Chopin Op. 25 No. 11: Study in A minor (“Winter Wind”): tempo and how to practice it

Chopin Op. 25 No. 11: Study in A minor (“Winter Wind”) is part of “12 Études, Op. 25” by Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849). Main focus: extremely fast chromatic figuration in the right hand. Suggested tempos: start at ♩ = 80 to learn it, practice at ♩ = 108 and work up to the target of ♩ = 138. Difficulty 10/10 (concert).

What it trains

• Extremely fast chromatic figuration in the right hand.
• A powerful theme in the left hand underneath.

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: ♩ = 80 → ♩ = 94 → ♩ = 108 → ♩ = 123 → ♩ = 138. Only move up a step once the take comes out clean; in the app, the progressive metronome does it for you.