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What do you think?

I only played no.2 book 1

let's say if it is in book 1 and in minor key (love those)

no. 8, e-flat minor




or no. 4, d minor
or no. 10, e minor

I second the recommendation of ebm. F# and B major are good too from book 1.

Are the preludes and fugues meant to be played together? Do they compliment each other? I only have the first prelude in C down and was wondering if I were to learn a fugue, should I just start with this one? It looks like a tricky one to start with but I'd rather learn the complimenting fugue than some other one that might be easier.
Is that how you all go about learning P's and F's? Or do you jump around?

F# minor (been listening to the fugue for this one alot lately. It has a real gloomy ending)
Bb minor
Eb minor

they're always played together in concerts/recitals, but you don't have to play them together. i'd suggest that you don't attempt any fugues unless you have played enough inventions or preludes. fugues would be substantially difficult in not only learning the notes but memorizing them as well. i tried to learn a fugue but never could finish it, and when i talked to my teacher about picking it up again, instead he suggested me to play more preludes and inventions first.

btw, c major prelude is the easiest of all 48. so, unless you have tried another prelude in the same book, you really don't know what you are getting into.

Rockitman-
There's a couple fugues inside the suites that you might want to try before the WTC as well. The gigue/fugue at the end of the first french suite in d minor is one of my top favorite bach pieces and probably my favorite piece to play. It isn't super easy, but it's easier and shorter than the fugues in the WTC.

I consider f# minor very challenging, but I recommend it! I love it!

C# major is the most fun to play. Don't let the key signature scare you though.

Eb minor for sure, I loved learning it! It's quite a long one but totally worth it.

Thanks for your suggestions,

but considering my low abilities i would like to arrange your suggestions in order of challenge

I am looking to the Eb minor one though .. Any info about it from those who played it?

The Eb minor prelude is straightforwards enough, and while the fugue isn't a fast one, it is nearly always double notes in each hand and it's quite a test on your voicing abilities.

C# minor is one of my favorites, but probably very hard.


I played Eb minor last year, and it's not bad. The hard part about it is fighting the temptation to play it faster, because it sounds really great when it's played slowly.

Eb minor is one of my favorites to play. The prelude and fugue and not too challenging as far as the notes are concerned, but playing them musically is the challenge (i.e. bringing out the voicing in the fugue and shaping musical lines in the prelude). I love the augmentation of the fugue theme in each of the three voices at the end of the fugue - genius...

It's one of my favorites as well, but it is one of the tougher ones. The fugue is a five voice triple fugue - there's a ton of stuff going on in there...

Well, ON beginning a Fugue... I have yet to tackle one... I have started and stopped a few. I have a few Preludes down. But my teacher wants me doing inventions, sinfonias and french suites before a fugue.

Prelude in C maj (book 1) is accessible for the beginning pianist, however, the fugue that follows is for an intermediate/advanced player. I suppose anyone can ultimately learn how to play a fugue, but Bach is tricky in that the multiple voicings are essentially 2-4 melodies weaved together, each in its own right freestanding. You need to have a good grip on this so that you can bring out each voice clearly, well articulated and ensuring that they dynamics work. It can sound rather mechanical if not played well. I swear that man was a machine anyway!!

Bach and I are slowly learning to get along... but he still scares the pants off of me After 3 inventions and 3 preludes.

D major fugue from book 1 is one of the easier ones if not the easiest, and it is gorgeous IMO.