Prelude 13 in F-sharp major BWV 882

Book II of the Well-Tempered Clavier. Under its figuration, this prelude is 82 chord changes across 75 bars — ranked 39 of 42 by measured difficulty (expert) 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 →

Opening bars of Prelude 13 in F-sharp major, reduced to labeled block chords — The opening, reduced: one block chord per change, functional labels above.

How it opens

The first changes are I · I7 (A#) · V7 · I · V (E#) · vi7 · V7 · I7 — and the whole prelude keeps moving at roughly that harmonic pace.

What it leans on

Of 80 labeled changes, the harmonies that do the most work: V7 (8×), I (6×), I7 (4×), V7/V (4×), vi7 (3×).

Free scores

Blocked-chord reduction (MusicXML) — the harmony skeleton the player performs
The prelude as written (MusicXML)