The prelude no 1 in c major by JS Bach is one of the most popular pieces of classical music. It is the first piece from his Well Tempered Clavier Book I and is a wonderful demonstration of the harmonic mastery of Bach. You can download and print of a FREE copy of the sheet music by clicking on the link below the scores.
Bach Prelude in C major Sheet Music
This is a fantastic piece to learn on the piano for a number of reasons.
Firstly, the harmonies used in the piece build tension throughout the music which is only fully released on the last chord.
Secondly, the repeated broken chord patterns will develop good technique in a crucial area of piano playing. It will take some considerable practice to achieve the delicacy of touch needed in the fingers to play these arpeggios fluently.
Thirdly, this piece is always a popular one to perform in front of people as it is a very well known and much loved piece of classical music.
It is fairly simple to learn as it is in an easy key with no sharps and flats, but does have some tricky accidentals at times to watch out for.
I would suggest learning the piece slowly in order to ensure that you learn the notes accurately, particularly in the more complex parts of the piece.
I normally suggest learning piano pieces with separate hands, practising the right hand and left hand parts on their own before combining them together. However, in this case you may well find it easier to learn the piece with both hands together from the start as the two hands combine so clearly in the arpeggios. As long as you keep the tempo slow to start with then you should be fine to approach it in this way. You may want to try separate hands for some of the more challenging sections.
Good luck! I hope you enjoy learning it!
