Chopin Prelude

[jennbo]

Does anyone know the numbers for that Chopin Prelude where most of it were just chords?  Thanks...

[88keys]

You mean the tragic slow "funeral march style" prelude? No. 20 in C minor.

If my description of the prelude seems grossly inappropriate, than you might be refering to No. 7 in A major - also made mostly of chords, but in a totally different mood.

[jennbo]

yeah thanks it's the Grave one...
I have short fingers and playing those chords... I thought I was gonna die  

[rachfan]

The important thing in this C minor prelude is not so much playing the piece as vertical chords.  Rather, it's seeing the chords horizontally and voicing the melodic line, most of which is in the tops of the chords and played legato mostly with the 4th and 5th fingers.  That's what makes it sound like a dirge rather than a jumble of note clusters.