J. S. Bach Air on the G String Piano solo arr. BWV 1068 with sheet music

J. S. Bach Air on the G String Piano solo arrangement from BWV 1068 with sheet music

bach free sheet music & scores pdf download

“Air on the G String”

Please, subscribe to our Library.

If you are already a subscriber, please, check our NEW SCORES’ page every month for new sheet music. THANK YOU!

“Air on the G String”, also known as “Air for G String” and “Celebrated Air”, is August Wilhelmj’s 1871 arrangement of the second movement of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068.

The arrangement differs from the original in that the part of the first violins is transposed down so that it can be played entirely on a violin’s lowest string, i.e., the G string. It is played by a single violin (instead of by the first violins as a group).

Bach’s original

Bach’s third Orchestral Suite in D major, composed in the first half of the 18th century, has an “Air” as second movement, following its French overture opening movement. The suite is composed for three trumpets, timpani, two oboes, strings (two violin parts and a viola part), and basso continuo. In the second movement of the suite however only the strings and the continuo play. This is the only movement of the suite where all other instruments are silent.

The music of the “Air” is written on four staves, for first and second violins, viola(s), and continuo. The interweaving melody lines of the high strings contrast with the pronounced rhythmic drive in the bass.

In 1871, violinist August Wilhelmj arranged the second movement of Bach’s third Orchestral Suite for violin and an accompaniment of strings, piano or organ (harmonium). On the score he wrote auf der G-Saite (on the G string) above the staff for the solo violin, which gave the arrangement its nickname.

Wilhelmj’s arrangement

In Wilhelmj’s version the piece is transposed down from its original key (D major) to C major. Then the part of the first violins is transposed further down an octave and given to a solo violin that can play the entire melody on its lowest string, the G string. The dynamic markings added by Wilhelmj are more in line with a romantic interpretation than with the baroque original.

As a violin can’t play very loudly in its lowest register, all the other parts of Bach’s music were firmly reduced in Wilhelmj’s version: the keyboard part is to be played staccato and pianissimo, causing the effects of interweaving melodies and of drive in the bass part to get lost. The accompanying violins and violas play muted (con sordino), and the bass part for cellos and double basses is to be played pizzicato and sempre pianissimo, with the same change in effect compared to Bach’s original.

Later, a spurious story circulated that the melody was always intended to be played on the G string alone. The solo violin part of Wilhelmj’s arrangement is sometimes played on the counter-tenor violoncello.

As a result of the popularity of the piece, on the G string remained in the name of various arrangements whether or not a string instrument playing on its G string was involved. Most of these versions have in common that the original melody of the first violins is played in the low register of a solo instrument, accompanied by a reduction of the material of the other parts of Bach’s piece, although occasionally versions that stay more in line with Bach’s original can go by the same name.

In a period that stretched over three decades, and started in 1905, Henry Wood regularly programmed Wilhelmj’s arrangement at the London Proms. Wood recorded his orchestral rendering (i.e., the G string part performed by a group of violins) of the Bach/Wilhelmj “Air” in the early 1930s.

Download a selection of the best classical sheet music from our Library.

Browse in the Library:

