An étude is a technical study designed to develop a technique or set of techniques on a musical instrument. During his early training as a pianist, Frédéric Chopin may have played études by Carl Czerny and Muzio Clementi, who composed popular piano method books still used today. Chopin infused his technical exercises with so much engaging musical material that pianists don’t just relegate them to the practice room.
The first collection of Chopin études was published as his Op. 10 in 1833 when he was just 23 years old. By that time, however, he had developed a considerable reputation in his native Poland and in the salons of Paris. He decided to dedicate Op. 10 “to my friend, Franz Liszt,” a fellow pianist-composer, two years Chopin’s junior, who would compose his own Transcendental Étudesa bit later. Chopin composed the Op. 25 études, a set of 12, several years later, which he dedicated to his close friend Marie d’Agoult, who happened to be Liszt’s lover. He published his last entries into the genre, 3 Nouvelles étude, in 1839 as a part of a larger instructional volume titled Méthode des méthodes de piano.
Explore Chopin’s études below by listening to some of our favorites and learning more about them.
Étude Op. 10, No. 1 – “Waterfall”
Chopin’s first étude focuses on a rippling chord progression. The piece is composed in the same ternary (or A-B-A) form as most of his Op. 10 études, introducing two ideas before coming back to repeat the first. In the “Waterfall” étude, rapid-fire notes in the right hand cascade so quickly that Vladimir Horowitz himself labeled it Chopin’s most tricky. Though the left hand tends to play long, sustained notes, the right hand pours up and down the keyboard. Horowitz never performed it in public, so here instead is a fiery rendition by Vladimir Ashkenazy.
Étude Op. 10, No. 3 – “Tristesse”
Chopin himself called the melody in his third étudeone of his most beautiful. The theme has been set to words many times and is the basis of both the song “Survival” by Muse and a tango called “La melodia del corazon.” None of the nicknames for this études were coined by the composer himself, but some of the colloquial ones just stuck, including “Tristesse” and “L’Adieu.” The technical challenge is playing both the melody and the accompaniment in the right hand at once, while the left hand adds a syncopated (or off-beat) bassline, extra harmonies, or, at times, a countermelody.
Étude Op. 10, No. 5 – “Black Keys”
This étude gets its nickname from the quick accompaniment in the right hand, which is played primarily on the black keys of the piano. This quirk is the étude’s technical challenge, since it is rare to demand such rapid figures on the black keys alone. A secret: some editions suggest that there should be one white key note in the right hand, when it plays an F during a short smorzando (dying away) almost at the end of the piece.
Étude Op. 10, No. 8 – “Sunshine”
A quick trill in the right hand begins this brilliant, bright étudeThough many of Chopin’s Op. 10 études are in ternary form (A-B-A’), the form of this piece is slightly modified. The first theme, which begins in a sunny F major, modulates to a partly cloudy D minor, with a strong chance of rain. After a period of stormy tension, the piece returns to the first theme before beginning a third musical idea. Finally, a dazzling flourish reminds listeners of the first theme. The biggest technical difficulty in this piece lies in the right hand’s rapid ornamentations, but the pianist is also challenged to make the melody shine in the same register to which the left hand is mostly confined.
Étude Op. 10, No. 12 – “Revolutionary”
The last etude of the Op. 10 set tells the most personal story of any of Chopin’s early works. It was written during the failed November Uprising of 1831, when Russian forces crushed the Polish mutineers who challenged the empire’s reign. When Chopin, excluded from the defense of his country because of an illness, heard of the Poles’ defeat, he wrote this étude.
There is no one clear technical challenge to perfect in the “Revolutionary” Étude, but it requires careful pre-planning of fingerings in order to get it right. The writing for the left hand, filled with fast runs, is by no means easy. Curiously, the piece does not come to a clear resolution at the end; as displayed above, it stops abruptly after a final statement of the main theme.
Étude Op. 25, No. 1 – “Aeolian Harp”
A fascinating instrument, the aeolian harp is not meant to be played by human hands. Named after Aeolus, the Keeper of the Winds in Greek mythology, this instrument’s delicate strings resonate with the wind as it rustles by. Many have heard the rustling wind in the first étude of the Op. 25 set, in which the fingers must breeze across the keys. The piece has an alternate nickname, “The Shepherd’s Boy,” suggested by a Chopin scholar who claimed that the composer envisioned a boy playing the melody on a flute to guide his flock.
