Only nine years after his birth, did Bach lose his mother.Thereafter his father remarried, but to no avail, as a few months later he too perished. Bach was an orphan at the age of ten. But before his fathers death, he was taught a great deal about violin playing from his father.

After this occurence, Bach's older brother Johann Christoff(born 1671)took his two younger brothers with him to Ohrdruf where he was to be organist. J.Christoff Bach, gave J.S. Bach organ lessons, however, the young man eventually found his elder slow. Bach then asked his mentor if he could play through a volume of klavier pieces by Frohberger, Kerl, Pachelbel, and others. This was not to be, but Bach was persistent in his attempts and copied it by moonlight. This eagerness took him six months, after which his brother heard of it, and took them away again.

By 1700, J.Christoff's family was increasing in numbers, and Bach decided to find shelter somewhere else. Due to his wonderful soprano voice(which left him not much later)and violinist skills, he managed to secure himself in the confines of the Convent of St. Michael in L�neburg.Accompanied by his friend Erdmann, he managed to become aquanted with some of the best specimens of German Church music of that time.

From this point on, Bach ventured by foot to many places.He most certainly went to Hamburg more than once, and also went to Celle.Here everything was French. It is assumed that he probably played violin in many of the concerts to be able to gain entre� into the events.When 18, he played in the band of the Duke Johann Ernst at Weimar.He was there a few months, but then went to Arnstadt, where he became organist at the New church.