The Well-Tempered Clavier I, Prelude in E-flat minor
A slow song in six flats.
The Prelude in E-flat minor (BWV 853) is No. 8 in the first book of the Well-Tempered Clavier. It is 40 bars long in a slow 3/2: a singing right-hand melody over chords in the left hand, with no fast passage-work at all.
Many copies add arpeggio signs to the chords that are missing from Bach's own manuscript, so players often spread the chords freely. The music grows quiet in its last bars. Its fugue is written in D-sharp minor: the same notes on the piano, spelled with six sharps instead of six flats.
Sustain the melody across the bar lines.
The challenge here is not speed but sustain: every phrase of the right-hand melody must connect smoothly across the bar lines without a break in tone or rhythm. Practice the right hand alone with a deep, singing touch, imagining a cello or oboe as the model. The left hand's steady bass should be quieter throughout - its job is to anchor the harmony, not compete with the singing line above.
Before you practice.
01 What key is Bach WTC I Prelude VIII BWV 853?
The prelude is in E-flat minor, written with six flats. Its fugue is written in D-sharp minor, which sounds the same on the piano but is spelled with six sharps.
02 How long is BWV 853?
The E-flat minor prelude is 40 bars in 3/2 time. Because each bar contains three half-note beats, the piece feels spacious and deliberate - suitable for intermediate pianists who can sustain a slow, even pulse.
Long phrases, patient hands.
This prelude rewards listening more than practicing. Play through the right hand alone without the score and ask whether it sounds like a song - if it does not, the phrasing is not yet shaped. Use the loop tool on the chromatic passing sections (roughly the middle third of the piece) where the melody's long arc requires the most finger legato to sustain.
