The French Suites are six suites composed by Johann Sebastian Bach between 1722 and 1725. They were written to be played on the harpsichord or clavichord. A suite is a group of dances. Bach did not call them "French Suites". That title was given to the group by someone else. They were called the "French Suites" to distinguish them from another group of suites by Bach called the "English Suites". 