14 Canons

Johann Sebastian BachBWV 1087

BaroqueWell-knowninvention
H4
Henle (estimated)
RCM 7ABRSM 7

About this piece

Bach's Canons (BWV 1087) are a collection of canonic inventions on a bass line, demonstrating his profound mastery of contrapuntal technique. These pieces are intricate musical puzzles that reveal remarkable ingenuity.

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Teacher notes

Precise voice leading and rhythmic accuracy are crucial for navigating the complex canonic textures.

Technical focus

counterpointfinger-independencelayered-texturearticulation

Mood

intellectualprecisebrilliant

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Free sheet music on IMSLP

Frequently asked questions

How hard is 14 Canons (BWV 1087) by Johann Sebastian Bach?

14 Canons (BWV 1087) is rated Henle level 4 of 9 — intermediate repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 5–6. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 7.

What level do I need to play 14 Canons?

You should be comfortable at Henle level 4 — meaning you can already play level 3–4 pieces cleanly. Learning it one level early is possible as a stretch piece, but more than that usually leads to months of frustration.

Where can I get free sheet music for 14 Canons?

14 Canons (BWV 1087) is available as free public-domain sheet music on IMSLP — the score is linked directly from this page.