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{{Short description|Type of instrumental musical composition}}
{{About|the musical form|the defunct magazine|The Etude|the cosmetic brand|Etude House|a list of works titled "Études"|Études (disambiguation){{!}}Études}}
{{More citations needed|date=August 2011}}

[[File:Etude 10 2.png|upright=1.3|thumb|Frédéric Chopin's [[Étude Op. 10, No. 2 (Chopin)|Étude Op. 10, No. 2]]: a rapid [[chromatic scale]] in the right hand is used to develop the weaker fingers of the right hand. Most études are written to perfect a particular technical skill.]]
[[File:Chopin Op. 25 No. 11.svg|upright=1.3|thumb|Frédéric Chopin's [[Étude Op. 25, No. 11 (Chopin)|Étude Op. 25, No. 11]]]]

{{listen|type=music
|filename=Frederic Chopin - Opus 25 - Twelve Grand Etudes - a minor (2).ogg
|title=Chopin: "Étude Op. 25, No. 11"
|description=[[Martha Goldstein]] performs [[Frédéric Chopin]]'s [[Étude Op. 25, No. 11 (Chopin)|Étude Op. 25, No. 11]] on an [[Sébastien Érard|Érard (1851)]]
|filename2=20091104 Awadagin Pratt - Scriabin, Étude Op. 8 No. 12 edit1.ogg
|title2=Scriabin: "Étude Op. 8, No. 12"
|description2=[[Awadagin Pratt]] performs [[Alexander Scriabin]]'s [[Étude Op. 8 No. 12 (Scriabin)|Étude Op. 8, No. 12]] at the White House Classical Music Student Workshop Concert}}
An '''étude''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|eɪ|tj|uː|d}}; {{IPA|fr|e.tyd|lang}}) or '''study''' is an instrumental [[musical composition]] designed to provide practice material for perfecting a particular musical skill. The tradition of writing études emerged in the early 19th century with the rapidly growing popularity of the [[piano]]. Of the vast number of études from that era, some are still used as teaching material (particularly pieces by [[Carl Czerny]] and [[Muzio Clementi]]), and a few, by major composers such as [[Frédéric Chopin]], [[Franz Liszt]] and [[Claude Debussy]], achieved a place in today's concert repertory. Études written in the 20th century include those related to traditional ones ([[György Ligeti]]) and those that require wholly unorthodox technique ([[John Cage]]).

==19th century==
===Piano===
Studies, lessons, and other didactic instrumental pieces composed before the 19th century are extremely varied, without any established genres. [[Domenico Scarlatti]]'s ''30 Essercizi per gravicembalo'' ("30 Exercises for harpsichord", 1738) do not differ in scope from his other keyboard works, and [[Johann Sebastian Bach|J.S. Bach]]'s four volumes of ''[[List of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach printed during his lifetime|Clavier-Übung]]'' ("keyboard practice") contain everything from simple organ duets to the extensive and difficult ''[[Goldberg Variations]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Italian Concerto, French Ouverture, Four Duets, Goldberg Variations |url=https://www.henle.de/Italian-Concerto-French-Ouverture-Four-Duets-Goldberg-Variations/HN-129 |website=G. Henle Verlag |publisher=G. Henle Verlag}}</ref>

The situation changed in the early 19th century. Instruction books with exercises became very common. Of particular importance were collections of "studies" by [[Johann Baptist Cramer]] (published between 1804 and 1810), early parts of [[Muzio Clementi]]'s ''Gradus ad Parnassum'' (1817–26), numerous works by [[Carl Czerny]], [[Maria Szymanowska]]'s ''Vingt exercises et préludes'' (c. 1820), and [[Ignaz Moscheles]]' ''Studien'' Op. 70 (1825–26). However, with the late parts of Clementi's collection and Moscheles' ''Charakteristische Studien'' Op. 95 (1836–37) the situation began to change, with both composers striving to create music that would both please the audiences in concert and serve as a good teaching tool. Such a combination of didactic and musical value in a study is sometimes referred to as a concert study.{{Citation needed|date=February 2016}}

[[File:FuseesLiszt.JPG|left|upright=1.5|thumb|Last bars of Franz Liszt's [[Transcendental Étude No. 2 (Liszt)|Transcendental Étude No. 2]]: one of the most difficult of Liszt's études {{According to whom|date=May 2025}}, this is a study in passages for alternating and overlapping hands.]]
The technique required to play [[Études (Chopin)|Chopin's ''Études'']], Op. 10 (1833) and Op. 25 (1837) was extremely novel at the time of their publication; the first performer who succeeded at mastering the pieces was the renowned virtuoso composer [[Franz Liszt]] (to whom Chopin dedicated the Op. 10). Liszt himself composed a number of études that were more extensive and even more complex than Chopin's. Among these, the most well-known is the collection ''[[Transcendental Études|Études d'Execution Transcendante]]'' (final version published in 1852). These did not retain the didactic aspect of Chopin's work, however, since the difficulty and the technique used varies within a given piece. Each of the études has a different character, designated by its name: Preludio; Molto Vivace; Paysage [Landscape]; Mazeppa; Feux Follets [Irrlichter/ Will-o'-the-wisp]; Vision; Eroica [Heroic]; Wilde Jagd [Wild Hunt]; Ricordanza; Allegro Molto Agitato; Harmonies du Soir [Evening Harmonies]; and Chasse-neige [Snow-whirls].