Étude Op. 25, No. 2 – “The Bees”
This étude derives its playful nickname from its melody in perpetual motion, which buzzes with gentle chromaticism and meanders like a bee from flower to flower. The pianist must play eighth-note triplets in the right hand and quarter-note triplets in the left hand, creating tricky polyrhythm, all while flying in a smooth, legato manner across the keys.
Étude Op. 25, No. 5 – “Wrong Note”
The “Wrong Note” étude suffers from a popular misnomer – all of the notes are intentional, but the first melodic theme is riddled with intervals of a minor half-step, or minor second, which is the closest together two notes can be on a traditional piano. The second theme of the étude, also in the example above, does not contain as many half-steps as the first, instead focusing on the interval of a whole step, or a major second.
Étude Op. 25, No. 7 – “Cello”
Although Op. 25, No. 7 is marked a stately, slow Lento, it’s not without its classic Chopin flourishes. Its nickname comes from the left hand, which explores the range of the cello. Nevertheless, the primary technical challenge here is achieving a proper balance between the lyrical themes in the left hand and other musical material heard in the right. Russian composer Alexander Glazunov – who also wrote the ballet Chopiniana – arranged this étude for cello and piano.
Étude Op. 25, No. 9 – “Butterfly”
The second of the Chopin études in the key of G-flat major, the “Butterfly” lives up to its popular nickname in many ways. It is fluttery and compact – the shortest Chopin étude, lasting under a minute in performance. The “butterfly” effect is achieved by a repeated pattern in the right hand: the first sixteenth note in a beat jumps an octave to the second beat, and the last two notes are played in parallel octaves (or two of the same pitches played an octave apart). Though the left hand plays a textbook stride accompaniment, the “Butterfly” étude requires immense dexterity and precision on the part of the right hand.
Étude Op. 25, No. 11 – “Winter Wind”
The “Winter Wind” étude begins with a quiet introduction in the right hand that also ends the piece. The rest of the étude is far from quiet, demanding incredible stamina and surgical accuracy to perform in its approximately four-minute entirety. Each hand has intense challenges, ranging from brilliant runs and multi-octave leaps to tricky articulations which must be phrased correctly so the melody becomes audible. One editor’s note about the “Winter Wind” étude reads, “Small-souled men, no matter how agile their fingers, should avoid it.”
Étude Op. 25, No. 12 – “Ocean”
The “Ocean” étude features a series of undeniably wave-like figures: with every two bars, both hands cross large swathes of the keyboard. Though the waves move through various heights and intensities, the majority of the piece could be likened to a particularly stormy evening on the high seas. The piece concludes with majestic flair in C major, like the calm after the storm.
Which étude was your favorite? Let us know in the comments section below!
This article was first published July 31, 2017. It has been updated with videos.
FAQs
The Chopin Etudes: Your Guide to the Essential Works | WFMT? ›
25, No. 6, in G-sharp minor, is a technical study composed by Frédéric Chopin focusing on thirds, trilling them at a high speed. Also called the Double Thirds Étude, it is considered one of the hardest of Chopin's 24 Études, ranking the highest level of difficulty according to the Henle difficulty rankings.
What grade level is Chopin Etudes? ›| Composer | Frédéric Chopin |
|---|---|
| Title | Etude in C major Op 10 No 1 |
| Grade | 11 |
| Syllabus | AMEB |
| PS Rating | 10 |
25, No. 6, in G-sharp minor, is a technical study composed by Frédéric Chopin focusing on thirds, trilling them at a high speed. Also called the Double Thirds Étude, it is considered one of the hardest of Chopin's 24 Études, ranking the highest level of difficulty according to the Henle difficulty rankings.
What is the most popular etude Chopin? ›Some are so popular they have been given nicknames; among the most popular are Op. 10, No. 3, sometimes identified by the names Tristesse ("Sadness") or "Farewell" (L'Adieu), as well as the "Revolutionary Étude" (Op.
