Harmony in Bach's Music
Taught by renowned guitarist
Stephen Goss
Ever wondered how a great composer like J.S. Bach actually wrote his music? Steve Goss breaks down one of his most recognizable pieces, Prelude BWV 846 from the Well-Tempered Clavier, and examines how Bach took a simple harmony and turned it into a work that would be played for centuries to come. Steve opens the lesson with a brief overview of the three most common types of chords used in harmony: tonic, dominant, and pre-dominant. He then shows you common uses of these chords and how they fit into the larger “Diatonic Cycle.” In the second half of the lesson, Steve walks through the chords from the Prelude and describes Bach’s harmonic intentions behind each, all the way up to the ending cadence.

Difficulty:
intermediate

Duration:
1
hours
hour