About the piece
Bach wrote the 15 Two-Part Inventions to teach “a singing style” in two voices; the fair copy dates from 1723. He had also prepared them for his son Wilhelm Friedemann.
The eight-note theme appears in the right hand, then in the left, inverted, transposed: the whole piece grows from it.
How to practise it
- Learn the theme and spot it in the score every time it returns.
- Hands separately, then together slowly: both voices are equally important.
- Light staccato or legato? Both are fine, but choose one and stay consistent.
- Low speed with the app, then speed up.
Free sheet music
First page. Complete sheet music (PDF) on the Mutopia Project (CC BY-SA 3.0, edition by jeff covey); in the Piano Learning app you read it two pages side by side while you play.
Frequently asked questions
Are the Inventions for beginners?
They are study pieces: No. 1 is among the first people tackle, after the minuets of the Anna Magdalena Notebook.
What does “two-part” mean?
Two independent melodic lines, one per hand.