Prelude and Fugue in A-flat major, WTC II
About this arrangement
This is No. 17 in Book 2 of the Well-Tempered Clavier, compiled around 1742 in Leipzig. Both books circulated in manuscript and were first printed in 1801.
Take the prelude in short phrases, hands separately. For the fugue, learn the subject by itself, then add voices one at a time. Loop any bar where the hands share a line 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 A-flat major, BWV 886?
It is advanced. The prelude is long, and the fugue needs steady, independent lines.
02 How long is BWV 886?
Our score has 127 bars in total: a 77-bar prelude in 3/4 and a 50-bar fugue in 4/4.
03 What should I practise first?
Start with the prelude in short phrases. Then learn the fugue subject and find its entries.