Grade 5

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

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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