← Bach · Well-Tempered Clavier
Prelude 16 in G minor BWV 861
Book I of the Well-Tempered Clavier. Under its figuration, this prelude is 47 chord changes across 19 bars — ranked 34 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 →
How it opens
The first changes are VI7 (G) · iv7 (G) · VI7 (G) · i7 · VI7 (D) · V7/v (C#) · III+7 · iiø7 — and the whole prelude keeps moving at roughly that harmonic pace.
What it leans on
Of 47 labeled changes, the harmonies that do the most work: i7 (Bb) (3×), VI7 (G) (2×), iv7 (G) (2×), i7 (2×), iv7 (Bb) (2×).
Free scores
- Blocked-chord reduction (MusicXML) — the harmony skeleton the player performs
- The prelude as written (MusicXML)