← Bach · Well-Tempered Clavier
Prelude 18 in G-sharp minor BWV 887
Book II of the Well-Tempered Clavier. Under its figuration, this prelude is 79 chord changes across 45 bars — ranked 35 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 i · iiø7 (G#) · i · V7 (F##) · i · V · i · iiø7 (G#) — and the whole prelude keeps moving at roughly that harmonic pace.
What it leans on
Of 105 labeled changes, the harmonies that do the most work: i (8×), V (4×), #vi (3×), i (F#) (3×), vii (3×).
Free scores
- Blocked-chord reduction (MusicXML) — the harmony skeleton the player performs
- The prelude as written (MusicXML)