Etude vs Study

[pianoplayjl]

Help.   I don't know the difference. I'm too dumb. They are the same thing but something inside my conscience tells me that there is something in there that makes the two different. Help.  

JL

[iansinclair]

Depending on your point of view, "Etude" is French for "Study"... or "Study" is English for "Etude".

They are the same word, only in much of the English speaking world there is sort of a presumption that anything French is more... something than the same thing if it is given an English name.  Don't ask why, because I don't know why.

[drkilroy]

I think that etude is seen as a piece which purpose is not only improvement of the technique, but also musical value (sometimes doubtful, like in some Czerny etudes  ). Study is typically only seen as a "piece" without musical value used for technique practice, like Hanon exercises.

Best regards, Dr

[j_menz]

The Fryderyk Chopin Institute edition of the Chopin Etudes (Paderewski editor) is called "Studies" rather than etudes.

https://www.amazon.com/Studies-Frederic-Chopin/dp/0934009120/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1329864449&sr=8-6

Methinks "etudes" is just a bit more pretentious than "studies".

[pianoplayjl]

I think that etude is seen as a piece which purpose is not only improvement of the technique, but also musical value (sometimes doubtful, like in some Czerny etudes  ). Study is typically only seen as a "piece" without musical value used for technique practice, like Hanon exercises.

Best regards, Dr

I see that too. I find that etudes are studies that are intended to be played in concerts too because they have a high technical and musical value while the Czerny type studies are really only studies intended to improve one's technique. But at the end of the day studies are studies and etudes are studies.

JL

[ajspiano]

I see that too. I find that etudes are studies that are intended to be played in concerts too because they have a high technical and musical value while the Czerny type studies are really only studies intended to improve one's technique. But at the end of the day studies are studies and etudes are studies.

JL

history isnt my strong suit, but i think you'll find that "etudes" existed as pieces that were not for concert purposes until chopin.

Chopin took the step of writing a technical exercise that was also a musical exercise and provided the birth of the concert etude. They are not distinguished as etudes being for concert and studies for practice only - rather etudes/studies were for practice only until people started writing etudes/studies worth listening to.

[cjp_piano]

It's the same thing. Quit splitting hairs