Chopin Etudes

[sarcher]

Hello,

I have played quite a few of the Chopin Preludes, and I am interested in beginning a Chopin Etude. I have played Prelude in g sharp minor, Prelude in b flat minor, Prelude in B Major, Prelude in A Flat Major, and Prelude in G Major. Which do you think would be the best Etude to start with?

[visitor]

the one you like best.

[cabbynum]

the one you like best.

+3

[nbide721]

Start with something from Opus 10.  Those are typically more accessible than opus 25.

[cabbynum]

Start with something from Opus 10.  Those are typically more accessible than opus 25.

Nope

[mysterium]

Start with something from Opus 10.  Those are typically more accessible than opus 25.

I dont know if they are more accessible... but generally better, I think. Both as exercises and as performande pieces.

I think op 10 no 2 is very rewarding, however, it is not a very good one to start with if you are not used to playing harder pieces. Try some of the easier ones first to make sure you are ready for them. Picking something you like is always good, but stick to the easier ones. Maybe op 10 no 9?

And another advice - dont play to many of them, there are several other useful etudes and pieces that are far from being as overplayed as the Chopin set.

[nanabush]

Hehe... if you can play the Bb minor prelude, then you should be fine with most of the etudes.

If this is the case, try out the F major (Op. 10 #8), a brilliant piece, lots of fast passagework, and a good rhythmic study for the LH too (the dotted rhythms and grace notes are actually pretty damn tough to articulate underneath a torrent of arpeggios/scales in the RH).

I've found in the past few years that there are a few of the etudes up in their own world.  I can probably pick up most of them quickly because I've played enough rep that has similar technique, but for example Op. 10 #7 and Op. 25 #6 are brutal for me.  Even Op. 25 #3 has such a strange, sometimes awkward motif and it goes and goes and goes.  Op. 25 #4 is like an offbeat ragtime LH on crack.

Those aside (they are still great pieces, but holy god they can get insane), these sets of etudes are AMAZING.  So much room for interpretation (as you can probably tell from the thousands of recordings of them).  I personally like Op. 10 #1, 4, 5, 8 and Op. 25 #7, 8, 11, 12.

[gyzzzmo]

To my opinion if you really insist on starting with the Chopin etudes, you should handle them like etudes and not as performance pieces. So be very careful you play them correctly before you try playing them sound nice, and study a piece because it handles one of your weaknesses effectively.

For example, op 10/1,10/2 and 10/12 are good pieces to start with, because they handle (and improve) a specific difficulty throughout the piece, and wich will give you an advantage when you start learning other chopin etudes later on.

Gyzzzmo