BACH 2-PART INVENTION NO.1 PRACTICE PLAN

It takes between 20 – 40 daily 20 minutes practice sessions for someone who has never seen this kind of piece to master it. Here is the scheme I use:

10 practice sessions (15 – 20 minutes each) to master the motif score:
Session 1: bars 1- 2.
Session 2: bars 3 – 4.
Session 3: bars 11 – 12.
Session 4: bars 1 – 4 & 11 – 12.
Session 5: bars 5 & 7 – 10.
Session 6: bars 1 – 12.
Session 7: bars 13 & 15 – 18.
Session 8: bars 1 – 18.
Session 9: bars 19 – 21.
Session 10: bars 1 – 21 (the whole piece).

14 practice sessions to master the piece with separate hands.
Session 11 - bars 1 – 2 (Add first beat of bar 3.)
Session 12 - bars 3 – 4 (Add first beat of bar 5.)
Session 13 - bars 5 – 6 (Add first beat of bar 7.)
Session 14 - bars 1 – 6 (Add first beat of bar 7.)
Session 15 - bars 7 – 10 ( Add first beat of bar 11.)
Session 16 - bars 1 – 10 (Add first beat of bar 11.)
Session 17 - bars 11 – 12 (Add first eat of bar 13.)
Session 18 - bars 1 – 12 (Add first eat of bar 13.)
Session 19 – bars 13 – 14 (Add first beat of bar 15)
Session 20 – bars 1 –14 (Add first eat of bar 15.)
Session 21 – bars 15 – 18 (Add first eat of bar 19.)
Session 22 – bars 1- 18 (Add first eat of bar 19.)
Session 23 – bars 19 – 22
Session 24 - bars 1 – 22 (the whole piece)

15 practice sessions to master the piece with hands together:
Session 25 - bars 19 – 22.
Session 26 - bars 15 – 18 (Add first beat of bar 19.)
Session 27 - bars 15 – 22.
Session 28 - bars 13 – 14 (Add first beat of bar 15.)
Session 29 - bars 13 – 22.
Session 30 - bars 11 – 12 (Add first beat of bar 13.)
Session 31 - bars 11 – 22.
Session 32 - bars 7 – 10 (Add first beat of bar 11.)
Session 33 – bars 7 – 22.
Session 34 – bars 5 –6 (Add first beat of bar 7.)
Session 35 – bars 6 – 22.
Session 36 – bars 3- 4 (Add first beat of bar 5.)
Session 37 - bars 3 – 22
Session 38 – bars 1- 2 (Add first beat of bar 3.)
Session 39 - bars 1 – 22 (the whole piece)







18 day plan
Day 1: session 1 – session 2 – session 3 (3 practice sessions/day)
Day 2: [session 4] – session 5 (2 practice sessions/day)
Day 3: [session 6] – session 7
Day 4: [session 8] – session 9
Day 5: [session 10] Session 10 – session 11 – session 12 – session 13 (4 practice sessions/day)
Day 6: [Session 10 – session 14] - session 15 (2 practice sessions /day)
Day 7: [Session 10 – session 16] – session 17 (2 practice sessions/day)

Day 8: [Session 10 – session 18] – session 19
Day 9: [Session 10 – session 20] – session 21
Day 10: [Session 10 – session 22 – session 23
Day 11: [Session 10 – session 24] – session 25 - session 26
Day 12: [Session 10 – session 24 – session 27] – session 28 (2 practice sessions)
Day 13: [Session 10 – session 24 - session 29] – session 30

Day 14: [session 10 – session 24 - session 31] - session 32
Day 15: [session 10 – session 24 – session 33] - session 34
Day 16: [session 10 – session 24 – session 35] - session 36
Day 17: [session 10 – session 24 – session 37] – session 38
Day 18: [session 10 – session 24 – session 39]