Chopin Op. 10 No. 9: Study in F minor: tempo and how to practice it

Chopin Op. 10 No. 9: Study in F minor is part of “12 Études, Op. 10” by Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849). Main focus: left-hand accompaniment in widely spread figures. Suggested tempos: start at ♩ = 72 to learn it, practice at ♩ = 114 and work up to the target of ♩ = 144. Difficulty 9/10 (concert).

What it trains

• Left-hand accompaniment in widely spread figures.
• An agitated right-hand melody on top.

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: ♩ = 72 → ♩ = 93 → ♩ = 114 → ♩ = 129 → ♩ = 144. Only move up a step once the take comes out clean; in the app, the progressive metronome does it for you.