Learning the harpsichord, step by step

A graded beginner curriculum for harpsichord / early keyboard

Anchored to J.S. Bach’s own teaching order — the little dances of the Clavier-Büchlein, then the two-part Inventions, the three-part Sinfonias, the suites, and finally the Well-Tempered Clavier — with fingering and ornamentation from C.P.E. Bach’s Versuch, Couperin, Türk and Dolmetsch.

Difficulty here is graded by musical form (a harpsichord has no pedal to read); a score-level pass will refine it. Every piece links the site’s own PDF.

Level 1 · First pieces — short binary dances (20 pieces)

• 📄 Gavotte in G major, HWV 491 — George Frideric Handel
• 📄 March in D major, HWV 417 — George Frideric Handel
• 📄 Minuet in A major, HWV 545 — George Frideric Handel
• 📄 Little Prelude in C major, BWV 933 — Johann Sebastian Bach
• 📄 Little Prelude in C minor, BWV 934 — Johann Sebastian Bach
• 📄 Little Prelude in D major, BWV 936 — Johann Sebastian Bach
• 📄 March in E-flat major, H deest — Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
• 📄 Menuet con 5 Variazioni, H.44 — Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
• 📄 Menuet in C major, H.216 — Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
• 📄 Gavotte in F major — Georg Philipp Telemann
• 📄 Gavotte in G major — Henry Purcell
• 📄 March in C major, Z.647 — Henry Purcell
• 📄 March in C major, Z.648 — Henry Purcell
• 📄 Les Petits marteaux, RCT 12bis — Jean-Philippe Rameau
• 📄 March in F major, W.A 22 — Johann Christian Bach
• 📄 Minuet in D minor, P.366 — Johann Pachelbel
• 📄 Minuet in G major, P.367 — Johann Pachelbel
• 📄 Gavotte in D minor — Louis Couperin
• 📄 Bourrée in B minor — Wilhelm Friedemann Bach
• 📄 March in E-flat major, F.30 — Wilhelm Friedemann Bach

Level 2 · Two-part inventions & ornamented dances (10 pieces)

• 📄 Invention in A major, BWV 783 — Johann Sebastian Bach
• 📄 Invention in A minor, BWV 784 — Johann Sebastian Bach
• 📄 Invention in B minor, BWV 786 — Johann Sebastian Bach
• 📄 Invention in B-flat major, BWV 785 — Johann Sebastian Bach
• 📄 Invention in C major, BWV 772 — Johann Sebastian Bach
• 📄 Invention in C minor, BWV 773 — Johann Sebastian Bach
• 📄 Invention in D major, BWV 774 — Johann Sebastian Bach
• 📄 Invention in D minor, BWV 775 — Johann Sebastian Bach
• 📄 Invention in E major, BWV 777 — Johann Sebastian Bach
• 📄 Invention in E minor, BWV 778 — Johann Sebastian Bach

Level 3 · Three-part sinfonias & suite movements (14 pieces)

• 📄 Allemande in A major, HWV 477 — George Frideric Handel
• 📄 Allemande in A minor, HWV 478 — George Frideric Handel
• 📄 Allemande in F major, HWV 476 — George Frideric Handel
• 📄 Allemande in C minor, BWV 834 — Johann Sebastian Bach
• 📄 Gigue in G major, BWV Anh.81 — Johann Sebastian Bach
• 📄 Sinfonia in A major, BWV 798 — Johann Sebastian Bach
• 📄 Sarabande en canon — Louis Couperin
• 📄 Gigue in F minor — Anonymous
• 📄 Courante Simble, BuxWV 245 — Dietrich Buxtehude
• 📄 Rigaudon — Georg Böhm
• 📄 Sarabande en forme de gaillarde — Jean-Henri D’Anglebert
• 📄 Allemande in A minor, EngK 74 — Johann Philipp Kirnberger
• 📄 Sarabande in B minor — Matthias Weckmann
• 📄 Toye, or Courante Adieu — Orlando Gibbons

Level 4 · Suites, toccatas & sonatas (20 pieces)

• 📄 Keyboard Sonata in A major, R.1 — Antonio Soler
• 📄 Keyboard Sonata in C major, R.7 — Antonio Soler
• 📄 Keyboard Sonata in E-flat major, R.2 — Antonio Soler
• 📄 Keyboard Sonata in B-flat major, H.2 — Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
• 📄 Keyboard Sonata in A minor, K.3 — Domenico Scarlatti
• 📄 Keyboard Sonata in A minor, K.7 — Domenico Scarlatti
• 📄 Keyboard Sonata in D minor, K.1 — Domenico Scarlatti
• 📄 Rondeau in B-flat major, BWV Anh.183 — François Couperin
• 📄 Air in A major, HWV 468 — George Frideric Handel
• 📄 Air in B-flat major, HWV 469 — George Frideric Handel
• 📄 Air in B-flat major, HWV 471 — George Frideric Handel
• 📄 Partita in A minor, FbWV 628 — Johann Jacob Froberger
• 📄 Tombeau in C minor, FbWV 632 — Johann Jacob Froberger
• 📄 Adagio in G major, BWV 968 — Johann Sebastian Bach
• 📄 Applicatio in C major, BWV 994 — Johann Sebastian Bach
• 📄 Aria variata in A minor, BWV 989 — Johann Sebastian Bach
• 📄 Alman, FVB 163 — William Byrd
• 📄 Galliard, FVB 164 — William Byrd
• 📄 Galliard, FVB 175 — William Byrd
• 📄 Klavierwerke — Wilhelm Hieronymus Pachelbel

Level 5 · Fugues, fantasias & virtuoso works (20 pieces)

• 📄 Air with Variations in C minor, BWV 991 — Johann Sebastian Bach
• 📄 Capriccio in F major, HWV 481 — George Frideric Handel
• 📄 Capriccio in G minor, HWV 483 — George Frideric Handel
• 📄 Fantasia in C major, HWV 490 — George Frideric Handel
• 📄 Fantasia I sopra Ut-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol-La, FbWV 201 — Johann Jacob Froberger
• 📄 Capriccio in B-flat major, BWV 992 — Johann Sebastian Bach
• 📄 Capriccio in E major, BWV 993 — Johann Sebastian Bach
• 📄 Praeludium & Fantasia, FVB 100, 52 — William Byrd
• 📄 Tregian’s Ground, FVB 60 — William Byrd
• 📄 Variations on ‘Ich schlief da träumte mir’, H.69 — Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
• 📄 12 Variations über die Folie d’Espagne, H.263 — Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
• 📄 Aria and 3 Variations in A major, P.25 — Johann Pachelbel
• 📄 Arietta and 9 Variations in F major, P.29 — Johann Pachelbel
• 📄 Fugue in F major — Alessandro Scarlatti
• 📄 Fantasia in C major, H.284 — Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
• 📄 Ricercar No.1 — Christian Erbach
• 📄 Ricercar No.4 — Christian Erbach
• 📄 Ricercar No.6 — Christian Erbach
• 📄 Capriccio sopra l’aria ‘Or chè noi rimena’ in partite, F 4.07 — Girolamo Frescobaldi
• 📄 Capriccio sopra l’aria di Ruggiero, F 4.12 — Girolamo Frescobaldi