Beginner to Intermediate: Recommended Bach Pieces You’ll Want to Play on Piano
Johann Sebastian Bach, also known as the “Father of Music,” was active during the Baroque era—before the piano became widespread.
In other words, Bach himself did not compose pieces for the piano, and most Bach works performed on the piano today were originally written for the harpsichord!
Baroque polyphonic music, built from overlapping melodic lines, is often avoided because it seems difficult at first glance.
However, many of Bach’s works are actually quite approachable and relatively low in difficulty.
In this article, we’ve selected Bach pieces recommended for beginner to intermediate pianists.
If you love Bach’s music or want to try your hand at Baroque music, be sure to check them out!
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[Beginner to Intermediate] Pieces You’ll Want to Play on Piano! Recommended Bach Works (21–30)
Invention No. 4, BWV 775J.S.Bach
Bach’s masterpiece Invention No.
4, BWV 775 is indispensable for studying classical music, especially the Baroque.
Because of its lively melody, many beginners may feel it sounds complex and difficult at first listen.
In reality, however, it’s a piece that fits well under the hands and is relatively easy to play—even without much dynamic contrast, it still comes across convincingly.
Since there are many accidentals, be careful to avoid mistakes when reading the score, and proceed with patient, careful practice.
Six Little Preludes in C minor, BWV 934J.S.Bach
A Bach classic for beginners: the Six Little Preludes.
They’re also known as the Six Small Preludes.
Among them, I’d like to recommend the Six Little Preludes in C minor, BWV 934.
It isn’t especially famous compared to the other little preludes, but its difficulty is relatively low, and as long as you can keep the left-hand part steady, it’s a piece that even children who have just started piano lessons can tackle.
There are no conspicuous leaps, so if you have small hands or find chords and jumps challenging, please give it a try!
Six Little Preludes in D major, BWV 936J.S.Bach
Among Johann Sebastian Bach’s works, there are many collections that were compiled and published after his death by pupils and scholars, and the Six Little Preludes is considered one of them.
Because all six pieces display highly developed compositional technique, some suggest that Bach may have written them with the idea of assembling them into a substantial collection.
No.
4 in D major offers a soothing sense of calm and peace.
When performing, listen closely to the interplay of the voices—especially the two right-hand parts that converse with each other—and shape the music with attention to their interactions.
Invention No. 1, BWV 772J.S.Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach’s Inventions can be considered a staple collection that many piano students tackle when studying Baroque repertoire.
Among them, No.
1 is especially familiar—often used on television and in commercials—so many people have likely heard it without realizing it’s by Bach.
It’s an ideal piece for the transition from beginner to intermediate, allowing you to learn the characteristics of polyphonic music built from overlapping voices, such as the left hand chasing the right hand’s theme and the theme appearing in inversion.
Sinfonia No. 11 in G minor, BWV 797J.S.Bach
Bach’s representative work, the Inventions (Sinfonias).
This time, I’ll introduce the Sinfonia No.
11 in G minor, BWV 797.
Among the Sinfonias, this piece is performed relatively often, so many of you may find it familiar.
Because it is built on a somewhat long, eight-bar subject, it demands expressiveness; even so, in terms of sheer technical difficulty, it falls into the easier category.
As you can tell from the development that appears at bar 51, reminiscent of bar 6, this is a work in which pedal control is key.