Fugue in C major, WTC I
About this arrangement
This is the fugue that follows the famous C major prelude, No. 1 in Book 1, compiled in 1722 in Köthen. It is 27 bars long and written for four voices. The alto states the subject first, and the soprano answers it in G major.
Learn the two-bar subject until you can play it from memory in any voice. Then play two voices at a time, such as alto and soprano, before putting all four together. Loop the bars where all four voices are moving at 50%.
Start with short loops.
Use the section list as a practice map. Start at 50% tempo, loop one section, then return to the full piece once the hand shape feels stable.
Choose Right or Left to focus on one hand. Wait for note checks the highlighted notes as you play them on the screen or a connected MIDI keyboard.
Before you practice.
01 How hard is Bach's Fugue in C major, BWV 846?
It is short, but it has four voices, so it is advanced. The notes are simple; keeping each voice clear and even is the difficult part.
02 How long is BWV 846?
Our score of the fugue has 27 bars in 4/4.
03 What should I practise first?
Learn the subject on its own. Then find every entry in the score and practise those bars, one voice pair at a time.
04 Which voice enters first in the C major fugue?
The alto states the subject first. The soprano answers in the dominant, G major, then the tenor and bass enter.