Prelude and Fugue in F-sharp minor
About this arrangement
This is No. 14 in Book 1 of the Well-Tempered Clavier, compiled in 1722 in Köthen. Our edition marks the fugue for four voices.
Learn the fugue subject alone, then mark each entry in the four voices. Practise two voices at a time before putting all four together, and loop the busiest bars 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 Prelude and Fugue in F-sharp minor?
This is advanced. The fugue has four voices and a slow 6/4 pulse, so you need to keep each line steady while the others move.
02 How long is BWV 859?
Our score has 64 bars in total: the prelude is 24 bars and the fugue is 40 bars.
03 What should I practise first?
Start with the prelude to get used to the key and the touch. For the fugue, learn the subject on its own, then add the other voices one at a time.