Prelude and Fugue in B minor, WTC II
About this arrangement
This is No. 24 in Book 2 of the Well-Tempered Clavier, compiled around 1742 in Leipzig. It is the last prelude and fugue in the collection.
Play the two-voice prelude hands separately first. In the fugue, learn the subject alone and find its entries in each of the three voices. Loop the longest, busiest stretch 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 B minor?
This is advanced. The fugue is 101 bars in three voices, and the whole piece runs to 167 bars, so it takes patience.
02 How long is BWV 893?
Our score has 167 bars in total: the prelude is 66 bars and the fugue is 101 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.