Piano preludes
Preludes, easiest first: Satie's Little Prelude to the Day at level 2; Bach's Prelude in C from The Well-Tempered Clavier and his Little Prelude in C, BWV 939, at level 3; at level 4, more of Bach's Little Preludes, two of his preludes and fugues, Chopin's Preludes in E minor, B minor and A, and Lyadov's Op. 40 No. 3; two more preludes and fugues and Chopin's C minor and D at level 5, and three more of his Op. 28 for later. Each has easier versions made from the score itself (the right-hand melody alone, then with left-hand roots), so you can start a step down and play it as written later.
- Pieces
- 20
- Levels
- 2 to 6
- Key signatures
- 4 flats to 6 sharps
- Length
- 13 to 96 bars
Reading a prelude
A prelude is less a form than a habit: most take one idea, often one figure of broken chords, and carry it through a run of harmonies. Bach's Prelude in C is the plain case, one pattern in every bar from start to finish; Chopin's E minor is the same idea slowed down, its left-hand chords changing one note at a time. So read a prelude by its chords: learn the shape in the first bar, then read only what changes from bar to bar.
Bach wrote or collected his Little Preludes for teaching, and they are the usual step from the Anna Magdalena minuets to the inventions. Chopin's 24 Preludes, Op. 28, go through every major and minor key; the short ones here are among the first Chopin most readers can play.
Level 2
A tune over a simple left hand, mostly in one hand position.
Level 3
Both hands busy, the hand moves around, a sharp or flat or two.
Level 4
Real independence between the hands and more accidentals.
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Prelude in A, Op. 28 No. 7
Frédéric Chopin 3 sharps, 3/4, 17 bars -
Little Prelude in C, BWV 924
Johann Sebastian Bach no sharps or flats, 4/4, 18 bars -
Prelude, Op. 40 No. 3
Anatoly Lyadov 1 flat, 3/4, 23 bars -
Prelude in B minor, Op. 28 No. 6
Frédéric Chopin 2 sharps, 3/4, 26 bars -
Prelude in E minor, Op. 28 No. 4
Frédéric Chopin 1 sharp, 4/4, 26 bars -
Little Prelude in C, BWV 933
Johann Sebastian Bach no sharps or flats, 4/4, 32 bars -
Prelude and Fugue in E, BWV 854
Johann Sebastian Bach 4 sharps, 12/8, 44 bars -
Prelude and Fugue in E minor, BWV 855
Johann Sebastian Bach 1 sharp, 4/4, 73 bars -
Little Prelude in D minor, BWV 935
Johann Sebastian Bach 1 flat, 3/8, 96 bars -
Little Prelude in D, BWV 936
Johann Sebastian Bach 2 sharps, 2/4, 96 bars
Level 5
The edge of early intermediate: dense textures, fast passages and far keys.
Level 6
Intermediate: the notes of level 5 at concert speed, held even from the first bar to the last.
Open a piece to print any of its versions free, or to play it at your MIDI keyboard with every note marked. New to reading? The level 2 sight-reading exercises are a good warm-up.