This piece, appearing in the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, is a vibrant gigue-like dance that demonstrates Bull's command of keyboard figuration. Its rhythmic vitality and formal clarity are hallmarks of the late 16th-century English tradition.
At Henle 3 this is a late-beginner piece — comfortable hands-together playing is assumed, and musical shaping starts to matter. The main demands: ornaments that need to sound effortless, not squeezed in; precise articulation — the difference between crisp and blurred is the piece; and independent voices that must each sing on their own line.
Pay close attention to the articulation required for the lively, dance-like character.
Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.
A level or two down with the same spirit — ideal if this piece is still out of reach.
Where this piece's skills lead: slightly harder works making similar technical demands.
Lesser-known works by the same hand, at a comparable level.
Doctor Bull's my selfe. A Gigge, FVB 189 is rated Henle level 3 of 9 — late beginner repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 4–5. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 4.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 3 — meaning you can already play level 2–3 pieces cleanly. Learning it one level early is possible as a stretch piece, but more than that usually leads to months of frustration.
A typical performance of Doctor Bull's my selfe. A Gigge, FVB 189 lasts about 2 minutes.
Doctor Bull's my selfe. A Gigge, FVB 189 is available as free public-domain sheet music on IMSLP — the score is linked directly from this page.
Pieces at a comparable difficulty and character include Doctor Bull's My Selfe by John Bull, Doctor Bull's my selfe. A Gigge by John Bull, Piano Sonata No. 16 in C major by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.