Minuet in G major, BWV Anh. 114
The Minuet in G, from the Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach and now credited to Christian Petzold, is a Beginner piece in G major and 3/4. Octotune has its first half as an easy arrangement (grade 2, or 3 with bass) and the full minuet from the Mutopia Project (grade 4).
The melody in letters
Bar by bar, as the app’s melody version has it; the small numbers are the fingers.
- D5G1A2B3C4
- D5G1G1
- E3C1D2E3F♯4
- G5G1G1
- C4D5C4B3A2
- B3C4B3A2G1
- F♯1G2A3B4G2
- A3
- D5G1A2B3C4
- D5G1G1
- E3C1D2E3F♯4
- G5G1G1
- C4D5C4B3A2
- B3C4B3A2G1
- A3B4A3G2F♯1
- G2
At a glance
| Composer | Christian Petzold (1677–1733) |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | First pieces: grades 2–4 of 8 |
| Key | G major (1 sharp (F♯)) |
| Time | 3/4 |
| Tempo | 100 quarter-note beats a minute, as the app starts it (it can go slower) |
| Length | 16 bars, about 29 seconds |
| Hands | one hand or both, by version |
| Right hand | B3 to B5 |
| Left hand | G2 to E4 |
| On the path | Unit 10, Keys of G and F, Unit 12, Sight-reading |
It reaches past the staff: see ledger lines explained.
Versions in the app
| Version | Grade | Levels |
|---|---|---|
| Minuet in G (first half) — melody | 2 of 8 | Full |
| Minuet in G (first half) — with bass | 3 of 8 | Melody, Full |
| Menuet, BWV Anh. 114 | 4 of 8 | Melody, Melody and bass, Full |
Practice notes
The Minuet in G is one of the best-known early piano pieces. It comes from the 1725 Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach, and was long thought to be by J. S. Bach; today it is usually credited to Christian Petzold. It is in G major (one sharp, F sharp) and 3/4.
Octotune has it two ways:
- The first half, arranged (grade 2; grade 3 with a simple bass). The right hand plays the famous tune; the left hand, in the version with bass, holds one note per bar.
- The full minuet from the Mutopia Project (grade 4), with Bach-style left-hand lines under both halves.
Hand positions in the arrangement. The tune starts in G position (thumb on the G above middle C). For the run up to high G (C D E F♯ G) the hand moves up to C position, thumb on the C in the third space, with finger 4 on F sharp. For the two cadences, where a phrase comes to rest, it moves down, thumb on F sharp. Every move is between phrases.
The tricky parts:
- F sharp. The key signature says every F is sharp, and the sharp is not written again beside the notes. Circle the Fs before you start.
- Eighth-note runs like "G A B C" after the first D. Keep them even and light, and count "1 2-and 3-and".
- The first bar's shape: D, then down to G and up by step. It comes back several times; recognise it.
Practice plan. Learn the tune in Wait for me, one phrase at a time. Then add the bass. Then Play along at a gentle speed; a minuet should lilt, with the weight on beat 1.
In the path: Unit 10 for grown-ups (the first real piece in a key) and, with bass, in time, in Unit 12.
Questions
Who wrote the Minuet in G?
Christian Petzold, most likely. It was long credited to J. S. Bach because it is in the 1725 Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach, where it is catalogued as BWV Anh. 114.
Is the Minuet in G hard?
It is a classic early piece. Octotune grades its first half 2 or 3 of 8 (First pieces to Beginner) and the full minuet, both hands, 4 of 8 (Beginner).
Credits and licence
- Music: Christian Petzold (1677–1733)
- Arranged for Octotune
- Licence: Arrangement © Octotune; melody public domain
- Source and printable sheet music: the Mutopia Project’s page for this piece