Bach Prelude BWV 998 Lesson
This guitar lesson deals with how to learn the awesome classical guitar piece: Prelude BWV 998 by J.S. Bach. It has a series of videos that will walk you through how to practice & effectively perform each section of this piece. Giving fingering tips, any hacks, and many more insights into learning this old masterpiece. Along with a fully tabbed score, see below.
Get Prelude BWV 998 Score
Grab your copy of the in depth study guide that goes along with these video lessons. Fully tabbed out, so there is no guess work to where your fingers need to go, along with all the left hand hacks and guides you need to perform this piece confidently.
Learn Bach’s Prelude (BWV 998)
This is a broken arpeggio (stile brise) prelude that is a homage to the lute masters of the Day, such as Bach’s friend S.L. Weiss. Who used this style of breaking up chords in a lot of his pieces. You are aiming for an improvised feel to the piece, as the harmony, is based on very common chord progressions that most Baroque musicians would know. This was not written for an organ, but more than likely the Lute Clavier that Bach invented, and had made especially for himself. Why is that important?
Bach BWV 998 Bass
The bass notes as a generally rule are held on for as long as possible, even though the score explicitly states otherwise, as I have re-scored it above. There is of course the usual implied polyphony, 2 to 3 voices, in a single line. This has influenced my arrangement of the notes, so that the inner Tenor voice floats down string 4. That is of course you choice once you learn the piece. I have included alternative fingering for some bars, at the end of the video below. As I am aware there are more than one way to play this opening section.
Prelude BWV998 in A maj
As with all Baroque pieces, the main ideas are always found in the first few bars. This piece is the perfect example of this. If you have learnt the music in the first video above, the next video below outlines the next key center, B major, that Bach takes the prelude idea through. I have included alternative fingering for some bars, at the end of the video below. As I am aware there are more than one way to play this second section.
Section 3 of the Prelude
This next section moves again into a new key center, and if you haven’t already picked it up. This is a great way to learn, and memorize this piece. Learn the sections, then put them all back together. We have the first walking bass section here, Bach ups the tension and moves the music forward with that favorite of the Baroque composer: nothing but the bass!
Prelude BWV998 in G maj
Bach moves the prelude BWV998 into a new key center here, it’s now into G major. We also start to see Bach begin to extend the ideas, and play with the original material: moving it, investigating and playing with it. This is a great study in how to use material, and compose more from the original idea.
Final Cadence & Improvisation
This is the final section to Bach’s amazing Prelude BWV998. And it is all about that ending. We have an unusual step through Eb maj before we end up back into our original key of D major. This ending has some improvisation to it, so enjoy that section. The usual Baroque elements are here: extended ii V7 I, tonic bass over changing harmony, and ornaments. Have fun!
One last thing, and the video will show this, go straight into the fugue. Don’t wait for it. 12/8 = 4/4 so just head right into that awesome section.
Join the Community
Join the CGRocks community and get lessons like the Prelude BWV 998 by Bach, delivered to your in box. And that is just the tip of the lesson iceberg. This is the only place on the net where you can learn all 12 of Villa-Lobos’ etudes, and his 5 preludes, step by step. Along with loads more.
