Ever wondered what it would be like to collaborate with one of history’s greatest composers? The Johann Sebastian Bach Google Doodle lets you do exactly that — write your own melody and watch as artificial intelligence transforms it into something Bach himself might have written. Released on March 21, 2019, this was Google’s first-ever AI-powered Doodle, and it’s still one of the most impressive things they’ve ever built.
The Doodle celebrates Bach’s 334th birthday (he was born in 1685 under the old Julian calendar). Bach came from a massive musical family in Eisenach, Germany — his father, uncles, and brothers were all professional musicians. Orphaned at 10, he was raised by his eldest brother, an organist who gave him his first keyboard lessons. Bach went on to become the greatest composer of the Baroque era, mastering counterpoint (the art of weaving multiple melodies together simultaneously) and producing over 1,000 works including the Brandenburg Concertos, The Well-Tempered Clavier, and the Mass in B Minor. He was primarily famous as an organist during his lifetime — he even knew how to build and repair pipe organs.
What makes this Doodle special is the technology behind it. Google’s Magenta team developed a machine learning model called Coconet, which was trained on 306 of Bach’s chorale harmonizations. Bach’s chorales always feature four distinct voices, each carrying their own melodic line while creating rich harmonies together — a perfect structure for teaching AI. You compose a simple two-measure melody by clicking notes on a staff, then hit “Harmonize” and Coconet adds three additional voices in Bach’s style. The result sounds remarkably authentic.
There’s even a hidden easter egg: click the amplifier icon in the corner to transform your composition into an 80s rock style, a nod to Wendy Carlos’ groundbreaking 1968 album Switched-On Bach, which reimagined Bach’s music on Moog synthesizers. You can also click the sticky note with a sheep to hear a “Bachified” version of “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”
How To Play Johann Sebastian Bach Google Doodle
- Click on the empty music staff to place notes — you can use quarter notes or eighth notes across two measures in the key of C
- Use the play button to preview your melody before harmonizing
- Press “Harmonize” and watch as the AI adds three additional voice parts in Bach’s signature style
- Click the star button to reveal a dial that changes the key of your composition
- Find the amplifier icon for an 80s synth-rock easter egg, or the sheep sticky note for a surprise Bach arrangement
- Download your creation as a MIDI file or share it on social media using the buttons provided
