Fugue No. 3 in C♯ major, Well-Tempered Clavier I (BWV 848)

Johann Sebastian Bach · Level 6 (Expert) · Baroque · Piano

From the Well-Tempered Clavier, 48 preludes and fugues in every key, the pianist’s “Old Testament”. C♯ major, 4/4, 55 bars (about 2 minutes), complete score.

▶ Play this piece with the interactive score

How to practise it

  • Listen first: the site plays it while the score scrolls.
  • Wait mode: the score waits for you at every note, at your own pace.
  • Tempo challenge: play in time, with a score and a map of the bars you got right.
  • In a fugue, every entry of the subject must stand out; in a prelude, keep a perfectly steady pulse. Key signature with 7 sharps: name them aloud before playing and spot the places where accidentals cancel them. One hand sometimes plays two voices: hold the long notes for their full value and let the main line sing louder than the accompaniment. Triplets and other tuplets must be perfectly even: count them aloud with the metronome.

More pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach

Source : Mutopia Project · Public Domain