What is the usual order for studying the Chopin Etudes?
There is no order to study the Chopin Etudes. The are a life long study. I have worked on half of them and performed only two. Each one has its own pedagogical value and none of them are easy. The complete set is considered to be one of the most difficult works for the piano by any composer. Often teachers will assign the slower etudes because they themselves cannot play the faster ones. This in its own is a trap. Teachers often assign this one because it has a nice melody, is slow and believe its manageable. In fact, this is a terribly difficult etude with absolutely no room for error. The trick with the 6th etude is color, tone and finger legato. The mistake many pianists make in practicing this piece is they practice using the pedal. First and foremost, do 90% of your practice in this piece without pedal. You must develop a very smooth finger legato with excellent fingering. Pedaling does not allow you to play legato. Only finger legato does. The misconception by many is that pedali
