Bach composed six "French Suites." Bach himself titled them "Suites pour le Clavessin," and the originator of the name "French Suites" is unknown. It is likely that they came to be called this because they are elegant, approachable, and refined music, incorporating a French sensibility. The exact composition date is also unclear, but it is estimated to be around 1722. This is because five of these French Suites (Nos. 1-5) are included in the "Clavier-Büchlein" (1722), a collection of pieces Bach first presented to his second wife, Anna Magdalena, whom he married in 1721 after the death of his first wife.

All of them are composed of several dance movements, typically beginning with an Allemande, followed by a Courante, Sarabande, and concluding with a Gigue. These four dance movements form the classical standard structure of keyboard suites established in the late 17th century. Following the custom of his time, Bach employs typical melodic patterns and idioms from the very beginning of each piece, making these dances immediately recognizable.

The Allemande, a French word meaning "German," is in 4/4 time and begins on an upbeat. It is a dance that progresses calmly and continuously without interruption. The Courante is a lively dance in a relatively fast tempo; in the French style, it is in 3/2 or 6/4 time, while in the Italian style, it is in 3/4 or 3/8 time. The Sarabande is a triple-meter dance of Spanish origin, where two consecutive measures form a single unit. It progresses with solemnity and gravity. The Gigue is a light and fast dance originating from England. Its original time signatures are typically 3/8, 6/8, or 12/8, but Bach sometimes notated it in 4/4 time, dividing each beat into triplets.

While the sequence A-C-S-G was standard for dance movements in Bach's time, various "modern dances" were permitted to be inserted between the Sarabande and the Gigue. Representative examples include the Air, Minuet, Gavotte, and Bourrée. The Air, equivalent to the Italian "aria," is a song-like piece. Therefore, the Air is not inherently a dance but rather an instrumental piece often inserted into dance suites. The Minuet is an elegant and graceful dance that originated in France and became popular among the upper classes. It is in a calm 3/4 time and was later adopted by Haydn in his symphonies. Typically, it appears to be in two parts, and with repetitions, it takes the form of Minuet-Trio-Minuet da capo. (The middle section is called "Trio" because, in court dances, obbligato instruments were used to create a Trio texture in the middle section, adding variety to the sound. In keyboard suites, it is not necessarily written in three voices.) The Gavotte is also a bright and cheerful dance that originated in France and became popular among the upper classes. It is usually in 4/4 time and begins on the third beat. The Bourrée, appearing in No. 5, is a light two-beat dance of French origin, particularly favored for dancing in courts.

Of the six French Suites, the first three are in minor keys, and the latter three are in major keys, with each suite maintaining tonal unity.

French Suite No. 2

In Suite No. 2, the Courante is in the Italian style. The Air is in 2/2 time, and the interplay between the two voices creates a sense of perspective. A version of the Minuet with a Trio exists (Neue Bach-Ausgabe, Version B). The Gigue is in 3/8 time but progresses in four-measure units. It features two-voice imitation, and an inverted subject appears in the latter half.