Learn EVERY chord in Bach's Prelude in C - Chord names, theory, and progressions!

Music theory, numbered chord analysis (Roman numerals), and figuring out the letter names of chords are covered in great detail in this video. You should have a pretty good grasp on how to figure out what to call the chords in any piece by the end of this. Think of it as parts of 1-2 years of college music theory. It's pretty detailed so don't feel bad if you need a few listenings over a few days for it to sink in.

0:00 - 3 things you gotta know!
2:27 - The 1st measure!
6:07 - First progression
14:10 - Something new?
19:43 - Pivot chords
21:45 - 3rd progressions
29:36 - Sequences
36:41 - Bach Home!
43:38 - WHAT?
47:51 - Standing on V
54:33 - One final trick
58:47 - Piece with chords

#piano #classicalmusic #music #preludeinc #bach #musictheory

[donparker]

Chord mantra: ceg b dfa! Now you can spell every triad (basic chord), just pick 3 letters at a time. Play and say the notes, and try to have some fun!

[zimamup]

Ryan, this is by far the best video I've watched on youtube on music theory, the interrelation between chords in a piece of music, a story of Bach, the chord progression and tricks on how to make them more interesting and not so predictable and finally, how to make music meaningful for other aspects of our lives and understand it in a whole new light. Thank you so much for presenting the importance of this piece that so many teachers suggest to beginners disregarding the wealth of music information it contains. Many thanks, once again and I wish you all the best.

[fromt]

There are many videos on Prelude in C, this is the best one!

[boriscartes]

Thank you for the detalied analysis! I’ve learned a lot with the video. You do have amazing comunication skills to teach music.

[MattBartonGoogle]

Immensely helpful! Perfect amount of detail for someone like me who is new to this piece

[stevenbrown]

Wow, I can't wait to watch this. Thank you! There's a surprising gap on YouTube for creators making educational piano content (I mean explaining the Theory) and that's so helpful to people like me who have trouble affording a teacher.

[a.j.]

By all means the best analysis on Bachs Prelude. Thank you!

[bichthanhtruong]

Thank you for all the time and efforts to make this video! I learned a lot from the detailed analysis and clear instructions. Looking forward to more videos like this on Bach from you

[MultiCugel]

Fascinating, so much in this video. Been listening to this music all my life but never understood how it was constructed. Many thanks!

[TomLeg]

Stupid how simple this is. Why couldn't music lessons have been like this in 1963?

[francksertelon]

Thank you!
I wanted to learn about the chords of this piece and I ended learning so much more.
You really know how to teach. Bravo.

[Roy-plye]

Agree with other comments - excellent lesson. I'm learning piano by myself, only started three months ago and have only basic chord theory and some scales, and understood everything here. Really helped me understand what Bach is doing, and opened up my use of seven chords. I felt like I was already hitting a wall after three months of practice and this helped me break thru. Fantastic stuff.

[JWentu]

Wow! this was truly fantastic. Have been listening to classical music for decades but I (almost) never played any instrument. Last year I said to myself: let's learn just ONE easy piano piece, just ONE. And I chose the C prelude from WTC. Well, I didn't manage to learn it during the summer, ... but I was near :)
I am so happy to listen to you explaining each and every step of it because in my immense ignorance of music analysis I was able to relate to what I learned.
This was a fantastic ride and I think I'll be watching this again (and maybe find time to learn the prelude again, who knows!)

thanks for your work!

[scottrhoden]

Great video! Now subscribed. Do you happen to have a printout of all the chords in the piece. (I should’ve taken notes the first time.) 😂

[NoBody-xgwg]

I've played this since I was 10.. but since I learned most popular music by ear, I can't PLAY something these days without truly understanding it.. so as an adult, I did what you did, analyzed all the chords, and love the fact that old Johannes was using - or inventing - jazz chords centuries before they were universally adopted.

[roberthubbard]

Ok, it took three listens but now I get it. A little note on the screen for the measure number would help. Really good on the third listen for a non musician. Thanks!

[alexarcadia]

Excellent! Thanks for sharing this knowledge.

[OreyTelevision]

Thank you for breaking down everything in this piece :) I appreciate your support. I see your future. I'm getting into music in an extreme scale recently

[CCLinGameOnABC]

I have long wondered what goes in Bach’s Prelude in C major that creates such simple and yet melodic delights. Recently chord structures and chords progressions have also become the center of my learning focus. I suspect that YouTube can read minds, and introduce your tutorial to me. Thank you for the comprehensive tutorial.❤

[bitti]

One of the new things I noticed while watching the video is: Bach is not only repeating the exact same chord Progression, I, IVmaj7, ii7, V7, I in C after doing it in G, but he is also using the exact same inversions! So these are literally the same notes transposed down a fifth. It's one of these things you always subconsciously knew they are there, but it never reached the surface of the rational mind.