Fugue in F major, WTC I
About this arrangement
This is No. 11 in Book 1 of the Well-Tempered Clavier, compiled in 1722 in Köthen. Its prelude also appears in the 1720 notebook Bach made for his son Wilhelm Friedemann, an early version of the collection.
Count in one bar to a beat so the 3/8 metre stays steady. Learn the subject alone, mark each entry, practise voice pairs, and loop the busiest stretches 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 F major, BWV 856?
It is advanced: three voices at a quick pulse, 73 bars, and the subject keeps moving between hands.
02 How long is BWV 856?
Our score has 73 bars. It is a fugue only, because the matching prelude has its own page.
03 What should I practise first?
Learn the subject and its first entries slowly, with a steady one-in-a-bar count. Add the third voice after the first two are even.