← Bach · Well-Tempered Clavier
Prelude 2 in C minor BWV 871
Book II of the Well-Tempered Clavier. Under its figuration, this prelude is 20 chord changes across 12 bars — ranked 5 of 42 by measured difficulty (intermediate) 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 iv (C) · iv7 · i (Eb) · #viio (D) · iv7 (C) · III+7 (D) · i7 · III+7 — and the whole prelude keeps moving at roughly that harmonic pace.
What it leans on
Of 26 labeled changes, the harmonies that do the most work: iv7 (3×), III (2×), iv (C) (1×), i (Eb) (1×), #viio (D) (1×).
Free scores
- Blocked-chord reduction (MusicXML) — the harmony skeleton the player performs
- The prelude as written (MusicXML)