← Bach · Well-Tempered Clavier
Prelude 6 in D minor BWV 851
Book I of the Well-Tempered Clavier. Under its figuration, this prelude is 46 chord changes across 26 bars — ranked 10 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 i · iiø7 (D) · i · V7/III (G) · III · iv · v · VI (D) — and the whole prelude keeps moving at roughly that harmonic pace.
What it leans on
Of 56 labeled changes, the harmonies that do the most work: i (3×), iiø7 (D) (3×), V7/iv (3×), III (2×), v (2×).
Free scores
- Blocked-chord reduction (MusicXML) — the harmony skeleton the player performs
- The prelude as written (MusicXML)