The Air on the G String is a slow piece for string instruments by Johann Sebastian Bach. It lasts about five minutes. A smooth tune floats on top, and the bass walks under it in steady steps. Bach called it “Air.” The longer name came more than a hundred years after he died.
Quick facts
- Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach, who lived from 1685 to 1750
- From: Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major
- Written: around 1730
- Length: about 5 minutes
- Played by: string instruments and a harpsichord
- Bach’s title: Air
What “air” means
An air is a piece with a singing tune. The word is related to “aria,” the word for a song in an opera.
The Air is the second movement of a suite. A suite is a set of short pieces, most of them dances. In this one, trumpets, oboes, and drums play in the other movements. They rest during the Air, and the strings play alone.
Read what is a suite in music?
Where the nickname came from
A violin has four strings. The lowest one is tuned to the note G, and it has a dark, rich sound.
In 1871, a German violinist named August Wilhelmj made his own version of the Air for violin and piano. He moved the tune lower, so that he could play every note of it on the G string. He called his version “Air on the G String.”
The name stuck. Today people use it for Bach’s piece in any version.
What to listen for
| Part | What happens |
|---|---|
| The first note | The violins hold one long note. The harmony shifts under it while the note stays still. |
| The walking bass | The cellos and basses step in even notes, up and down, from start to finish. |
| The tune | It moves in long, smooth lines, with a turn or a leap here and there. |
| The middle voices | The second violins and the violas weave their own lines between the top and the bottom. |
| The shape | There are two halves. Each one is played twice. |
Three layers
Bach’s music often has several lines that fit together. Here there are three layers to follow:
- The tune on top
- The weaving lines in the middle
- The walking bass at the bottom
Play the piece three times, and follow a different layer each time.
Where you may have heard it
The Air plays at weddings and memorials, and it turns up in films and advertisements. It is on many lists of calm music.
Things to do together
Walk the bass. Walk around the room, one step to each bass note. Keep your steps even.
Hold the long note. Hum along with the first long note. See how long you can hold it on one breath.
Slow breathing. Lie on the floor. Breathe in for four bass steps, and out for four.
Draw the tune. Draw one long line that rises and falls with the top part.
Two versions. Play Bach’s version for strings, and then a version for solo violin and piano. Ask what changed.
Find the G string. Look at a violin, or a picture of one. The G string is the thickest. Read the violin for kids.
Questions to ask
- Does the music sound calm, sad, or both?
- Which is easier to follow, the tune or the bass?
- What would you do while this music plays?
- Why would a violinist want to play a whole tune on one string?
Words to know
- Air: a piece with a singing tune
- Suite: a set of short pieces played in a row
- Bass line: the lowest part of the music
- G string: the lowest string on a violin
Print and play
Draw the three layers on a listening journal page. Read Bach for kids, calm classical music for bedtime, and the guide to Canon in D by Pachelbel, a calm piece from the same era.
More from this guide
This article is part of Classical music listening guides for kids: famous pieces, one at a time.
1812 Overture for kids: what to listen for
A parent's listening guide to Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture: the story of the battle, the two tunes that fight, the cannons and bells, and games to play.
Album for the Young by Schumann: a guide for piano families
A parent's guide to Schumann's Album for the Young: the 43 piano pieces he wrote for his children, ten to hear first, and his rules for young musicians.
Amahl and the Night Visitors for kids: the story and the music
Amahl and the Night Visitors explained for kids and parents: the story of the one-act Christmas opera, the music to hear first, and ways to watch it.
Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony for kids: a listening guide
A parent's listening guide to Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony: five scenes from the countryside, the birds by the brook, the storm, and things to do.
Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 for kids: a listening guide
A parent's listening guide to Beethoven's Fifth Symphony: the famous four notes, what happens in each of the four movements, and games to play with kids.
Boléro by Ravel: a listening guide for kids
A listening guide to Boléro by Ravel for kids: the drum that never stops, the order of the instruments, the surprise at the end, and games to play.
Use it with your kids
Print a listening page, a practice chart, or a composer fact sheet. Or try a tool, such as the composer timeline or the piece picker.