Every piano student is delighted to perform their first piece since it is more enjoyable and engaging than learning and to read notes in sheet music, counting, and where our notes are on our keyboards. Pieces also allow us to assess how much we’ve progressed technically in our practice time, work that allows us to perform more difficult music and genuine piano pieces.
When we reach the point where we can play harder versions of these easier pieces, which is usually about six months into our first year, we are ready to play our first pieces.
In this blog post, we’ll give examples of Musical pieces that Bach wrote or composed in the style of Bach’s music that you can easily learn, including bach prelude in c major sheet music, Minuet in G major, and Musette in D major!
Who is Johann Sebastian Bach?
There is little doubt that Johann Sebastian Bach is one of the greatest minds ever lived. Though he is today regarded as a brilliant composer, he was known in his day mostly for his abilities as a virtuoso organist and improviser.
His music was not acclaimed worldwide until the nineteenth century, even though prominent eighteenth-century composers like Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven and other composers that year appreciated and studied his manuscripts.
Bach’s 4 Easy Piano Pieces for Every Beginning Piano Student
Now that we’ve acknowledged who J.S. Bach is let’s look at the first work and piano collection of Bach that I suggest for beginner solo piano players. Watching the video in a new tab while reading this lesson is highly recommended.
1st Piece – Prelude in C Major
When you’re ready to start playing classical music, the Prelude in C is one of the greatest Bach compositions.
This composition is excellent for beginners for various reasons:
- It has an easy Key Signature to play – C Major, which has no sharps or flats like b flat major or e flat major.
- It has simple rhythms to learn and play, so you won’t be overwhelmed by anything too complicated.
- It features simple hand and finger patterns that follow throughout the composition, so if you learn one, in the beginning, you won’t have to learn another later on.
- It’s simple to listen to and enjoyable to play compared to his other components,, such as Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major.
In this composition, the left hand plays the bottom note and the one immediately above it. C&E in the first measure and C&D in the second. This rhythm repeats throughout, so you’ll be good to go for the remainder after you’ve mastered it in the first few measures. Those are the only notes that will be updated.
The measures also flow smoothly from one to the next. You won’t have to bounce around the piano to nail tricky chords. Your hand will feel calm in this position for the duration of the composition.
2nd Piece – Minuet in G
Many folks are familiar with this Minuet! It is generally assumed to be composed by Bach, although it was written in the Bach style by a composer named Christian Petzold. Because the style is similar to Bach’s, it provides the same technical work to help you build your talents, like playing Bach.
The Minute in G is an excellent introduction for the following reasons:
- It has the same simple Key signature as the Prelude. The key in this example is G Major, which has one sharp; F#.
- The rhythms are easier than the Prelude, and the patterns flow throughout the composition.
- It features simple and repetitive hand and finger patterns that are playable at this level.
- It is not so tough as overpowering, but it is challenging enough to test and develop new musical talents and comprehension.
3rd Piece – Musette in D
Musette in D Major is a lot of fun! As you can see, each component is a little more difficult than the one before it, which is exactly the goal. We’ll be able to perform much more of the music we want to play as we push ourselves to learn new things!
The Musette in D is a wonderful composition for beginner solo piano players for a variety of reasons, including:
- It has a simple Key signature but is more complex than the preceding ones. Two sharps exist in D Major: F# and C#.
- The composition contains smooth rhythms throughout.
- It includes simple hand and finger movements that are repeated throughout the composition.
- It introduces new abilities for us to acquire while not requiring us to learn too much at once. It also uses the new abilities we learned in the previous two parts.
One of the most interesting aspects of this work is that the right and left hands mirror each other in some measure, playing identical notes and rhythms but an octave apart.
4th Piece – Prelude in C Major bwv
Wait! didn’t we start with Bach’s Prelude in C?
Yes! We’ll finish with another Prelude in C, this time by composer Johann Peter Kellner.
It’s on our list because, like the second piece, it’s in the style of Bach. Thus, it provides the same advantages and is a fun piece to play.
This piece is appropriate for beginner piano solo players for the same reasons as the previous three examples, but because it is the last level, it is the hardest of the four to learn.
The key signature is simple, the rhythms are simple, and the hand and finger patterns are simple. All these elements are present throughout the composition and challenge the musician without being overly difficult to master.
And, as with all of these compositions, it’s a joy to listen to and play.
Final Note
Johann Sebastian Bach is widely recognized as one of the greatest composers. His music is still enjoyed and played by people worldwide today. These Bach pieces are ideal for a solo pianist student who plans to pursue a solo performance career.
Each piece is relatively easy to play, and they are all beautiful compositions that will give you a taste of Bach’s genius. Which of these do you find yourself reaching for time and time again when you want to play an instrumental piece? Let us know your thoughts with us in the comment box below.
