Sheet music
Orchestersuite Nr. 3 D-Dur, BWV 1068: II. Air
Air on a G String
Where to get it
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| Provider / edition | Recorded price | Visit provider |
|---|---|---|
| Musicnotes Retailer | $5.95 April 2026 | View |
| Great Scores Retailer | Check price | View |
| Encore Music Retailer | Check price | View |
| Music44 Retailer | Check price | View |
| Sheet Music Plus Retailer | Check price | View |
Sheet Music Direct Retailer
Original listing detailsMelody Line · Lyrics · Chords | Check price | View |
Boosey & Hawkes Retailer
Original listing detailsFlute | Check price | View |
| mfiles Free source | Free options | View |
| 8notes Free source | Free options | View |
| Piano Street Free source | Free options | View |
| Cantorion Free source | Free options | View |
| Sheet Music Archive Free source | Free options | View |
| Icking Music Archive Free source | Free options | View |
| Internet Archive Free source | Free options | View |
| Flutetunes Free source | Free options | View |
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Further reading
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About this piece
Orchestersuite Nr. 3 D-Dur, BWV 1068: II. Air is a work by Johann Sebastian Bach. It is also catalogued as Air on a G String. Editions in our index are scored for piano, organ, guitar and cello. We track 256 editions for sale priced between $3.95 and $141.95, from Musicnotes, Sheet Music Plus, Great Scores and Encore Music. 18 public-domain archives publish it free of charge, including Cantorion, Flutetunes and 8notes.
Why it is called "on the G string"
This is the Air, the second movement of the Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068, written for strings, oboes, trumpets and timpani around 1730. In Bach's score it is simply the slow movement, scored for strings alone, and it has no nickname at all.
The name arrived in 1871, when the violinist August Wilhelmj arranged it for violin and piano and transposed it down from D to C. In that key the entire melody can be played on the violin's lowest string — the G string — which gives it the darker, more covered tone the arrangement is known for. The title describes Wilhelmj's fingering instruction, not Bach's music.
This matters when buying: editions labelled Air on the G String are usually in C and follow Wilhelmj, while editions labelled Air from the third suite are usually in D and follow Bach. Both are legitimate, and they are not interchangeable if you are playing with anyone else.
Published in
This piece appears in 71 published collections.
Common questions
- How much does Orchestersuite Nr. 3 D-Dur, BWV 1068: II. Air sheet music cost?
- Prices run from $3.95 to $141.95 across 256 retailers. Prices change; the figures shown are the most recent we recorded.
- Is Orchestersuite Nr. 3 D-Dur, BWV 1068: II. Air available for free?
- Yes. 18 archives in our index publish it at no cost, typically as a public-domain scan or engraving. Free editions vary in quality and edition; a paid edition may be easier to read or better fingered.
- What instruments is Orchestersuite Nr. 3 D-Dur, BWV 1068: II. Air arranged for?
- The editions we track are scored for piano, organ, guitar, cello, flute, oboe, violin, voice, orchestra, choir, horn, trombone, string quartet and record. Specific arrangements listed include Piano, Violin, Guitar, Piano Solo and Harpsichord.
Same composer