Total Records Found in the Library: 12470, showing 120 per page
Artist or Composer / Score nameCoverList of Contents
Take Five by Paul Desmond Jazz Play Along sheet music download
Take Five Guitar by Chet Atkins.mscz
Take Five Jazz Standard by Paul Desmond arranged for Guitar by Chet Atkins with Tablature TABs Take Five Jazz Standard by Paul Desmond arranged for Guitar by Chet Atkins with Tablature
Take Five Jazz Standard Paul Desmond Dave Brubeck arr. Carsten Gerlitz Dave Brubeck Blue Rondo à la Turk arr. Carsten Gerlitz Jazz Standard
Take Me To The Land Of Jazz by Pete Wendling (1919) free sheet music & scores pdf
Take That – Could It Be Magic
Take That – How Deep Is Your Love Take That how-deep-is-your-love
Takemitsu – Secret Love Guitar with TABs sheet music download
partitions gratuites Noten spartiti partituras
Takemitsu, Toru – 12 Songs for guitar 楽譜
Tales Of Earthsea Teeru No Uta Kashuu Baajon Taniyama Hiroko Miyazaki Tomochika free sheet music partitura partition noten
Talking Heads Anthology free sheet music & scores pdf download Talking Heads Anthology
Tally Hall Hidden In The Sand (Piano Solo) sheet music partitura partition noten spartiti
Tangled – Alan Menken OST free sheet music pdf Alan Menken – Tangled (Disney) Rapunzel songbook
Tango El Caramel (Khaled Mouzanar)
Tango Fake Book free sheet music & scores pdf download Tango Fake Book
Tangos And More (Intermediate Piano Solos) partitura Tangos And More (Intermediate Piano Solos)
Tangos Para Guitarra sheet music partitura Tangos
Tania Maria Yatra Ta free scores sheet music Noten
Tant Que Vivray (Musescore File).mscz
Tanta voglia di lei (Pooh)
Tarantella in 3rd class (Ennio Morricone)
Taro Iwashiro – Her Most Beautiful Smile
Tárrega – Làgrima (Guitar Tabs) (Musescore File).mscz
Tàrrega 12 Studies for Guitar Guitarra partitions gratuites Noten spartiti
Tàrrega Integral De Guitarra sheet music partitura Tàrrega guitar
Tàrrega, F. – Recuerdos de la Alhambra (Guitar).mscz
Tarzan (Disney) songbook Music by Phil Collins free sheet music pdf free sheet music pdf
Tarzan Full Score (The Musical) Music and Lyrics by Phil Collins free sheet music download
partitions gratuites Noten spartiti partituras
Tausig – Ballad (The Ghostship – Das Geisterschiff) free sheet music pdf
Taverner, John – In Nomine (full score) MS 31390 fol. 120
Taylor Billy Modern Jazz Piano Solos free sheet music & scores pdf
Taylor Swift Easy Piano Anthology (Taylor Swift) free scores sheet music Noten Taylor Swift Easy Piano Anthology (Taylor Swift)
Taylor Swift Evermore Piano vocal guitar Songbook (Taylor Swift) free scores sheet music Noten
Taylor Swift Lover Songbook (Taylor Swift) free scores sheet music Noten Taylor Swift Lover Songbook (Taylor Swift)
Taylor Swift – ME! Sheet Music Noten sheet music score partitura partition
Taylor Swift Reputation Songbook (Taylor Swift) free scores sheet music Noten Taylor Swift Reputation Songbook (Taylor Swift)
Taylor Swift – 1989 Songbook – Taylor Swift sheet music Noten sheet music score partitura partition
Taylor Swift – 1989 Songbook – Taylor Swift sheet music
Taylor Swift – Anti-Hero (piano sheet music) free sheet music download
Taylor Swift – Anti-Hero (Piano Sheet Music) (Musescore File).mscz
Taylor Swift – Back to December (piano solo sheet music) free sheet music download
Taylor Swift – Best Of Taylor Swift Easy Piano Songbook (Swift, Taylor) free scores sheet music Noten Taylor Swift – Best Of Taylor Swift Songbook (Swift, Taylor)
Taylor Swift – Blank Space (piano vocal sheet music) Taylor Swift – Blank Space (piano vocal sheet music)
Taylor Swift – Fearless
Taylor Swift – Fearless (Guitar and TABS Songbook) free scores Taylor Swift – Fearless (Guitar and TABS Songbook)
Taylor Swift – Fearless Songbook Piano and vocal free sheet music pdf Taylor Swift – Fearless Songbook
