Prelude and Fugue in G-sharp minor
About this arrangement
This is No. 18 in Book 1 of the Well-Tempered Clavier, compiled in 1722 in Köthen. Our edition marks the fugue for four voices.
Take the prelude hands separately and keep the 6/8 pulse steady. In the fugue, learn the subject alone, find its entries in each voice, then loop the dense 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 G-sharp minor?
This is advanced. The fugue has four voices, and the key has five sharps, which makes the reading slower at first.
02 How long is BWV 863?
Our score has 70 bars in total: the prelude is 29 bars and the fugue is 41 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.