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I would like to start playing some Chopin etudes fairly soon, and I was wondering which were considered the least technically demanding, as I am only an early-intermediate level student.

Thank you,
SD

There's been tons of topics about the Chopin etudes--try the search function.

hmm ... early intermediate ... Chopin etudes ... does not compute

Seriously, there's quite a lot of Chopin that you could play at your level. Waltzes, mazurkas, preludes, nocturnes. I'd leave the etudes for a while. You're asking for frustration, discouragement and maybe even injury. Not that I discount the motivating value of that special piece you really want to learn, but there are special pieces at every level, IMO.

Horowitzian - Sorry. I'll do that.

currawong - Thanks!! I'll look into that instead!

Dang, I didn't see that. I agree with Currawong. It's best to look to other sets from Chopin than the Etudes in your situation, specifically the ones listed above.

Op. 10 no. 3 and 6 are IMO the easiest, but still advanced pieces and hard to play. Im currently playing op. 10 no.3 and I can't tell how hard is it to actually play it well.
Why don't you try the preludes? They are much easier (well some of them) and still very beautiful.

The only preludes that I would say are "much" easier than the etudes are Opus 28 no's 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 13, 15, and 20. There are some other that are still easier of course [both the ones I'm learning are, number 22 and 18, the next two I want to learn are also...] but besides those one's I listed above the Chopin Preludes really are quite advanced pieces. Number 9 is gorgeous though and not to difficult technically, the hardest part for me was getting the left hand trills smooth sounding good, the rhythm with the 32nd notes after triplets, and the voicing of the whole thing with the melody on top. [Voicing wasn't that hard, but it was still a part of it that I had to work on]
You could for sure handle number 20, 7, 4 and probably 9 though. 15's fairly difficult but after you do a few other preludes you could tackle it if you want.

Perhaps look at opus 34/2? It's a waltz that's gorgeous and not to hard, I learned it not long after I learn pieces like the Clementi Sonatine and such.

The easiest Chopin Etudes IMO are 6 and 9, Ebm and Fm. Those are the only two I feel that I could probably do justice to right now and I'm learning repertoire that's definitely a little past yours, I'd stay away from the etudes for now. I could possibly do the outer sections of 3 justice, but that middle section with the triton scales and jumps scares me. The revolutionary isn't to hard either if you've got a strong left hand, I can play the first like....10 bars or so [up to the first arpeggio] and it's not to bad, but that's also the easy section. But still, definitely past where you are right now

10/3 has a horrendous middle section that takes years to learn...

10/6 (Ebm) is relatively easy as is 10/9 (Fm). Even though, currawong is right: wait a while...

25/7 (C#m) is deceptive: watch out! Definately leave it until you have a few of the Nocturnes under your belt.

I remain convinced that the easiest etude technically is the Trois Nouvelles in A-flat. I think the runner-up is possibly the Trois Nouvelles in f minor, though either of them could take a lot of work and a lot of time to play musically.

Steven

10-3 is 90% easy and 10-5 is a lot easier than it sounds.

I forgot about the Trois Nouvelles Etudes in Ab and Fm [although I hear the Db one is very difficult for the right hand to play well], those are probably the easiest of them all. But still...they're fairly advanced. When you say easiest chopin etude, you have to keep it in context that they're all difficult.

Good point Sotto Voce: I forgot about those Three! They are rather dull though, IMHO...

The easiest Chopin piece? Probably the Nocturne op. 9-1. I learned it years ago. Either that or the Prelude 28-6 or 28-15.

And yeah, 10-5 is easier than it sounds. But it still takes forever, especially the ascending thingy at the end and the octaves on black keys.

The Db Trois Nouvelles is very difficult. The other two are easier, but the 3rd is very hard from what I've heard [obviously I don't know for sure, I haven't played it, but it looks from the music and I hear it is as well.]

Yes: it is horrendous. You have to play staccato and legato at the same time in the right hand while the left jumps about in a deceptive waltz figure that just won't stay still! The fingering in the right hand is near impossible to figure out and there are stretches to break any ordinary hand...

Yeah. After I remember about it here I went and re looke dat the sheets for it, I really can't imagine playing that at this point...I get pieces that are really fast an based on arpeggios and stuff and although they're hard, they're doable...but that Db etude just looks ridiculous. Man.

Compared to the rest of op.10 and 25., 10/3 is still amongst easiest.

But i know what you're saying... There is no such a thing as an easy Chopin's etude.

I'd have to say that really....6, 9, and 12 are all easier, maybe not technically with 12, but certainly with the overall musical challenge. But you are studying 10/3, so you have a better idea than I do. I just think that middle section makes up for the outer sections in difficulty, at least to play well.

But yeah, when you say easiest Chopin Etude you have to keep in mind the context of the Etudes.

Op. 10 No. 3 is by no means easy, in a way I feel that the surrounding sections are even more difficult. As for Op. 10 No. 6 I'm not even going to touch that yet. I would have to say that I find Op. 10 No. 9 the least technically challenging. Op. 25 No. 1 is also a good exercise not as difficult as many of the others.

I've never heard the Nocturne 9/1 described as Chopin's easiest piece, and never expected to.

Etude 10/3 is frequently described as a starter etude, and I disagree with that, too.


Actually, the A section and its reprise represent fewer than half the total measures of this piece. Even if they are found "easy," the B section—the con bravura cadenza and everything leading up to it—is a significant challenge even to an advanced pianist. And that's the majority of the etude.

Steven