Bach Two-Part Inventions: Where to start?

[Reg Braithwaite]

I’ve been working on the prelude to the first cello suite, in Gmaj. I’d like to try my hand (cough) at something with two independent lines, so I picked up a book of transcriptions of the two-part inventions.

Which should I tackle first? I’m looking for(relative) ease, and all th8ngs being equal, I’d prefer a minor scale over a major. I’ve spent a year in G major!

Where do you suggest I begin?

 

[BassChuck]

Inventions 1, 4, 8, and 13 seem to be the most popular/well known.
4 is in D minor, and I seem to remember 13 in A minor.
8 is in F major (and you'll even hear it briefly quoted in the Beatles "All You Need Is Love")

 

[Reg Braithwaite]

Inventions 1, 4, 8, and 13 seem to be the most popular/well known.
4 is in D minor, and I seem to remember 13 in A minor.
8 is in F major (and you'll even hear it briefly quoted in the Beatles "All You Need Is Love")

“One” and “four” seem to be done to death, but maybe there’s good reason for that. Then again, maybe people work on playing what they hear often, and there are other equally good places to start.

I’ve read a few random essays about learning to play “one” on piano, many of the ideas might transfer over to my instrument (learn them independently and then together, learn to play them interchanged).

 

[SBassman]

Pointer to new thread attempting to consolidate Bach Bass Talk in one growing thread:

https://www.talkbass.com/threads/js-bach-on-bass.1647527/

 

[Minus]

Here is Invention 2 I did virtually with a friend of mine about 12yrs ago. Not the best recording, but you'll get the idea.

Tim