← Bach · Well-Tempered Clavier
Prelude 8 in E-flat minor BWV 853
Book I of the Well-Tempered Clavier. Under its figuration, this prelude is 49 chord changes across 40 bars — ranked 40 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 · iv (Eb) · V7 (D) · i · V7/VI (Bb) · VI · V7/iv (G) · iiø7 (Ab) — and the whole prelude keeps moving at roughly that harmonic pace.
What it leans on
Of 49 labeled changes, the harmonies that do the most work: V7 (D) (3×), V7/iv (G) (3×), #viio7 (3×), i (2×), iiø7 (Ab) (2×).
Free scores
- Blocked-chord reduction (MusicXML) — the harmony skeleton the player performs
- The prelude as written (MusicXML)