I've been listening to a lot of Czerny and Chopin etudes as of late, and was wondering what everyone thought as far as when to start these sort of things?

I guess a lot of the exercises in beginning level books would be thought of as etudes, but when do you think we should start worrying about learning these other etudes?

would it be beneficial to just learn them at a slower pace then they are meant to be played and then eventually get to a proper speed?

are there any good etude sets for beginner players?

I'm helping out somebody who doesn't have a teacher. He's been playing for a number of years but never learned what he was doing. The Czerny is the only available thing that I have that I can share. He's been doing the very first studies and says the identity of the notes are staying in his fingers for the very first time and he calls Czerny "awesom" (today's feedback).

I've been doing Czerny and I'm on the "quiet hand" part that gives finger dexterity and independence and find the whole sequence to have been effective so far. I can orient myself easily even among the distant leger lines and I have a better idea about efficient finger use. I can't compare it to anything because I have never followed any kind of piano method or program. For "pace" I am not thinking about playing speed (tempo) as much as spending enough days to acquire whatever each study is trying to build, since the next study tends to build on top of that and add something else.

I don't know anything about the Chopin etudes. It would be interesting to hear about them.

I really do not have a direct answer, but I played as a child and have been back at it after a 13 year hiatus for about 7 months now.

Currently, I am using Chopin's Revolutionary as an etude like it was written for. I am only playing a couple specific parts in the left hand for strength, agility, and accuracy. I am nowhere near the caliber of player to learn the whole etude with both hands up to speed right now, but I almost have the section I'm working from where it should be. Perhaps you could do the same.

Don't try to bite off more than you can chew. I will not attempt the whole etude for another couple years, but if I work on parts here and there with no real goal of actually finishing it, I will not get frusterated and I will be getting some technique from it all the while building upon a piece that I will want to have in my repertoire within a few years, anyway.

Just my personal experience.

Hisalone

As both of you have stated, I think i'm mostly interested in the technique. Trying to self-teach I worry about missing out on that element. I assume those taking lessons with a teaching go through exercises to build agility and finger strength etc, so I assume I need to be doing the same...not just playing peices that I like. I figured this would be one way to try and get practice at those techniques.

and like you hisalone, i'm no way ready for some of those crazy etudes haha.

I'd like to start learning some of bach's inventions, but i can tell i'm not really proficient enough yet. i figure it's because my techniques aren't strong enough...

If you want a more gradual introduction to Bach, start with some pieces from the Anna Magdalena Notebook and with the 18 Little Preludes. These are all more approachable for the beginner than the Inventions.

Playing Bach is a good technical exercise no matter what other etudes and studies you are using.

The Chopin etudes are universally advanced ranging from grade 8 to diploma level in difficulty.

oh trust me I know. I've looked at some of the sheet music and I'm blown away. But also looking at the sheet music i realized the importance of learning technique because really all they seem to be is exercises in these advanced techniques.

since i still need to work on a lot of more basic techniques, I started this thread ...


Thank you packa for the suggestion...

i will definitely check out the anna magdalena notebook...

Not for me yet, then. Thanks.

Check out some of the two part Handel pieces here. They're much easier and more tuneful than Bach: http://www.mutopiaproject.org/cgibin/make-table.cgi?Composer=HandelGF&preview=1