Minuet in G minor, BWV Anh. 115
The Minuet in G minor, BWV Anh. 115, from the 1725 Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach and now usually credited to Christian Petzold, is a Beginner piece in 3/4, Octotune grade 4 of 8, and the famous Minuet in G major's companion.
At a glance
| Composer | Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Beginner: grade 4 of 8 |
| Key | Key signature: 2 flats (B♭, E♭) |
| Time | 3/4 |
| Tempo | 140 quarter-note beats a minute, as the app starts it (it can go slower) |
| Length | 32 measures, about 41 seconds |
| Hands | both hands |
| Right hand | B♭3 to B♭5 |
| Left hand | G2 to D4 |
It reaches past the staff: see ledger lines explained.
Levels in the app
| Version | Grade | Levels |
|---|---|---|
| Minuet in G minor, BWV Anh. 115 | 4 of 8 | Melody, Melody and bass, Full |
Practice notes
In the Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach (1725), this minuet comes straight after the famous Minuet in G major, and the two are a pair: the same key center, one major, one minor. Both were long credited to J. S. Bach; today they are usually credited to Christian Petzold.
How it is built. It is in G minor: two flats, B flat and E flat. The right hand opens high, B flat A G, then drops and climbs back in eighth notes. Under the first measures, the left hand holds dotted half notes that step down, G, F, E flat, D: a bass line falling by step, a sound you will meet again and again in Baroque music. Most of the time each hand plays one note at a time.
The tricky parts
- F sharp. G minor's leading note is written in each time, though the key signature has flats. Watch for it at cadences, where the phrases come to rest.
- Two flats. Every B and E is flat unless marked natural; a few are.
- Leaps of more than an octave in both hands. Look ahead.
- Held notes. Keep the left hand's dotted halves down for all three beats.
Practice plan
- Hands separately in Wait for me: Right hand, then Left hand.
- Both hands at 50% speed with Loop this measure on the leaps.
- Play along, with a light first beat in each measure.
Before you start: Octotune's path through Unit 10, which teaches B flat and F sharp. The E flats go a step beyond it. Learn the Minuet in G major first.
Questions
Who wrote the Minuet in G minor, BWV Anh. 115?
Most likely Christian Petzold, who is also credited with the famous Minuet in G major (BWV Anh. 114) that comes just before it in the 1725 Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach. Both were long credited to J. S. Bach.
Is the Minuet in G minor hard?
It is a Beginner piece, Octotune grade 4 of 8, a step harder than the Minuet in G major: two flats and an F sharp to watch, but mostly one note at a time in each hand.
Credits and license
- Music: Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
- Typeset by Allen Garvin for the Mutopia Project
- License: Public Domain
- Source and printable sheet music: the Mutopia Project’s page for this piece