← Bach · Well-Tempered Clavier
Prelude 22 in B-flat minor BWV 867
Book I of the Well-Tempered Clavier. Under its figuration, this prelude is 53 chord changes across 24 bars — ranked 41 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 (Bb) · i · iiø7 (Bb) · iv7 (Bb) · V7 (Eb) · #vi (F) · VI7 (Db) — and the whole prelude keeps moving at roughly that harmonic pace.
What it leans on
Of 50 labeled changes, the harmonies that do the most work: iiø7 (Bb) (5×), V7 (5×), i (3×), V7 (Eb) (3×), VI7 (Db) (2×).
Free scores
- Blocked-chord reduction (MusicXML) — the harmony skeleton the player performs
- The prelude as written (MusicXML)