Chopin Op. 25 No. 9: Study in G♭ major (“Butterfly”): tempo and how to practice it

Chopin Op. 25 No. 9: Study in G♭ major (“Butterfly”) is part of “12 Études, Op. 25” by Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849). Main focus: very light octaves and portato notes in the right hand. Suggested tempos: start at ♩ = 56 to learn it, practice at ♩ = 88 and work up to the target of ♩ = 112. Difficulty 9/10 (concert).

What it trains

• Very light octaves and portato notes in the right hand.
• An economical wrist bounce.

How to practice it

1. Work on the technical problem out of context (for example, thirds as a scale) and then go back to the piece.
2. Rest your hand often; quality matters more than the number of repetitions.
3. Listen to the color: pedaling and voice balance are part of the technique.

Tempo ladder: ♩ = 56 → ♩ = 72 → ♩ = 88 → ♩ = 100 → ♩ = 112. Only move up a step once the take comes out clean; in the app, the progressive metronome does it for you.