===Cello===
Although a specific date of composition is not known, cellist and composer [[Friedrich Dotzauer]] composed a set of 113 études during the 19th century, ''113 Studies for Cello Solo''. Dotzauer composed many different forms of music, ranging from opera and symphonies to chamber pieces. Most of his music has been long forgotten, with the exception of his 113 studies. The first two volumes (studies 1-62) are for intermediate players while the last two volumes (studies 63-113) are for advanced players.<ref name="synthesis">{{cite web |author=Il-hee |first=Hwang |date=May 4, 2006 |title=A Synthesis of the Advanced Etudes by Dotzauer, Grützmacher, and Popper |url=https://etd.ohiolink.edu/acprod/odb_etd/etd/r/1501/10?clear=10&p10_accession_num=ucin1146680563 |access-date=October 18, 2023 |publisher=[[OhioLINK]]}}</ref>

[[Friedrich Grützmacher]] composed several works for smaller instrumental groups as well as a book of études for solo cello, ''24 Etudes for Cello''. The book is divided into two volumes, each with 12 études. The first volume is generally for intermediate players as it does not involve the use of thumb position, while the second volume, which includes the use of thumb position as well as other advanced technique, is for more advances players.<ref name="synthesis" /> The later études in this book are mostly as a showcase for virtuosity, such as double artificial harmonics and off-hand pizzicato.

Grützmacher also composed a set of 12 études titled ''Elite-Etüden.'' Each étude in this book was composed in the style of a famous cellist, usually highlighting some technique that the cellist was famous for or their unique playing style. Some of these cellists include [[Bernhard Romberg]], [[Luigi Boccherini]], and [[Jean-Louis Duport]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Elite-Etüden (Grützmacher, Friedrich)|url=https://imslp.org/wiki/Elite-Et%C3%BCden_(Gr%C3%BCtzmacher%2C_Friedrich)|access-date=October 23, 2023 }}</ref>

[[Sebastian Lee]] was a cellist and composed various works for the cello. In 1842, he composed his own book of études: ''Forty Melodic and Progressive Etudes for Violoncello''. Sebastian Lee was mostly known as a virtuosic player and less so of a teacher; he did not directly teach anyone the études from this book. Lee advised against keeping the hand in a strict blocked position when playing using the thumb and suggested keeping the thumb mobile and free, which is how cellists regularly play today.<ref name="dresden">{{cite web |author=Venturini |first=Adriana |date=2009 |title=The Dresden School Of Violoncello In The Nineteenth Century |url=https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/4108/ |access-date=October 18, 2023 |publisher=[[University of Central Florida]]}}</ref>

Lee was a fairly prolific composer of cello études. Aside from his ''Forty Melodic and Progressive Etudes for Violoncello'' as mentioned above, he also composed ''50 Etüden für den Anfang (First Steps in Violoncello Playing)'''''<ref>{{Cite web |title=50 Etüden für den Anfang, Op.101 (Lee, Sebastian) |url=https://imslp.org/wiki/50_Et%C3%BCden_f%C3%BCr_den_Anfang%2C_Op.101_(Lee%2C_Sebastian) |access-date=October 23, 2023}}</ref>''', ''40 leichte Etüden in der ersten Lage (40 Easy Etudes for Cello)'''''<ref>{{Cite web |title=40 Easy Etudes for Cello, Op.70 (Lee, Sebastian) |url=https://imslp.org/wiki/40_Easy_Etudes_for_Cello%2C_Op.70_(Lee%2C_Sebastian) |access-date=October 23, 2023}}</ref>''', ''12 Études mélodiques (12 Melodic Etudes)'''''<ref>{{Cite web |title=12 Études mélodiques, Op.113 (Lee, Sebastian) |url=https://imslp.org/wiki/12_%C3%89tudes_m%C3%A9lodiques%2C_Op.113_(Lee%2C_Sebastian) |access-date=October 23, 2023}}</ref>''', among other smaller sets of études.

===Other Instruments===
The 19th century also saw a number of étude and study collections for instruments other than the piano. Guitarist composer [[Fernando Sor]] published his 12 Studies, op. 6 for guitar in London as early as 1815. These works all conform to the standard definition of 19th-century étude in that they are short compositions, each exploiting a single facet of technique. Collections of studies for flute were published during the second half of the 19th century by [[Ernesto Köhler]], Wilhelm Popp and [[Adolf Terschak]].

