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Bach Prelude in C major (BWV 846): piano tutorial

One broken-chord pattern, repeated bar after bar: simple to read, beautiful to play.

Video coming soon

Right handLeft handOn the blocks: note names (C, D, E…)

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About the piece

It opens The Well-Tempered Clavier, the collection of 24 preludes and fugues in every key that Bach completed in 1722. More than a century later Charles Gounod added a melody on top, creating the famous Bach-Gounod Ave Maria.

Each bar presents one chord spread out: two notes in the left hand and three in the right, repeated.

How to practise it

  1. To understand the harmony, first play each bar as a single chord, all at once.
  2. Then break it as in the video: the pattern never changes, only the keys do.
  3. Aim for an even sound on every note, without accents.
  4. The last bars, over the held low C, are the richest: slow down a little before the end.

Free sheet music

Prelude in C – 1

First page. Complete sheet music (PDF) on the Mutopia Project (public domain, edition by Tobias Erbsland); in the Piano Learning app you read it two pages side by side while you play.

Frequently asked questions

Is it suitable for beginners?

It is one of Bach's most approachable pieces: no speed, no leaps, just one repeated pattern.

What does “well-tempered” mean?

A tuning system that makes every key sound good; Bach celebrated it with a prelude and fugue in each one.

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