Bach: Small Prelude in C Major
Piano Sheet Music to Download and Print or to View in Mobile Devices
ID:704 Johann Sebastian Bach :Small Prelude |
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| Key: C Major | Year: - | |
| Level: 3 | Period: Baroque | |
 Piano score: PS Edition | ||
| Piano score: Scanned score | ||
| Piano score: PS Instructive Edition | ||
 Recordings in Naxos Music Library
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A small prelude that sounds big
Like so much of Bach's music, this piece uses a lot of imitation. It also gives an excellent opportunity to study chordal structures, and to listen for dynamic effects in Baroque keyboard music. Dynamic marks are rare in Bach (those in the scanned score were added by the editor). Instead, dynamics are built into the music through changes of register and texture. The broken chord theme of this Prelude is played at different pitches and with different kinds of accompaniment, to add variety and rhythmic vitality. Near the end, Bach changes the texture almost at every bar-line, which adds to the sense of a long crescendo throughout the piece. All these perfectly balanced changes of rhythm, pitch and texture give Bach’s music all the contrast and variety it needs, whether performed on the harpsichord or the modern piano.| Practice & Performance Tips: |
| This prelude starts with a C-pedal point, which reminds us of the organ. Imagine the sound of an organ when you start this prelude. This pedal point lasts for 3 measures! Can you put a bracket above the first 8 notes written on the treble staff ? These notes form the thematic material that Bach used to compose the entire prelude. What is the chord outlined by these notes that you bracketed? It is a C7 chord. Study the next group of 8 notes. It forms an F chord, which is followed by a G7 chord. Bach uses imitation on the left hand in m. 4. It is the same thematic material presented by the right hand but the C chord in m. 4 is followed by a D chord in m. 5. In mm. 8-12, the thematic material goes back to the right hand while quarter notes on the left hand add rhythmic vitality to the never-changing G pedal. The mordent highlights this G pedal and helps give variety to the theme. Practice mm. 9-12 without the mordent first. Then, add the mordent but drop the low G. In other words, do not play the G on beats 2 and 4 and check if your right hand can continue playing the thematic material without any stops or bumps. If there are no bumps, false accents or hesitation, add the low G that you dropped, playing the passage as written. ... Sign up for a Gold membership to read the practice tips. |
DOWNLOAD: Johann Sebastian Bach - Small Prelude in C Major ( by Bach). Piano sheet music to print immediately or to view in mobile devices.
Johann Sebastian Bach, who was one of the prominent composers active in the Baroque era, wrote this piece titled "Small Prelude" in C Major . The composition is categorized as "Piece" in the sheet music library and the level of difficulty in the piano music database is 3.
Johann Sebastian Bach, who was one of the prominent composers active in the Baroque era, wrote this piece titled "Small Prelude" in C Major . The composition is categorized as "Piece" in the sheet music library and the level of difficulty in the piano music database is 3.