← Bach · Well-Tempered Clavier
Prelude 7 in E-flat major BWV 852
Book I of the Well-Tempered Clavier. Under its figuration, this prelude is 202 chord changes across 70 bars — ranked 30 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 · ii (Eb) · V7/IV · I · ii7 (Eb) · V7 · I7 (D) · vi7 (Bb) — and the whole prelude keeps moving at roughly that harmonic pace.
What it leans on
Of 202 labeled changes, the harmonies that do the most work: I (13×), V7 (8×), V7 (D) (8×), ii7 (Ab) (7×), I7 (G) (7×).
Free scores
- Blocked-chord reduction (MusicXML) — the harmony skeleton the player performs
- The prelude as written (MusicXML)