What is the most famous etude? ›Which Are the Most Popular Études? Although Scarlatti composed the first examples of études for harpsichord, the most famous and most played ones are studies for piano. Among these, probably the most well known are the Études Op. 10 (1833), by the Polish composer Frédéric Chopin.
Why is Chopin Etude so hard? ›There are a few 3:2 polyrhythm sections which makes it more difficult than just triplets alone. That and the tempo is quite fast. I would say this is difficult. While both the bass and the melody are difficult, the fact that both are just arpeggios makes things easier.
Why is op 10 no 1 so hard? ›The main technical difficulty of this piece is playing the uninterrupted right hand arpeggios, including the swift position changes, in legato powerfully and accurately at the suggested tempo (quarter note equals 176) without straining the hand.
Who is harder Chopin or Liszt? ›Re: Which études are harder, Chopin´s or Liszt´s? Liszt's ones ( Trascendental études ), they are more challenging and much more technical demanding than Chopin's ones. For example, Liszt's trascendental étude nº5 "Feux Follets" is one of the hardest pieces ever wrote for piano.
What is the easiest Chopin to play? ›- Prelude in B minor, Op. 28/6.
- Album Leaf, Op. Posth.
- Mazurka in A minor, Op. 67/4.
- Waltz in Eb Major, Op. Posth.
- Prelude in Db Major, Op. 28/15.
- Nocturne in G minor, Op. 37/1.
- Mazurka in B Major, Op. 7/1.
- Waltz in B Major, Op. 69/2.
Prelude Op.
And here is yet another Chopin that is only considered “easy” because it isn't as hard as his etudes or concertos. This can be played well by late intermediate or early advanced pianists, and it's incredibly rewarding when done correctly.
What piece was Chopin most proud of? ›
Four Ballades (1836-42)
Almost every pianist has (or has had) them in his or her repertoire: No 1 in G minor (Chopin's own favourite) and No 3 in A flat (which Sir Winston Churchill called “the rocking-horse piece” – he was particularly fond of it) are the most heard.
Cortot is one of the most celebrated Chopin interpreters, combining flawless technique with a deep appreciation of the structure, voicing, and textures of Chopin's music.
Was Chopin better than Liszt? ›Chopin and Liszt, two wildly popular Romantic-era composers, could best be described as “frenemies”. They were both excellent pianists who were wildly revered, but were basically different in every way. Liszt was all flair and virtuosity; Chopin was delicate and subtle, seldom playing louder than a mezzo forte.
What does Nocturne mean in music? ›nocturne, (French: “Nocturnal”), in music, a composition inspired by, or evocative of, the night, and cultivated in the 19th century primarily as a character piece for piano.
Why is it called an etude? ›Etude comes from the French word meaning, “study”. Etudes generally focus on overcoming specific technical challenges. One type of etude is strictly an exercise. There are famous Czerny and Hanon etudes that are famous exercises, but they aren't pieces people generally perform.
What nickname was Chopin given as a pianist? ›In addition to not going by her given name, George gave Chopin a slew of nicknames, including 'Chop Chop', 'my little grasshopper', and 'Monsieur Velvet-Fingers'.
Is Chopin harder than Mozart? ›Mozart's piano works tend to be reserved to the middle areas, while Chopin's pieces are pretty much all at the upper middle to the highest level of difficulty. Both are very difficult to play.
How long should it take to learn an etude? ›Depends on what you bring to the table. According to one of my teachers it takes 1 year to bring an etude to professional recording standard. The first etude I learned (Op 25, 12) took almost a year for me to play it confidently. I am actually working on a project where I am attempting to learn all the Op.
How was Chopin so good at piano? ›Self-education. Chopin developed his pianistic skills guided by intuition and piano scores that he would read in large amounts being a frequent guest at A. Brzezina's music shop. It was also Brzezina who published his first compositions including the Rondo in C minor, Op.
What difficulty is op 9 no 2? ›Nocturne op. 9 no. 2 is an extremely famous tune, and you've probably heard it at one point or other in your life. It isn't one of Chopin's extremely difficult pieces either; it's playable at a grade 9 level RCM.
Is op 25 no 11 hard? ›
Étude Op. 25, No. 11, is a study of right hand dexterity and left hand flexibility. Each hand has intense challenges, ranging from brilliant runs and multi-octave leaps to tricky articulations which must be phrased correctly so the melody becomes audible.
