Week 1 Goal “Pick Your Piece!”

🎹 Week 1: Pick Your Piece!
(Starting September 15th!)

This week is all about choosing your Chopin repertoire. Whether you’re stepping into Chopin’s world for the very first time or you’ve played his music before, the goal is to select a piece that inspires you—and challenges you just enough.

We’ve curated a list to help guide your choice:

🎹 Beginner-Friendly Selections (Level 1–3)

Perfect for players new to Chopin. These works focus on melody, expression, and clarity of touch.

  • Prelude in E minor, Op. 28 No. 4

  • Waltz in A minor, B. 150 (Posthumous)

  • Prelude in B minor, Op. 28 No. 6

🎼 Intermediate Selections (Level 4–6)

For players ready to explore deeper expression, voicing, and rubato.

  • Nocturne in C♯ minor, Op. Posth.

  • Mazurka in A minor, Op. 67 No. 4

  • Waltz in C♯ minor, Op. 64 No. 2

  • Prelude in D-flat major, Op. 28 No. 15 “Raindrop”

🎶 Advanced Selections (Level 7–8+)

For seasoned players seeking to embrace Chopin’s full virtuosity and emotional range.

  • Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23

  • Scherzo No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 31

  • Polonaise in A-flat major, Op. 53 “Heroic”

  • Nocturne in D-flat major, Op. 27 No. 2

✅ Your Week 1 Task:

  • Pick your piece

  • Comment below with what you’ve chosen (and why, if you’d like!)

  • If you’re unsure, ask for recommendations—we’re here to help!

This week is all about inspiration and intention—no pressure to start practicing yet. Next week, we’ll dive into analysis and interpretation with Eloise Kim.

Let the journey into Chopin’s world begin!

103 replies

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    • PViseskul
    • 4 days ago
    • Reported - view

    In the spirit of participation, I would like to get Etude op 10 no 4 to a somewhat consistent delivery state at a decent tempo (i.e. going through the piece without stopping, though not aiming for anywhere near the 20s per page!).

    I have been working on it for 4 months now, slowly slowly cranking up the tempo. Though I would admit the effort put on it has not been consistent, so I would like to use the opportunity to motivate me to sort out my practise routine and at least able to record the piece without major hiccups.

      • PViseskul
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

       It is - the question is whether I can master it!!! 🙈 It feels really quite a tall mountain to climb 😆

      • Kerstin
      • Yesterday
      • Reported - view

       It takes time. I have played the op 10/5 2 times and couldn‘t get it in the tempo. Maybe if I try it again… 😅 But the good thing about Chopin is, that you can play fast pieces in a slower tempo and it still sounds good. 😄

    • Tu_Quyen_Quyen_Hoang_Tra
    • 4 days ago
    • Reported - view

    I would like to play Chopin Ballade N.1 in G minor. Op.23. After watching the movie «  The Pianist » I am very emotional with the character, feel empathy and love Ballade deeply. The challenge is to memorize, polish the piece and learn how to record it. 

      • In love with medicine, airplanes, tango and piano
      • Aleksandra_Bogomaz
      • 4 days ago
      • Reported - view

       have you perhaps heard that this Ballade which was in the movie isn't the actual piece Szpilman played that faithful day to Hosenfield? He instead played the Nocturne in C Sharp Minor, No. 20, op. posth. as written in his biography after which the movie was made (the name of the book - "The Pianist" by Wladyslaw Szpilman). But the movie makers thought that the Ballade would be more effective for the movie, so they changed the facts.

       

      Here you can hear original Szpilman's performance of the Nocturne https://youtu.be/n9oQEa-d5rU?si=fooW2-B4--4-VfTZ

      • Dolores_Bacon
      • 4 days ago
      • Reported - view

       thank you for posting, one of the most elegant and pristine performances of this piece I have heard in a long time. 

      • Kakie_Roberts
      • 3 days ago
      • Reported - view

       I always wondered how he could possibly have played the Ballade with frozen fingers and no practice for months(?) Thanks for sharing this. 

    • Sachi
    • 4 days ago
    • Reported - view

    I’m going for the Prelude in F# major op.28-13. I adore the piece, it  touches me, evokes mixture of emotions. Starting from sightreading, so I’m aiming to learn as much as possible during the challenge. 

      • vbashyam
      • 4 days ago
      • Reported - view

       Great choice! Love that one.

    • In love with medicine, airplanes, tango and piano
    • Aleksandra_Bogomaz
    • 4 days ago
    • Reported - view

    I'll go with the Nocturne Op. 15 No. 2 in F sharp Major as the main piece (I'm already working on it for some time), and push through the Etude Op. 25 No. 1 in A Flat Major ("Aeolian Harp") to get it to some level as I will need it for the exam in June next year anyway, so this challenge seems like a good excuse to start working on it earlier. When we add the Prelude Op. 28 No. 4, it's really going to be Chopin month for me.

