Bach's keyboard suites, still frequently performed today, were composed or revised in the 1720s-1730s. Although their exact genesis is unknown, the English Suites are considered to be the earliest among them. The title became established during the 18th century, after J. C. Forkel, Bach's first biographer, noted that they were "composed for an English nobleman." While the veracity of this claim cannot be verified, Forkel's words, given his close relationship with Bach's sons, must be acknowledged as having a certain degree of persuasiveness.

However, the common belief that the six suites exhibit English characteristics is not stylistically accurate. If the French Suites sound more refined compared to the English Suites, it is likely because the former were written with a greater awareness of the contemporary galant style, employing many conventional idioms. In any case, what the composer likely aimed for through the late keyboard suites, beginning with the English Suites, was to fuse a German sound with traditional genres of French origin; in short, to integrate imitative counterpoint into a compositional style where harmonic elements predominated. This was an unparalleled endeavor by Bach, reaching its culmination in the Six Partitas. Furthermore, as Bach himself called them "suites with preludes," each of the English Suites features a lengthy Prelude. In the preludes of the five suites excluding the first, one can find formal principles of Italian concertos or da capo arias, while simultaneously encompassing intricate motivic development through two-part contrapuntal writing. This could also be described as a fusion of Italian and German sounds. In any case, the name "English Suites" cannot be considered to have any significance beyond its extramusical origin.

All English Suites consist of six movements in the same sequence: Prelude - Allemande - French Courante - Sarabande - inserted dance - Gigue. However, unlike the French Suites or Partitas, there is no consistency or logical order in the choice of keys or the arrangement of the six suites; some suggest they were simply arranged according to their order of composition or difficulty.

Furthermore, some of the dances show clear similarities to the Six Suites (1701) by Charles Dieupart (ca. 1667-ca. 1740), a French musician who was also active in London. Bach copied several of Dieupart's works, and since Dieupart's Six Suites also begin with an overture, there is no doubt that this collection played a role in the genesis of the English Suites.

1. A Major: Prelude, Allemande, Courante I, Courante II with two Doubles, Sarabande, Bourrée, Gigue / BWV 806

The Prelude is in the style of a Siciliana. It is characteristic for having two Courantes, further accompanied by two variations as Doubles. Based on documentary evidence, such as the existence of a copy of this piece in a different location, it is presumed that the First Suite has a different genesis from the other five. The melody of the Gigue is related to the Gigue from Dieupart's first suite, and also to the Gigue from Gaspard Le Roux's Pièces de clavecin (1705). Bach himself copied the former, and many of Le Roux's works were collected by J. G. Walther, a relative and close acquaintance of Bach.