Is op 25 No 9 hard? ›I actually found this one pretty difficult. It's definately not one of the hardest Chopets, but it's definately a low mileage piece.
Who is the hardest composer of all time? ›Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750)
Bach, one of the greatest classical composers, wrote ceaselessly: it's interesting that the hardest-working composer of all time should also be the one closest to musical perfection.
'La Campanella', which translates as 'little bell', comes from a larger work – the Grandes études de Paganini – and is famous for being one of the most difficult pieces ever written for piano.
What is the hardest piano genre? ›Stride piano is one of the most difficult styles to master, due to its sheer technical nature.
What is the shortest piece by Chopin? ›The shortest of all is Prelude No.
20 in C minor.
All of Chopin's mazurkas are written in a short A-B-A form, with the middle section (B) usually representing a more “earthy” dance atmosphere. Published in groups with opus numbers, the best Mazurkas to start with as a beginner Chopin listener are the 9 pieces in opuses 56, 59 & 63.
What grade is Chopin Nocturne No 1? ›New research in music psychology and therapy shows that Chopin's tunes can evoke positive emotions, improve your psychological well-being, regulate emotion, and even reduce stress. Chopin's music forms a kind of bridge between the soma (the bodily response) and psyche (the mental response) of its receivers.
How many hours does Chopin practice? ›Frédéric Chopin: 2 hours a day
The great Polish Romantic swore by no more than two hours of practice a day. Writing to one of his pupils, Delfina, he wrote: “Once again I repeat – don't play more than two hours a day; that is quite enough during the summer.”
Is Chopin a genius? ›
By the time he was already a virtuoso pianist. Chopin's successes in composition were so expressive that his teacher, the great Polish musician Elsner wrote about the ability of the student: "He is undoubtedly a musical genius." In the autumn of 1830 the composer went first to Vienna, and soon - in Paris.
What did Debussy think of Chopin? ›Claude Debussy had a deep love for the music of a composer who, a half-century before, had blazed a new path with his utterly individual style and keyboard sound. “Chopin is the greatest of all,” Debussy said. “For with the piano alone he discovered everything.”
Who was Chopin's wife? ›In July 1836 Chopin travelled to Marienbad and Dresden to be with the Wodziński family, and in September he proposed to Maria, whose mother Countess Wodzińska approved in principle.
Who was Chopin's favorite composer? ›Bach was Chopin's favorite composer. He studied Bach intensively and composed Preludes in all 24 keys. His Piano Sonata No.
Who is the greatest piano player of all time? ›Lived: 1873-1943
Rachmaninoff is often said to be the greatest pianist of all time, hands down. Rachmaninoff considered himself a romantic, and had a strong desire to continue the romanticism of the 19th century into the 20th century, unlike his Russian counterparts, who were mostly composing modern pieces at the time.
"Yike (Tony) Yang is the youngest Chopin prize winner in history". theglobeandmail.com. 2015-10-23. Retrieved 2016-12-02.
Who is one of the greatest pianist of all time? ›- Sergei Rachmaninoff. Born in Russia in 1873, Rachmaninov graduated from the Moscow Conservatorium in the same class as Alexander Scriabin. ...
- Arthur Rubinstein. ...
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. ...
- Vladimir Horowitz. ...
- Emil Gilels. ...
- Ludwig van Beethoven.
So much of Chopin's music is extremely difficult, and even his easiest pieces are at an intermediate-early advanced level. If you've been wanting to learn Chopin but don't know where to start, this should be helpful to you.
Why is Chopin so special? ›The Composer And His Piano
Chopin was the first composer of genius to devote himself uniquely to the piano — every one of his works was written for it either as solo instrument or in combination with other instruments.
Liszt, Chopin's friend, admirer and sometimes rival, described it this way: “Never was there a nature more imbued with whims, caprices, and abrupt eccentricities. His imagination was fiery, his emotions violent, and his physical being feeble and sickly.
What piano level is nocturne? ›
Pianistic challenges of the Nocturne
Nocturne in C sharp minor is one of Chopin's more accessible pieces as well – it's not his easiest, but it's around an RCM grade 9/ABRSM 7 level (Henle level 5).
