Prelude 24 in B minor BWV 869

Book I of the Well-Tempered Clavier. Under its figuration, this prelude is 105 chord changes across 47 bars — ranked 11 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 →

Opening bars of Prelude 24 in B minor, reduced to labeled block chords — The opening, reduced: one block chord per change, functional labels above.

How it opens

The first changes are i7 · V7 · III7 (F#) · iv7 (D) · V7 · i7 · VI (B) · V7/III — 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: i7 (4×), V7 (4×), iv7 (D) (4×), i7 (D) (4×), V (4×).

Free scores

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