Fugue in E minor, WTC I
About this arrangement
This is No. 10 in Book 1 of the Well-Tempered Clavier, compiled in 1722 in Köthen. It is the only two-voice fugue in Book 1, and every other fugue in the book has three voices or more.
Play each voice alone until it sounds like a tune. Then put the hands together slowly, and loop any bar where the two lines cross or share a rhythm. Find each entry of the subject and bring it out a little.
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 E minor, BWV 855?
It is a good first fugue for an intermediate player. There are only two voices, so the texture is thin, but you still need steady, independent hands.
02 How long is BWV 855?
Our score of the fugue has 42 bars in 3/4.
03 What should I practise first?
Learn each hand alone, then combine them at about half speed. Mark where the subject enters in each voice.
04 Is the E minor fugue really only two voices?
Yes. The edition heading says two voices, and it is the only two-voice fugue in Book 1.
