"Inventions" is a beginning

No one can play "Fantasie Impromptu" without practice. To play difficult piano notes, one must start with basic skills. This is why many pianists, such as Czerny and Hanon, wrote and published lesson books for students. Johann Sebastian Bach, one of the Baroque composers and famous organists, also wrote compositions for his pupils. Inventions, one of his many works, played an important role in classical music.

Bach composed 15 Inventions (two parts) and 15 Sinfonias (three parts) of short piano compositions that start from C major to B minor, and usually people call these 30 notes "Inventions." Although he was not the one who invented the genre, Bach did elevate this genre through this work. He composed these to help students develop their techniques and composition skills.  Inventions are usually used for exercising rather than performing.

Inventions and Sinfonias are arranged in an identical fashion, in ascending order by key. They are similar but much simpler than Fugue. The notes do not look complicated; however, they require intense concentration to play because of the slurs. They are so elaborate and precise that when I read the notes, I often feel that I'm looking at math equations. They don't sound enormous like others, but they definitely have beautiful sounds from their unique characters.

Now Inventions is one of the most important courses for people who want to play piano. As you follow the steps that Bach walks you through in his lesson books, you will realize that your skills are improving so much and that your fingers are now making beautiful music.