Bach for kids: his life, his music, and what to play first

Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer and organist who lived from 1685 to 1750. He wrote music for churches, for princes, and for his own large family. His music is busy and steady, with tunes that weave around each other. The best first piece for a child is the Prelude from Cello Suite No. 1, where one cello plays alone.

This guide gives you the story, the sound, and five pieces to try.

Quick facts

• Born: 1685, in Eisenach, Germany
• Died: 1750, in Leipzig, Germany
• Era: Baroque
• Played: organ, harpsichord, and violin
• Known for: the Brandenburg Concertos, the Cello Suites, and hundreds of pieces for church

The life in short

Bach was born into a family of musicians. His father played the violin and led the town band. Uncles and cousins were organists and town musicians all over that part of Germany.

Both of his parents died before he turned ten. He went to live with his oldest brother, who was an organist. His brother taught him to play keyboard instruments.

As a young man Bach took jobs as a church organist. He was curious about other musicians. Once he walked more than 200 miles to the city of Lübeck to hear a famous organist named Buxtehude. He stayed far longer than his boss had allowed.

He later worked for a duke and then for a prince. For the prince he wrote music for small groups of instruments. In 1723 he moved to Leipzig. There he led the music at the main churches and taught at a boys’ school. For several years he wrote a new piece for church almost every week.

Bach married twice and had 20 children. Ten of them lived to grow up. Several of his sons became well-known composers. The family made music at home, and Bach wrote teaching pieces for his wife and children.

Near the end of his life he lost his sight. He died in 1750. For many years after that, people played his music less. In 1829 a young composer named Felix Mendelssohn led a performance of one of Bach’s great church works. Listeners took a new interest, and it has never faded.

What the music sounds like

Baroque music has a steady beat that rarely stops. Bach’s music adds something more. He often writes several tunes that play at the same time and fit together. Musicians call this counterpoint.

A child can hear it as a chase. One instrument starts a tune. A second one starts the same tune a moment later. A third joins. When Bach writes a whole piece this way, it is called a fugue.

Bach wrote no opera. He wrote for the organ, the harpsichord, small groups, and choirs. You will often see “BWV” and a number after a title. BWV is the catalogue of Bach’s works, and the number tells musicians which piece is meant.

Five pieces to play first

Prelude, from Cello Suite No. 1. One cello plays alone for about two and a half minutes. The notes ripple up and down in a pattern. Ask your child to draw the shape of the music with a finger in the air.

Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, first movement. Nine string players pass a busy tune back and forth. Ask your child to pick one group and follow it, the way you would follow one runner in a race.

Air, from Orchestral Suite No. 3. A slow, smooth tune floats over a bass line that walks in steady steps. This is good music for the end of the day. Ask your child to walk around the room in time with the bass.

Badinerie, from Orchestral Suite No. 2. A flute races through a short, playful dance. The word means a bit of fun. Count how many times the opening tune comes back.

Toccata and Fugue in D minor. This is the famous organ piece that turns up in spooky films. It starts with a dramatic flourish and then turns into a chase between high and low notes. It is long, so play the first two minutes.

Things to do together

Follow one voice. Play the Brandenburg movement twice. The first time, listen to the high violins. The second time, listen to the low cellos. Talk about what each group was doing.

Find the organ. Many towns have a church with a pipe organ. Ask if your child may see it. Bach spent much of his life at an instrument like that, playing with both hands and both feet.

Sing a round. A round such as “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” works like a simple fugue. One person starts and another joins later with the same tune. Sing it, then listen for the same idea in Bach.

Place him in time. Bach and Handel were born in the same year, 1685. Find them both on the composer timeline.

A note for piano families

Piano students meet Bach early. Many exam lists and teaching books include short pieces from the notebook he made for his wife, Anna Magdalena. The Prelude in C major from The Well-Tempered Clavier is another piece students often learn. If your child plays one of these, listen to a recording together. Hearing the piece played well helps a student know what to aim for.

Print and play

Print the Bach fact sheet. It has the story, three pieces, and room to write and draw. For a blank page that works with any composer, use the composer study notebook page.

To meet the composers who lived around the same time, read about Vivaldi and Handel. For all 24 composers by era, see classical composers for kids.