Bach's Invention No. 1

[garetanne]

Since my piano teacher is on vacation for the next two weeks I turn to you to keep me from playing this wrong for the next 14 days.

I'm confused by the 13th measure in this piece:  http://trumpet.sdsu.edu/Bach_Invention/invention1.htm


If I'm reading the notes correctly the 8th note on the treble clef is an E.
The corresponding note on the bass is the same E

Am I reading this wrong???

[wotgoplunk]

No, you're perfectly correct in reading the score. It is there to signify that the note is in both "voices". I personally would just play it with the right hand. Although either would work, you'd have to adjust the voicing.

[garetanne]

Thanks for clarifying.... weird, why not just write one note??

Confusing for a beginner like me, but nice to know I was doing it correctly.

[danny elfboy]

Since my piano teacher is on vacation for the next two weeks I turn to you to keep me from playing this wrong for the next 14 days.

I'm confused by the 13th measure in this piece:  http://trumpet.sdsu.edu/Bach_Invention/invention1.htm


If I'm reading the notes correctly the 8th note on the treble clef is an E.
The corresponding note on the bass is the same E

Am I reading this wrong???

Yes the same note is in both parts
You could play this in an organ but with the piano one note has to go

Harmonically it makes more sense for the hands movement to get rid of the left hand E and just play the right hand E ... that's because it would be harder to maintain the A - F - G - E legato by lifting the right hand and playing the E with the left hand so that it sounds legato to the right hand.

[landru]

Yes the same note is in both parts
You could play this in an organ but with the piano one note has to go

Harmonically it makes more sense for the hands movement to get rid of the left hand E and just play the right hand E ... that's because it would be harder to maintain the A - F - G - E legato by lifting the right hand and playing the E with the left hand so that it sounds legato to the right hand.

I've been playing these inventions (I've done 1 through 4 and I am working on No. 5 now). My piano teacher recommends (if possible) to try to position a finger from both hands in the area of the key like both are playing it. This helps in making sure that you don't play the previous note longer for the hand that is not playing the simultaneous note. I can see how that can happen, especially in polyphonic music where you are concentrating on which notes to play next and not so much on notes that just flew by  , so you could leave the hand that is sitting out the note a bit too long on the key. In any case - it worked for me!