone, in Wait for me. Notice they begin with the same notes.
- Both hands at 50% speed, with Loop this measure on the entries.
- Play along, raising the speed while the echo stays clear.
Before you start: Octotune's path through Unit 9. The sharps of A minor go a step beyond it; mark them in pencil first.
Questions
Is the Minuet in A minor, BWV Anh. 120, easy?
It is a Beginner piece, Octotune grade 3 of 8: one note at a time in each hand, in 3/4. The G sharps of A minor and the left hand's echo of the tune are the parts to practice.
Did Bach write the Minuet in A minor, BWV Anh. 120?
It is not known. It comes from the 1725 Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach, and the Bach catalog lists it in its appendix (Anh.) of works not confirmed as his.
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