Prelude and Fugue in E-flat major
About this arrangement
This is the seventh prelude and fugue in Book 1 of The Well-Tempered Clavier. Its prelude is the only one of the 48 that already contains a fully worked-out fugue.
Treat the prelude's double fugue like a separate piece: loop it section by section and practise voice pairs hands separately before playing all four voices.
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 Prelude and Fugue in E-flat major?
It's advanced. The prelude's second half is a four-voice double fugue, and keeping every voice clear is the main challenge.
02 How long is BWV 852?
Our edition has 107 bars in total: 70 for the prelude and 37 for the fugue.
03 What should I practise first?
Start with the fugue, which is shorter and lighter. Then learn the prelude's opening toccata section before moving on to its fugal second half.
04 Why is the prelude so much longer than the fugue?
The prelude has three sections: a short toccata, a passage in four-part chorale style, and a double fugue. The fugue that follows is short and much lighter in style.