Taylor Swift – I Knew you were trouble (piano and voice sheet music) free scores download
Taylor Swift – Untouchable free scores sheet music Noten
Taylor Swift A Place In This World Sheet Music free scores download
Taylor Swift All Too Well (10 Minute Version) Sheet Music free scores download
Taylor Swift Bad Blood Sheet Music free scores download
Taylor Swift Best Of Taylor Swift Very Easy Piano songbook sheet music download Taylor Swift Best Of Taylor Swift Very Easy Piano songbook
Taylor Swift Cardigan Sheet Music free scores download
Taylor Swift Cruel Summer Piano Vocal Guitar Chords Taylor Swift Cruel Summer Piano Vocal Guitar Chords
Taylor Swift Death By A Thousand Cuts Sheet Music free scores download
Taylor Swift Delicate Sheet Music free scores download
Taylor Swift Don_t Blame Me Sheet Music free scores download
Taylor Swift Enchanted Sheet Music free scores download
Taylor Swift Exile Sheet Music free scores download
Taylor Swift Last Christmas free sheet music download
Taylor Swift Look-What-You-Made-Me-Do-Sheet-Music free scores download
Taylor Swift Love Story Sheet Music free scores download
Taylor Swift Nothing New Sheet Music free scores download
Taylor Swift Piano Theme The Giver free scores
Taylor Swift Piano Theme The Giver V2 free scores
Taylor Swift Safe Andsound free scores
Taylor Swift Shake It Off Sheet Music free scores sheet music Noten
Taylor Swift Shake It Off Sheet-Music free scores download
Taylor Swift Speak Now Songbook (Guitar Recorded Versions) (Swift Taylor) Guitar TABs free scores sheet music Noten Taylor Swift Speak Now Songbook (Guitar Recorded Versions) (Swift Taylor) Guitar TABs
Taylor Swift The Whole Story Unauthorised (Newkey Burden, Chas) Book free scores sheet music Noten
Taylor Swift We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together Sheet Music free scores download
Taylor Swift White Horse Sheet Music free scores download
Taylor Swift You Belong With Me Sheet Music free scores download
Taylor Swift You Need To Calm Down Sheet Music PDF free scores download
Taylorswift – Lovestory
Tchaikovsky Dance Of The Four Swans Transcribed For Piano By Earl Wild Sheet Music sheet music
Tchaikovsky Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy (Easy Piano Solo Arr.) free sheet music download
Tchaikovsky Waltz From The Sleeping Beauty Suite (Rachmaninoff Four Hands) Read Description sheet music download partitura partition spartito
Tchaikovsky Waltz From The Sleeping Beauty Suite (Rachmaninoff Four Hands) Read Description (Musescore File).mscz
Tchaikovsky The Nutcracker Suite Op, 71 Piano Solo Transcription By Pletnev Tchaikovsky The Nutcracker Suite Op, 71 Piano Solo Transcription By Pletnev
Tchaïkovsky – Nina Berberova (Book Biographie) Français, French free sheet music download
Tchaikovsky – 1812 Festival Overture Op. 49 (full score) sheet music pdf
Tchaikovsky – Album for the Young Op. 39 Tchaikovsky Album for the Young
Tchaikovsky – Canción triste
Tchaikovsky – Concert Suite Sleeping Beauty Nutcracker (Piano transcription by Pletnev) sheet music pdf
Tchaikovsky – Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy (Easy Piano Solo Arr.) (Musescore File).mscz
Tchaikovsky – Harmony Book Tchaikovsky – Harmony Book
Tchaikovsky – Nutcracker Suite For Solo Classical Guitar with TABs sheet music download Tchaikovsky – Nutcracker Suite For Solo Classical Guitar with TABs
Tchaikovsky – Piano Concerto No. 1 (Easy Piano Solo arr.) Tchaikovsky – Piano Concerto No. 1 (Easy Piano Solo arr.)
Tchaikovsky – Piano Concerto No. 1 1st Mvmt. (Arr. Piano Solo) Tchaikovsky – Piano Concerto No. 1 1st Mvmt. (Arr. Piano Solo)
Tchaikovsky – Piano Concerto No. 1 1st Mvmt. (Arr. Piano Solo) (Musescore File).mscz
Tchaikovsky – Romeo & Juliet Overture
Tchaikovsky – Romeo And Juliet Fantasy Overture For Solo Piano arr. sheet music download
partitions gratuites Noten spartiti partituras
