Chopin Op. 10 No. 6: Study in E♭ minor: tempo and how to practice it

Chopin Op. 10 No. 6: Study in E♭ minor is part of “12 Études, Op. 10” by Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849). Main focus: an expressive melody over a chromatic inner accompaniment. Suggested tempos: start at ♩ = 20 to learn it, practice at ♩ = 27 and work up to the target of ♩ = 34.5. Difficulty 9/10 (concert).

What it trains

• An expressive melody over a chromatic inner accompaniment.
• Balancing three layers of sound.

How to practice it

1. Start very slowly with minimal pedal so you can hear every note.
2. Keep to short sessions: fatigue leads to tension and injury.
3. Raise the tempo only when your hand is relaxed at the current speed.

Tempo ladder: ♩ = 20 → ♩ = 24 → ♩ = 27 → ♩ = 31 → ♩ = 34.5. Only move up a step once the take comes out clean; in the app, the progressive metronome does it for you.