How many Bach Inventions have you learned?

[pascalxus]

i'll share my Invention history:
I learned Inventions 1,4,8 and 13 many many years ago.  It's been so long, I basically have to sight read them to play them now.  Currently, i'm sight reading Inventions 1,2,4 at a very slow pace (25,15,22 bpm) ~ that's average pace, not minimum pace.

Recently, I've been spending some time remastering Invention 13.  After 5 hours, I'm currently playing at 34 bpm (avg tempo, not min), up from 23 bpm.  I've still got a ways to go until I reach my target of about 75 bpm.


I'm just wondering how many and which ones have you learned?
what tempo can you play each of them at? (without too many mistakes)
And how much time have you spent on learning each one?

[lelle]

I think I learned 4 or 5 in total, not very well. I was more interested in the preludes and fugues so my teacher at the time eventually relented and let me tackle some of those instead.

[robertus]

What do you mean by "learned"? I've play through the whole WTC, Inventions, Arts of Fugue, for so many years (or decades) that I "know" them all inside out.

Honestly, with these types of work, you quickly reach a point where the distinction between having 'learned' a work and reading it through ceases to exist.

[brogers70]

i'll share my Invention history:
I learned Inventions 1,4,8 and 13 many many years ago.  It's been so long, I basically have to sight read them to play them now.  Currently, i'm sight reading Inventions 1,2,4 at a very slow pace (25,15,22 bpm) ~ that's average pace, not minimum pace.

Recently, I've been spending some time remastering Invention 13.  After 5 hours, I'm currently playing at 34 bpm (avg tempo, not min), up from 23 bpm.  I've still got a ways to go until I reach my target of about 75 bpm.


I'm just wondering how many and which ones have you learned?
what tempo can you play each of them at? (without too many mistakes)
And how much time have you spent on learning each one?

I learned, C major, Cminor (really beautiful), D major, D minor, E major, F major, A major, A minor, and Bb Major, all at reasonable performance tempi. Then I learned the three part inventions in B minor (the easiest, I think, except for one bit of hand crossing), D major, and C minor.

There's not much difference in difficulty between the harder 3 part inventions and some of the fugues from WTC, so, like Lelle, I preferred to move on to WTC before going through all the two and three part inventions, and suites and partitas. In fact, lots of the dance movements in the suites and partitas are pretty much like two or three part inventions.

[fretlesss]

What do you mean by "learned"? I've play through the whole WTC, Inventions, Arts of Fugue, for so many years (or decades) that I "know" them all inside out.

Honestly, with these types of work, you quickly reach a point where the distinction between having 'learned' a work and reading it through ceases to exist.

I have to agree here. I had been playing Bach almost every day for the last 40 years, so naturally played all inventions, partitas, WTC, French and English suites etc.

[anacrusis]

Remember to not hurry your study of the inventions. You'll develop quicker if you take everything slowly enough that you can control the individual voices beautifully and relaxed without stumbling or stuttering. If you go slowly enough that you can do that, have some patience and enjoy the process, speed will come quicker than you think without you having to hurry or chase it.