Minuet in G for Clarinethear it, slow it down, play along
- Christian Petzold (attr. J. S. Bach)
- B♭ clarinet
- A major
- 3/4
- 64 bars
- Moderato
On the clarinet
It runs from E4 to C♯6 (written), so it crosses the break between the throat notes and the upper register, and touches the first notes of the altissimo register.
It is written in A major, a major second above how it sounds, so it sounds in G major, the same key as the concert-pitch versions. You can play it together with a violin or flute reading their own page.
How it goes
A dance in 3/4 in two halves, each played twice. The first half stays in the home key; the second moves away and comes back. Quarter notes and running eighths, one strong beat in every bar.
A way to practise it
Loop the first eight bars until the eighth-note runs are even, then the first eight of the second half, where the new notes are. Feel one beat to the bar once it is steady: it is a dance.
- Slow ♩ = 72
- Practice ♩ = 96
- Goal ♩ = 120
About the piece
The Minuet in G major, BWV Anh. 114, is in the notebook J. S. Bach gave his wife Anna Magdalena in 1725. It was printed as Bach's for a long time; scholars now credit it to the Dresden organist Christian Petzold.
This is the melody of the keyboard piece, the right-hand part, with both halves repeated and written out.
Minuet in G for other instruments
Each version is written in a key that suits the instrument, with its own page and player.
Reading a transposed part
B♭ clarinet reads a different note from the one that sounds. How clarinet transposition works, with a chart you can listen to.
More easy pieces
Questions
- Is there Minuet in G sheet music for clarinet?
- Yes. This page shows the melody written for B♭ clarinet in A major, 64 bars in 3/4, and plays it. The notes are public domain.
- What notes does Minuet in G use on clarinet?
- In this version the melody runs from E4 to C♯6 (written), so it crosses the break between the throat notes and the upper register, and touches the first notes of the altissimo register. Press play and watch the cursor: it follows the notes as they sound.
- How fast should I play Minuet in G?
- It is marked Moderato. Start around ♩ = 72, practise at 96 and aim for about 120. The player's tempo buttons go between those in steps of 4.
- Is this in concert pitch or written pitch for clarinet?
- Written pitch. B♭ clarinet sounds a major second lower than written, so the A major on this page sounds in G major. The player plays it at the pitch you would hear.
- Can I play it together with other instruments?
- Yes: the versions for Violin, Cello, Flute, E♭ alto sax sound in the same key, G major, so you can play them at the same time, each reading their own page.
Photograph your own part with ScoreLens.
This player is the one in the app. Point your phone at the page on your music stand, and ScoreLens reads it and plays it back, slower or in another key. It is best on single-line parts and reads piano too. Handwriting is out of reach for now.
