Prelude 14 in F-sharp minor BWV 859

Book I of the Well-Tempered Clavier. Under its figuration, this prelude is 44 chord changes across 24 bars — ranked 25 of 42 by measured difficulty (advanced) 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.

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Opening bars of Prelude 14 in F-sharp minor, reduced to labeled block chords — The opening, reduced: one block chord per change, functional labels above.

How it opens

The first changes are i · iv (F#) · i · ii (F#) · i · V7/v (D#) · i7 (C#) · V7/III (B) — and the whole prelude keeps moving at roughly that harmonic pace.

What it leans on

Of 55 labeled changes, the harmonies that do the most work: i (5×), i7 (C#) (4×), iv7 (F#) (3×), V7/v (D#) (2×), VI7 (A) (2×).

Free scores

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