Chopin Sonata No. 2 vs Chopin Ballade No. 1 Difficulty

[skywalker_06]

Which one do you think is more difficult and why (I'm mostly mean the first movement vs the ballade), and do you think it'd be a good Chopin piece to study before or after a ballade?

[rubinsteinmad]

Which one do you think is more difficult and why (I'm mostly mean the first movement vs the ballade), and do you think it'd be a good Chopin piece to study before or after a ballade?

Do the Ballade. It's way prettier.

[skywalker_06]

Do the Ballade. It's way prettier.

I was in the middle of the ballade (learning the fast waltz like section) but then I had to stop learning it due to finishing other pieces being a priority an I was thinking about coming back to the ballade but I really love the sonata as well so I was just wondering which would be better to learn first-which would prepare me best for the other 

[chopinlover01]

IMO the sonatas are the hardest group of solo piano works by Chopin, right after the etudes (technically speaking, ofc, though both group have PLENTY of musical difficulty). You'd probably be better off with the Ballade, assuming you've prepared appropriately ofc, since you've already learned some of it.

[rubinsteinmad]

IMO the sonatas are the hardest group of solo piano works by Chopin, right after the etudes (technically speaking, ofc, though both group have PLENTY of musical difficulty). You'd probably be better off with the Ballade, assuming you've prepared appropriately ofc, since you've already learned some of it.

I think the Ballades are harder than the Etudes. Unless you do a whole opus.

[distantfieldrelative]

I also think you should learn the ballade first since you are most of the way through. The rhythm of the presto section helped me with the rhythm in the beginning of the sonata so it may help you too.

[skywalker_06]

What about the Barcarolle? And what pieces do you think could work well with the ballade in terms of learning the two pieces at the same time?

[ajlongspiano]

Just play them both. You'll get a lot more fulfillment finding out that way than listening to us give a subjective opinion.

- AJ

[pencilart3]

The Ballade is difficult.
The Sonata is difficult.

If you can play one well, you can play the other well.
If you cannot play one of them well, you should not be playing either.

So choose the one you like better, feel you can play more musically, and feel you connect with/understand more.

[ffchopinist]

I really want to play Sonata 2 1st movement, too! I'm learning the Ballade right now and saving the Sonata for later.  The Sonata feels a bit awkward in terms of hand positioning and reach for me (or perhaps I just haven't found the right fingerings for my small hands yet?) and may take more work in terms of just learning the notes than the Ballade (darn all those flats and accidentals)..... the Ballade is by no means easy either, though, and presents a whole host of technical and musical challenges.  I'm still trying to learn the Presto and Coda at the end of the Ballade.  Good luck with whichever one(s) you choose to learn!