Up to that time, "variations" had meant rather easy dance parts of a pleasing and amusing genre, whereas in this work the form was enriched with serious, artistically demanding counterpoint technique. 

The theme itself does not appear in the highest but rather in the bass line, where it establishes the harmonic structure of the sarabande-like aria. The cycle follows a constructive concept. Up to the 27th variation every third movement is a canon (some in counter motion - in "moto contrario") with entrances in intervals ranging from prime to ninth, while the 30th variation is treated as a quodlibet based on two folksongs. 

The original version of the Goldberg Variations, written for harpsichord, is a highly taxing piece for any performer. It uses two manuals of the instrument extensively, requiring crossed hands, with double and chord trills. The guitar version involves additional hardships, such as the transcription for a modern instrument in general and, in particular, achieving idiomatic solutions for articulation problems caused by the fundamental difference between keyboard and plucked instruments.