Therefore, any conception that a piece from the WTC consists of several “independent” voices does not reflect Bach’s compositional process. This mental bass is in turn always considered in how it relates to the tonic or a tonic substitute, and will be used in some pattern that moves naturally around this tonic or tonic substitute.

When a note is considered with its mental bass, it can function as a fundamental note, a harmonic third, a harmonic fifth, a harmonic seventh, a harmonic ninth or as a non-chord note. This harmonic identity means that every note in a composition or a performance (which is usually the same thing in Bach) is not just thought of by its melodic function, but is also considered in how it relates to a mental bass.

In my opinion, to simply play notes and intervals without any awareness of each note’s harmonic identity does not reflect Bach’s intent or practice in the WTC.

Instead, this preface lists the main consequences that are necessarily drawn from my understanding of Bach’s harmonic principles, principles which are clearly illustrated graphically within each of my scores for the Well Tempered Clavier. I will not repeat this introduction here, as study of the first Prelude and Fugue will build an excellent foundation, which I believe is necessary in order to continue with others in the collection. In my edition of the “Prelude and Fugue in C Major harmonic solutions with patterns of mental bass progressions”, I introduced my harmonic solutions for the pieces in the Well-Tempered Clavier, and explained something about my methods.

Bach prelude and fugue in b flat minor