← Bach · Well-Tempered Clavier
Prelude 1 in C major BWV 846
Book I of the Well-Tempered Clavier. Under its figuration, this prelude is 35 chord changes across 35 bars — ranked 1 of 42 by measured difficulty (intermediate) in this survey. Played as block chords, it's a progression you can learn in an afternoon; the piece is that progression wearing sixteenth notes.
Practice this piece → Practice chords → Learn it section by section → Hear the harmony →
How it opens
The first changes are I · ii7 (C) · V7 (B) · I · vi (C) · V7/V (C) · V (B) · I7 (B) — and the whole prelude keeps moving at roughly that harmonic pace.
What it leans on
Of 35 labeled changes, the harmonies that do the most work: I (4×), V7 (4×), ii7 (C) (2×), V7 (B) (2×), V7/IV (2×).
Free scores
- Blocked-chord reduction (MusicXML) — the harmony skeleton the player performs
- The prelude as written (MusicXML)