Teacher assigned me Chopin Etude Op 10 No 2 (Chromatique) as my first etude

[musicalpenguin]

This is like 25 years ago, when I had this teacher that assigned me the Chromatique etude and Beethoven Tempest mvt 3 for study. I never finished them with her, because I had to move after graduating, and didn't touch the piano much since then.

At that time I knew nothing of Chopin etudes. I'm getting back into piano now, and discovering that I had started learning this piece and also that this is considered one of the hardest... why would she assign the hardest to a Chopin etude newbie? Anyway, I'm motivated to finish learning this etude. Is it possible to learn on my own with enough practice? Recently I've learned fantasie impromptu on my own, and I can slowly play through the Revolutionary etude and Aeolian harp etude. I find those really fun.

[lelle]

My teacher who I had when I was a beginner/intermediate player also assigned me this etude early. Her argument was that it was good to have been exposed to it and learn the fingerings, even if there was no way for me to master it at the time. I have mixed feelings about her as a teacher now, but to her credit, when I picked it back up some ten years later I recall learning the notes and fingerings fairly quickly.

Is it possible to learn through self study only? It depends on what you mean by learn. Playing it in a slow to moderate tempo with the right fingering, possibly. Mastering it at full tempo, probably not. This etude is written in such a way that it is more or less impossible to "force" it to work - you have to have the right technical foundation and sufficient mastery over said foundation, or you simply won't be able to get it to full tempo and you certainly won't feel comfortable playing it. In other words, you need to know what you are doing and it's highly unlikely that a lot of practice on its own will make you stumble upon that. Again, trying to "force" it to work by just grinding it won't work. Chopin was a clever guy when he wrote it.

[liszt-and-the-galops]

At that time I knew nothing of Chopin etudes. I'm getting back into piano now, and discovering that I had started learning this piece and also that this is considered one of the hardest... why would she assign the hardest to a Chopin etude newbie? Anyway, I'm motivated to finish learning this etude. Is it possible to learn on my own with enough practice? Recently I've learned fantasie impromptu on my own, and I can slowly play through the Revolutionary etude and Aeolian harp etude. I find those really fun.

10/2 (along with 10/1, 10/7, 25/4, and 25/6) is definitely one of the ones that's arguably the hardest of the set, though it probably isn't the worst one to start with assuming you have a good technical foundation. Though if you don't have a teacher and just finished Op. 66, then you're probably not ready for 10/2 yet. lelle is right about not being able to "force" it.

[ranjit]

The main way this makes sense is that it's one of those pieces that can take a few years to "master" so it can be good to start with it early if you want to learn the whole set. Another similar one would be op 25 no 6.

[dizzyfingers]

Anyway, I'm motivated to finish learning this etude. Is it possible to learn on my own with enough practice? Recently I've learned fantasie impromptu on my own, and I can slowly play through the Revolutionary etude and Aeolian harp etude. I find those really fun.

Yes, it would be pianistically beneficial to work on it, it only gets really difficult in the advanced phase of trying to make it sound like music, like all the etudes.  It's totally do-able.
Stop whining and start practicing.

[essence]

my teacher at the guildhall school of music, where i spent 6 months before going to uni, assigned me Chopin op 25 no 6. This was after learning op 10 no. 1. It was very useful, as he taught me ways to practise it, and of course all thirds ever after have been easy (almost, but my LH thirds are non-existent).

I'm still learning it 50 years later, and i would never attempt the first two bars in public, they would be a mess.