Prelude in C major (by Johann Sebastian Bach)

Prelude in C major (by Johann Sebastian Bach): This beautiful piece continues to inspire generations of keyboard players.

Have you been playing the piano/keyboards regularly for a year or so? You could try learning this famous prelude from the Well-Tempered Clavier.

Its easy to play and sound beautiful as well. The prelude is around 35 bars long and consists mostly of broken chords.

If you’re learning to play the piano, you must include this piece in your repertoire in case you like playing classical as well. The piece makes an excellent introduction to the works of J. S. Bach.

Bach’s prelude in C major is one of the most popular pieces among piano lovers.

In Bach’s time this music would not have been played on a piano (because it was not invented back then), but rather on a harpsichord or a sort of mini-harpsichord known as a clavichord.

Watch Glenn Gould playing Bach’s Prelude in C Major from the Well Tempered Clavier book 1. The first thing you notice in Glenn Gould’s playing is that he uses more of a Staccato style of playing (compared to other piano performances that make heavy use of sustain pedal). Its because the piano was not invented during the time of Bach so most likely this piece was played on a harpsichord, which is operated by plucking the strings and notes only last for a split second. So Gould provides a more accurate representation of the piece.

Glenn Gould playing Bach’s Prelude in C Major

Want to learn this piece on the piano or keyboard? Watch this video; its not very difficult to learn. Learn to play at a lower tempo at first, and then you may increase the pace.

J.S. Bach – Prelude in C Major on the piano