Musette in D major, BWV Anh. 126
The Musette in D major, BWV Anh. 126, from the 1725 Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach, is a quick piece in 2/4, Octotune grade 5 of 8. The left hand leaps between octave Ds like a bagpipe's drone; the right hand plays a bright tune above it.
At a glance
| Composer | Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Intermediate: grade 5 of 8 |
| Key | Key signature: 2 sharps (F♯, C♯) |
| Time | 2/4 |
| Tempo | 120 quarter-note beats a minute, as the app starts it (it can go slower) |
| Length | 20 measures, about 20 seconds |
| Hands | both hands |
| Right hand | A3 to A5 |
| Left hand | D2 to A3 |
It reaches past the staff: see ledger lines explained.
Levels in the app
| Version | Grade | Levels |
|---|---|---|
| Musette in D major, BWV Anh. 126 | 5 of 8 | Melody, Melody and bass, Full |
Practice notes
A musette is a small French bagpipe, and a dance that imitates it. This one comes from the Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach (1725); its composer is unknown, and the Bach catalog lists it in its appendix (Anh.). It is bright and quick, in D major (two sharps) and 2/4, and over in well under a minute.
How it is built. The left hand opens with the drone: D, then the D an octave up, back and forth in eighths, like the bagpipe's steady bass. Over it, the right hand starts high on A and runs down in sixteenths, G F sharp E D. Then the two hands play the same line together, an octave apart, before the drone returns.
The tricky parts
- The octave leaps. The left hand jumps an octave on every eighth. Keep the hand in an octave shape and move it as one, from the elbow.
- Low notes. The drone's lower D hangs just under the first ledger line below the bass staff. Read it up from low C.
- Hands in octaves. When both hands play the same line, they must be exactly together.
- Accidentals. A few D sharps and G sharps as the music moves toward E and A.
Practice plan
- Left hand alone in Play along, slowly, until the leaps are smooth.
- Right hand alone in Wait for me.
- Both hands at 50% speed, then Play along, raising the speed until it dances.
Before you start: Octotune's path through Unit 10, which teaches F sharp and the low bass notes. The C sharps and other accidentals go beyond it.
Questions
What is a musette?
A small French bagpipe, and a dance that imitates it, with a drone in the bass. In this one the left hand leaps between two Ds an octave apart, like the pipe's drone.
Is the Musette in D hard?
It is an early-intermediate piece, Octotune grade 5 of 8, and short. The left hand's octave leaps and the quick tempo are the parts to practice.
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