      • Randi
      • 3 days ago
      • Reported - view

       I'm looking forward to hearing you play again! You're playing a lot of Chopin for someone who doesn't play Chopin. ;)

      • In love with medicine, airplanes, tango and piano
      • Aleksandra_Bogomaz
      • 3 days ago
      • Reported - view

       I’m one of those strange creatures who don’t like to play Chopin, but sometimes the girl has to do what she doesn’t like to do - get out of the comfort zone. 😂.

      • Dolores_Bacon
      • 3 days ago
      • Reported - view

       yep, I am seeing that halo starting to glow over your head.  good job getting out of the comfort zone, you are virtuous indeed (seriously, I admire your work ethic). since we are also in the Chopin study group (I see randy's post above) it will be very wonderful for all of us to share our interpretations of Chopin's great e minor lament.

    • rebecca_LAM
    • 4 days ago
    • Reported - view

    I am currently working on nocturne Op9 no.1 in B flat minor. I would like to continue to work on it and get some feedback. 

      • Pediatrician
      • a_weymann
      • 4 days ago
      • Reported - view

       I am looking forward to hearing you play this! An absolutely heavenly piece of music. The beginning alone is otherworldly in its beauty. 

      • rebecca_LAM
      • 4 days ago
      • Reported - view

       I agree. The beginning was what drew me to it. Melody is so beautiful and knowing that he wrote this piece when he was only a teen added so much wonder to me. How was he able to compose something with so much depth and soul at that age is beyond me. 

      I am having more trouble with the middle section to make it equally interesting. I will share soon so I can get some feedback on how to make it better. 

    • Mary_Manuel
    • 4 days ago
    • Reported - view

    I have been studying and enjoying Nocturne Op.37 No.2. My teacher thought it would be a good challenge for me - she wasn't kidding!! Such a lovely opening duet in the right hand and a dreamy contrasting middle section.

    • Kerstin
    • 4 days ago
    • Reported - view

    Hi everyone, I would like to send a recording of op 28/3. Should only take a minute. 😄

      • PViseskul
      • 2 days ago
      • Reported - view

       wonderfully lovely piece that passes by so quickly! to me, this piece sounds like a happy dancing in the rain :)

    • Helen_Lee
    • 4 days ago
    • Reported - view

    Hi all. 

    I am just starting to learn Prelude Op. 28, No. 9 in E major. I haven't played many pieces with chords and would like to learn to express the changes in emotions and building of tension along with the harmonic progression throughout the piece. I'm also hoping to work on my ability make sure the LH line doesn't get lost. So far, I find the left hand rhythm/trills of bars 2-3 to be challenging. 

    • Church organist and amateur pianist in my free time. Otherwise a lawyer and sinologist now studying psychology.
    • Astrida_Gobina
    • 3 days ago
    • Reported - view

    I decided to use the "challenge magic" work its full and plan to revisit all my Chopin pieces from the ‘mysterious past’. I have not been playing Chopin for years now and it will be a very welcome gift to spend a whole month with his music. I have also some long-standing dream pieces and might try start learning some of them. However, I still have to decide which one I will work on through the tasks of the challenge.

    • Mom, fitness instructor, lover of music
    • Michelle_Russell
    • 3 days ago
    • Reported - view

    I'll be enjoying the beautiful music everyone makes this month! My piano teacher and I discussed this, and though I'm super close to learning my first Chopin piece (say, by the end of this year or beginning of next), i'm just not quite there. AND I'm doing the 24 Italian Arias challenge on the Voice platform, which I had committed to prior to hearing about this challenge - so one challenge at a time! I hope everyone enjoys learning or revisiting Chopin's music.

      • vbashyam
      • 3 days ago
      • Reported - view

       That sounds amazing- you need to share your Italian arias with us sometime (Chopin did love Bellini) 🎶

      • Mom, fitness instructor, lover of music
      • Michelle_Russell
      • 3 days ago
      • Reported - view

       If the Italian Arietta I've been assigned turns out ok (it's quite the task to learn an entirely new piece in 3 weeks!), I could post it in my practice diary. 🙂

    • Pianist, composer and piano teacher
    • Sindre_Skarelven
    • 3 days ago
    • Reported - view

    I’d like to have a go at the op 27 Nocturnes. These are two of my favorites, and they fit so well together. The op 27/2 I’ve briefly played before, but never learned well. The op 27/1 is all new to me. 

    • Becky
    • 3 days ago
    • Reported - view

    Chopin Waltz, Op 69, No 2.  Excited for the challenge and fairly new to classical.  

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