Prelude and Fugue in G minor, WTC II
About this arrangement
This is No. 16 in Book 2 of the Well-Tempered Clavier, compiled around 1742 in Leipzig. The fugue is about four times as long as the prelude in our score.
Play the short prelude slowly with hands separate. In the fugue, learn the subject alone, find each entry, and practise in short sections. 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 minor?
This is advanced. The prelude is short, but the 84-bar fugue in 3/4 needs steady voice-leading from start to finish.
02 How long is BWV 885?
Our score has 105 bars in total: the prelude is 21 bars and the fugue is 84 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.