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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).

Play it in Octotune

The opening, as the app engraves it: D5, G4, A4, B4, C5

The melody in letters

Measure by measure, as the app’s melody version has it; the small numbers are the fingers.

  1. Measure 1D5G1A2B3C4
  2. Measure 2D5G1G1
  3. Measure 3E3C1D2E3F♯4
  4. Measure 4G5G1G1
  5. Measure 5C4D5C4B3A2
  6. Measure 6B3C4B3A2G1
  7. Measure 7F♯1G2A3B4G2
  8. Measure 8A3
  9. Measure 9D5G1A2B3C4
  10. Measure 10D5G1G1
  11. Measure 11E3C1D2E3F♯4
  12. Measure 12G5G1G1
  13. Measure 13C4D5C4B3A2
  14. Measure 14B3C4B3A2G1
  15. Measure 15A3B4A3G2F♯1
  16. Measure 16G2

At a glance

ComposerChristian Petzold (1677–1733)
DifficultyStarter pieces: grades 2–4 of 8
KeyG major (1 sharp (F♯))
Time3/4
Tempo100 quarter-note beats a minute, as the app starts it (it can go slower)
Length16 measures, about 29 seconds
Handsone hand or both, by version
Right handB3 to B5
Left handG2 to E4
On the pathUnit 10, Keys of G and F, Unit 12, Sight-reading

It reaches past the staff: see ledger lines explained.

Versions in the app

VersionGradeLevels
Minuet in G (first half) — melody2 of 8Full
Minuet in G (first half) — with bass3 of 8Melody, Full
Minuet in G major, BWV Anh. 1144 of 8Melody, 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 measure.
  • 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 measure's shape: D, then down to G and up by step. It comes back several times; recognize 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 cataloged 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 (Starter pieces to Beginner) and the full minuet, both hands, 4 of 8 (Beginner).

Credits and license

The Octotune team · Updated