Bach chorales

Practice exercises

Try your own harmonisations. Each exercise gives you some of the parts; you write the rest, then press “Mark my answer”. The chorale marker tells you if you are right and, if not, exactly where you went wrong and why. All the exercises are in C major or A minor.

Getting started

C major
Inner parts: I, IV, V, I
The soprano, bass and chords are given. Add the alto and tenor.
Start this exercise
C major
Inner parts: a cadential 6/4
Add the alto and tenor to a phrase with a cadential 6/4.
Start this exercise

Building up

C major
Approach a cadence with ii6/5
The melody and chords are given. Add the alto, tenor and bass.
Start this exercise

Full harmonisation

How the marker decides

It runs every check in the Chorale Checker and also works out which chord each set of notes makes. So it can tell you when a chord is missing its 3rd, does not match the label, uses a 6/4 in the wrong place, or leaves a 7th unresolved. There is often more than one correct answer: if the marker finds no mistakes, yours is right even if it differs from the model answer.

Practice exercises

Getting started

Inner parts: I, IV, V, I

Inner parts: a cadential 6/4

Building up

Approach a cadence with ii6/5

Full harmonisation

Harmonise a melody in C major

Harmonise a melody in A minor

How the marker decides