Early intermediate piece
How to play Minuet in G on piano
From the Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach, a collection from the 1720s. It was long credited to Bach and is now generally credited to Christian Petzold. It is a dance in three beats, and a common first "real" piece.
- Composer
- Christian Petzold (long credited to J. S. Bach)
- Level
- Early intermediate
- Key
- G major
- Time signature
- 3/4
- Hands
- Both hands
What makes it tricky
- Hands together with different rhythms. Practise each hand alone until the left hand feels automatic.
- The F sharp in the key signature. Say it to yourself each time it comes up.
- The stretch in the second section. Look ahead so the hand is ready.
A three-step practice plan
- Play the right hand alone, bar by bar, with a steady three-beat count.
- Play the left hand alone for the first eight bars.
- Put the hands together four bars at a time, then link the phrases.