Prelude 2 in C minor BWV 847

Book I of the Well-Tempered Clavier. Under its figuration, this prelude is 65 chord changes across 38 bars — ranked 19 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 2 in C 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 · iv7 (C) · iv · i · VI7 (C) · V7/v (C) · v7 (Bb) · V7/iv (Bb) — and the whole prelude keeps moving at roughly that harmonic pace.

What it leans on

Of 65 labeled changes, the harmonies that do the most work: i (4×), i7 (G) (4×), iv7 (Ab) (3×), iiø7 (C) (3×), iv7 (C) (2×).

Free scores

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