Tchaikovsky – Romeo And Juliet Fantasy Overture For Solo Piano.mxl
Tchaikovsky – Romeo And Juliet Overture (Piano Solo Arr) Tchaikovsky – Romeo And Juliet Overture (Piano Solo Arr)
Tchaikovsky – Romeo And Juliet Overture (Piano Solo Arr).mscz
Tchaikovsky – Swan Lake Piano arrangement by Langer sheet music pdf
Tchaikovsky – Swan Lake Theme Easy Piano Solo Arr. Main Theme Sheet Music sheet music download partitions gratuites Noten spartiti partituras
Tchaikovsky – Symphony 6 Easy Piano Solo (Musescore File).mscz
Tchaikovsky – Symphony 6 theme easy piano solo free scores download
Tchaikovsky – Symphony No. 6 In B Minor – 4th Movement (Musescore File).mscz
Tchaikovsky – Symphony No. 6 Pathétique (Easy Piano) (Musescore File).mscz
Tchaikovsky – The Nutcracker Die Nussnacker Suite arr. for guitar with TABs sheet music download Tchaikovsky – The Nutcracker Die Nussnacker Suite arr. for guitar with TABs
Tchaikovsky – The Nutcracker Suite (No 7) Pas De Deux sheet music score download partitura partition spartiti noten
Tchaikovsky – The Nutcracker Suite (No 7) Pas De Deux (Musescore File).mscz
Tchaikovsky – Transcriptions For Solo Classical Guitar Vol. 2 with TABs sheet music download Tchaikovsky – Transcriptions For Solo Classical Guitar Vol. 2 with TABs
Tchaikovsky – Transcriptions For Solo Classical Guitar Vol.1 with TABs sheet music download Tchaikovsky – Transcriptions For Solo Classical Guitar Vol.1 with TABs
Tchaikovsky – Waltz of the Flowers from The Nutcraker Suite Piano Solo arr. Tchaikovsky – Waltz of the Flowers from The Nutcraker Suite Piano Solo arr.
Tchaikovsky – Waltz of the Flowers from The Nutcraker Suite Piano Solo arr.mscz
Tchaikovsky -March From The Nutcracker Suite – Transcription By Pletnev (Musescore File).mscz
Tchaikovsky (H. Pachulski) Symphony No. 6, 4th Movement (Piano solo arr.) Tchaikovsky (H. Pachulski) Symphony No. 6, 4th Movement (Piano solo arr.)
Tchaikovsky Children’s Album Детский Альбом Op. 39 (Musescore File).mscz
Tchaikovsky None But The Lonely Heart Six Romances Op. 6 No. 6 (Violin And Piano) (Musescore File).mscz
Tchaikovsky None but the Lonely Hert Op. 6 no. 6
Tchaikovsky op 40 Twelve Pieces (excerpts) Tchaikovsky op 40 Twelve Pieces
Tchaikovsky Opus 37 The Seasons (Piano) Tchaikovsky The Seasons
Tchaikovsky Piano Book 3 – 10 musical selections, Easy Piano Solo arrangements sheet music pdf Tchaikovsky Piano Book 3
Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No 1 1st Mvmt (Arr For 2 Pianos) (Musescore File).mscz
Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 Easy Piano Solo Arr. (Musescore File).mscz
Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1, easy piano solo arr. Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1, easy piano solo arr.
Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet Overture Fantasy Arr. for 2 pianos sheet music download
partitions gratuites Noten spartiti partituras
Air on the G string has an interesting origin story:

At the end of the 19th century, the German violinist August Wilhelmj (1845-1908) decided to arrange the aria from the ‘Suite for Orchestra in D major’ BWV 1068 for violin and piano. The second movement of Bach’s third orchestral suite is a slow movement in 4/4 time and Bach originally wrote the piece for solo violin and string orchestra.


Wilhelmj transposed the entire solo section, a jewel of lyrical music, to C so that it can be played comfortably on the G string, the fourth and lowest string of the violin, which has a peculiar, dark and romantic timbre. He wrote the harmonic parts for piano. Although the melody was later transcribed for many other instruments, such as the flute, the title ‘Air on the G String’ stuck.

sheet music library

It’s nice to meet you.

Sign up to receive our new posts in your inbox.

This field is required.

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.