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Orchestersuite Nr. 3 D-Dur, BWV 1068: II. Air

Air on a G String

by Johann Sebastian Bach

PianoOrganGuitarharpsichordCelloFluteOboeviolinVoiceBassoonVocalOrchestraDouble BassChoirHornClarinetTromboneString QuartetKeyboardRecorderMandolinBanjoSaxophoneViola Folk songRomanticBaroqueChristmasScoresTV20th Century21st CenturyNew

Where to get it

Arrangement details come from recorded listings. Check the retailer’s current edition before buying.

117 retailer listings for this from $3.95 to $12.95. 18 archives offer it free.

Free and public domain

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Referenced at

These list the piece but do not sell it — discographies, archives and encyclopaedias. Included because they are often where the edition details are.

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 117 editions for sale priced between $3.95 and $12.95, from Musicnotes, Sheet Music Plus, Great Scores and Encore Music. 18 public-domain archives publish it free of charge, including Cantorion, 8notes and mfiles.

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 $12.95 across 117 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, Organ and Keyboard.

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