← Bach · Well-Tempered Clavier
Prelude 17 in A-flat major BWV 862
Book I of the Well-Tempered Clavier. Under its figuration, this prelude is 46 chord changes across 44 bars — ranked 21 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.
Practice this piece → Practice chords → Learn it section by section → Hear the harmony →
How it opens
The first changes are I7 · V7 (G) · I7 (Eb) · V7 · I · vi7 · viio · V7 — and the whole prelude keeps moving at roughly that harmonic pace.
What it leans on
Of 46 labeled changes, the harmonies that do the most work: V7 (5×), V7 (Bb) (5×), I7 (3×), I7 (C) (3×), vi7 (C) (3×).
Free scores
- Blocked-chord reduction (MusicXML) — the harmony skeleton the player performs
- The prelude as written (MusicXML)