Save this answer. Show activity on this post. Nocturnes typically invoke the imagery of the night, nocturnes are also typically single character pieces with no overlapping theme. Clair de Lune is actually not a single piece but actually only one part of the Suite bergamasque.
What movie is Chopin's nocturne in? ›Chopin: Nocturne No. 20 in C sharp minor, music used in Polanski's film 'The Pianist'.
What was Frédéric Chopin's preferred instrument? ›Frédéric Chopin is famous for his expressive piano playing and the innovative works he composed for that instrument.
What is the difference between nocturne and étude? ›The nocturne is a 'mood piece' intended to evoke the feeling of nighttime. The etude is a technical study, focusing on selected elements of technique for purposes of practice. Sometimes etudes are difficult and virtuosic enough that they are played in concert.
What is Chopin's most famous piece? ›Chopin's most famous work has to be his 24 Preludes, which he composed back in 1839. These delightful preludes are a piano cycle that go over all the minor and major keys. Chopin uses a circle of fifths to guide the preludes, following up each major key in the series with its corresponding minor.
Who was Chopin's muse? ›2. George Sand. When Chopin first met George Sand he said "What an unattractive person – is she really a woman?" But she became the love of his life and his greatest muse.
How weak was Chopin? ›His last days. At the beginning of October 1849, the situation deteriorated further. Chopin was no longer able to sit up and he was so weak that he could only whisper (11). At times he was considered to be unconscious.
What grade is Chopin Etude Op 10 No 12? ›| Composer | Frédéric Chopin |
|---|---|
| Title | Etude in C minor Op 10 No 12 ('Revolutionary') |
| Grade | 11 |
| Syllabus | AMEB |
| PS Rating | 10 |
| Composer | Frédéric Chopin |
|---|---|
| Title | Waltz in A minor B 150 KK IVb/11 (posth) |
| Grade | 5 |
| Syllabus | NZMEB PP |
| PS Rating | 5 |
What grade is Chopin Etude Op 10 No 4? ›
4. From grade 6 to Chopin's etudes...that's a huge jump.
Are all Chopin etudes hard? ›Some are much harder than others, but because Chopin's Etudes are all first and foremost great music, they require a great deal of all round interpretive maturity as well. From a technical point of view the four most challenging are op. 10, No. 1; op.
What piano grade is Nocturne No 20? ›20 in C Sharp Minor (Chopin) \| Grade 7 with note names & meanings of terms.
What piano grade is Nocturne Op 9 No 1? ›Nocturne in C sharp minor is one of Chopin's more accessible pieces as well – it's not his easiest, but it's around an RCM grade 9/ABRSM 7 level (Henle level 5).
What grade is Level 4 piano? ›Grade 4 piano: Overview
Grade 4 piano generally corresponds with your sixth year of piano as a kid (oftentimes the start of the third or fourth year of piano as an adult, depending on how hard you work).
The Grade 5 Piano exam is for candidates who have fully consolidated their intermediate level playing. They have mastered the key skills up to Grade 4 and since acquired a greater use of appropriate technique, more complex rhythms, co-ordination and musical understanding.
What grade level is Chopin Funeral March? ›Funeral March (Early Intermediate - Grade 2) - Supersonics Piano.
What grade is Chopin etude Op 25 No 12? ›The 25/12 is rather an "Easier" one and often is the first Chopin etude many students play.
What is the hardest op 10 etude? ›
The three most commonly deemed the hardest Chopin Etudes are Chopin Op 10 no. 1 (Waterfall), Op 10 no. 2, and Op 25 no. 6 (Double Thirds).
How long does it take to learn Chopin? ›Now when it comes to harder songs, like Fantaisie Impromptu by Chopin, it could take between 8 to 13 years for a beginner to master it. Of course, depending on what level you are at, it takes less, but this is strictly from a beginner's perspective.
How long does it take to master Chopin? ›It depends on a couple of factors I would say anywhere from a month to a year depending on how long you work on it at a time and what tempo you're aiming for, for example it may take you only a month to get a hang of chopins 10 no 1 at half speed but getting to 150 bpm may take a few months and trying to play that ...
Which Chopin etudes to start with? ›Traditionally, the popular etudes to begin with are Op. 10 No. 12 and Op. 10 No.