Grade 5

J.S. Bach - Invention No. 8 in F, BWV 779

ABRSM Grade 5 – A4

In a Bach Two-Part Invention both hands are equally important - we might imagine a duet between a violin and cello, or flute and bassoon. The F major Invention is exuberant and joyous in character, the theme rising up in ever larger jumps (broken chord) and floating back down in scale fragments. We can energise our playing by making the quavers bouncy. Notice the keys that Bach visits on the journey: a strong arrival in C major (dominant) in bar 12, then brief visits to G minor in bar 16, D minor (relative minor) in bar 24 and B flat major (subdominant) in bar 26.

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Resources & links

  • This piece is available for digital download individually from the ABRSM shop here or in print as part of the Piano Exam Pieces 2023 & 2024 Grade 5 publication here.
  • Click here to view open domain editions for this work.

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