In this segment of Bach's life, we find the foundation for his mastery at the organ-Having only three days of work a week allowed him much free time-. Not only that, do we also realize how short a temper he had, and how little he cared for punctuality when he was not interested.In October of 1705, Bach was given permission to leave for four weeks to go to Lübeck to hear the great organist Buxtehude play.No one really knows whether Buxtehude ever taught him, but we're sure much was learnt from hearing him. In any case, this whole event was far more important to him than returning home, so he arrived back in Arnstadt in the middle of February 1706.

Bach was of course summoned, and logically they pulled out a few other things they didn't like about his attitude.They gave him 8 days to tell them for certain if he was going to sing in the choir. So in typical Bach fashion, by November he still had not replied.Again he was summoned, and this time he promised he would write out a reply.No one knows if he ever did.Things went another way, when on the 2 December 1706, The organist Johann George Ahle of the church St. Blasius in Mühlhausen, died. In the spring Bach got asked to do an "invitation" trial performance on their organ.On the 15 June, he got the job.However, once again typical of Bach, he left the keys for his brother on the 29th of that same month.On the 17th October in that year, Bach married his cousin, Maria Barbera Bach in Arnstadt.

The conditions in the town where Bach stayed were in a state. The congregations of the church were divided, and people were really living off of past status.Bach was not the man to be in this sort of area, and after a year in their service, asked for release from the place.He told everyone that his reason for leaving was the fact that there was no more room for improvement in the musical conditions there.In the end, it was a very graceful departure.