Air

What it means

Air, from the French and English word for "song" or "melody," broadly denotes a song-like, lyrical melody. In Baroque and Classical instrumental music, an air is usually a self-contained movement with a calm character and a clearly singable, often symmetrically built melodic line, in contrast to the dance movements of a suite.

In the notation

An air is usually set at a moderate tempo and in clearly organized phrases, often in a two-part form with repeats, as is customary in the surrounding dance movements of a suite. The term appears as the movement's title above the staff.

Musical use

In the Baroque instrumental suite, the air often serves as a calm, song-like contrast between faster dance movements such as the gigue, bourrée, or minuet. A well-known example is the "Air" from Johann Sebastian Bach's Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major, which also became famous under the title "Air on the G String" through a later arrangement for violin and piano.

Beyond instrumental music, the term air also appears in vocal music, for instance in the English song tradition and in operas and oratorios, where it denotes a lyrical, aria-like number.

Performance practice

When you play an air, pay particular attention to a flowing, singable melodic arc and a calm, even tempo. Treat the phrases like sung lines, with natural breathing points, rather than breaking them up in a purely instrumental, technical way.