Bach's Six Cello Suites: Music Worksheet for 11-Year-Olds

Instructions

Johann Sebastian Bach was a superstar composer from a long time ago (the Baroque period!). One of his most famous creations is a set of six amazing pieces just for the cello, called the Cello Suites. A 'suite' is like a musical playlist where each track is a different style of dance. For almost 200 years, most people had forgotten about this incredible music, until a famous cellist rediscovered it and shared it with the world! Let's explore these wonderful pieces.

Activity 1: Match the Suite to its Key

Each of the six suites is in a different musical key, which gives it a unique mood. Draw a line to match the Suite number in Column A to its correct key in Column B.

Activity 2: Unscramble the Dances!

Most of Bach's Cello Suites follow a pattern: an opening piece followed by five movements based on old dances. Can you unscramble the names of these standard movements?

• D L E U P E R (This is the opening piece)
  Answer: _______________________


• L A L E M D A N E (A German dance)
  Answer: _______________________


• T O C U R A N E (A French running dance)
  Answer: _______________________


• A B A S A R D N E (A slow and serious Spanish dance)
  Answer: _______________________


• E G U G I (A fast and lively English dance)
  Answer: _______________________

Activity 3: Fun Facts - True or False?

Read each statement below. Circle TRUE if you think it's correct or FALSE if you think it's wrong.

1. The original music sheets, written in Bach's own handwriting, have never been found.
   TRUE / FALSE


2. A famous cellist named Pablo Casals discovered the forgotten music in a thrift shop in Barcelona.
   TRUE / FALSE


3. The final dance in a suite, the Gigue, is usually very slow and sad.
   TRUE / FALSE


4. Bach wrote the 6th Suite for a special cello that had an extra, fifth string.
   TRUE / FALSE


5. All six suites were written to be played by two cellos at the same time.
   TRUE / FALSE

Activity 4: Listen and Imagine

With a grown-up's help, find a recording of the Prelude from Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major. It's one of the most famous pieces of music ever written for the cello! Close your eyes and listen carefully. What does the music make you think of? Is it happy, thoughtful, exciting, or calm? In the box below, draw a picture or write a few sentences about the story you imagine while listening.

Answer Key

Activity 1: Match the Suite to its Key

• Suite No. 1 → G major
• Suite No. 2 → D minor
• Suite No. 3 → C major
• Suite No. 4 → E-flat major
• Suite No. 5 → C minor
• Suite No. 6 → D major

Activity 2: Unscramble the Dances!

• D L E U P E R → PRELUDE
• L A L E M D A N E → ALLEMANDE
• T O C U R A N E → COURANTE
• A B A S A R D N E → SARABANDE
• E G U G I → GIGUE

Activity 3: Fun Facts - True or False?

1. TRUE - The original manuscript is lost; we only have copies made by his wife and students.
2. TRUE - He found the sheet music in a shop in 1889 when he was just 13 years old!
3. FALSE - The Gigue is a very fast, energetic, and joyful dance.
4. TRUE - It was written for a violoncello piccolo, which had a fifth string tuned higher than usual.
5. FALSE - The suites are masterworks written for just one single cello (unaccompanied).

Activity 4: Listen and Imagine

There are no wrong answers for this creative activity! It's all about what the music made you feel and imagine.