==20th century==

The early 20th century saw the publication of a number of important collections of études. [[Claude Debussy]]'s ''[[Études (Debussy)|Études]]'' for piano (1915) conform to the "one facet of technique per piece" rule, but exhibit unorthodox structures with many sharp contrasts, and many concentrate on sonorities and timbres peculiar to the piano, rather than technical points. [[Leopold Godowsky]]'s ''[[Studies on Chopin's Études|53 Studies on the Chopin Études]]'' (1894–1914) are built on Chopin's études: Godowsky's additions and changes elevated Chopin's music to new, hitherto unknown levels of difficulty. Other important études of this period include [[Heitor Villa-Lobos]]' virtuoso ''12 Études'' for guitar (1929) and pieces by Russian composers: [[Sergei Rachmaninoff]]'s ''[[Études-Tableaux (disambiguation)|Études-Tableaux]]'' (1911, 1917) and several collections by [[Alexander Scriabin]] (all for piano).

By mid-century the old étude tradition was largely abandoned. [[Olivier Messiaen]]'s ''[[Quatre études de rythme]]'' ("Four studies in rhythm", 1949–50) were not didactic compositions, but experiments with scales of [[note value|durations]], as well as with [[Dynamics (music)|dynamics]], [[Figure (music)|figurations]], [[Timbre|coloration]], and pitches. [[John Cage]]'s études—''[[Études Australes]]'' (1974–75) for piano, ''[[Études Boreales]]'' (1978) for cello and/or piano and ''[[Freeman Études]]'' (1977–80, 1989–90) for violin—are [[Indeterminacy (music)|indeterminate]] pieces based on [[star chart]]s, and some of the most difficult works in the repertory. The three books of [[Études (Ligeti)|Études]] by [[György Ligeti]] (1985, 1988–94, 1995) are perhaps closest to the old tradition in that they too concentrate each on a particular technique. [[Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji]]'s ''[[Transcendental Studies (Sorabji)|100 Transcendental Studies]]'' (1940–44), which take Godowsky and Liszt as their starting point, frequently focus on particular technical elements, as well as various rhythmical difficulties.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sorabji-archive.co.uk/etudes/etudes-list.php|title=100 Transcendental Etudes (1940–44)|author=Fredrik Ullén|publisher=The Sorabji Archive|access-date=2013-08-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mus.ulaval.ca/roberge/srs/05-etude.htm|title=Notes on the Études transcendantes|author=Marc-André Roberge|publisher=Sorabji Resource Site|access-date=2013-08-01}}</ref> [[William Bolcom]] was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his ''[[Twelve New Etudes for Piano]]'' in 1988.{{Citation needed|date=August 2018}}

===Cello===
Out of all of the cello études ever made, the set of 40 etudes, ''Hohe Schule des Violoncello-Spiels'' ("High School of Cello Playing"), written by cellist and composer [[David Popper]] are arguably the most well known and widely used. Popper met with many of the famous composers at the time, such as [[Wagner]], [[Berlioz]], and [[Liszt]] in order to make studies that would help cellists play not only soloistic material, but orchestral material as well. The 19th étude, for example, is subtitled the "Lohengrin Etude", as it is written using music from Act Three, Scene Three of Wagner's [[Lohengrin (opera)]].<ref>{{cite web |author=Brown |first=Loralee |date=May 2021 |title=The Importance of Technical Studies for Cello Performance |url=https://scholarworks.calstate.edu/concern/theses/ws859n153 |access-date=October 18, 2023 |publisher=[[California State University, Northridge]]}}</ref>

Following the creation of his ''High School of Cello Playing'' book, Popper created two more sets of études directed at more novice and intermediate audiences. The first, ''Zehn mittelschwere grosse Etüden; Als Vorstudien zur "Hohen Schule des Violoncellspieles" (10 Studies Preparatory to the "High School of Cello Playing")'', was published a year later. This set of 10 études was aimed at intermediate players to study before working on the more advanced High School of Cello Playing book.<ref>{{cite web|title=10 Mittelschwere grosse Etüden, Op.76 (Popper, David)|url=https://imslp.org/wiki/15_Leichte_Et%C3%BCden_in_der_ersten_Lage%2C_Op.76a_(Popper%2C_David)|access-date=October 23, 2023 }}</ref> Approximately five years later, Popper published his final set of études, ''15 Leichte Etüden in der ersten Lage (15 Easy Etudes in the First Position)''. As the title states, this set of études was written so that the player could stay in [[Cello technique#Left-hand technique|first position]], which makes it this set much more approachable to beginners. <ref>{{cite web|title=15 Leichte Etüden in der ersten Lage, Op.76a (Popper, David)|url=https://imslp.org/wiki/15_Leichte_Et%C3%BCden_in_der_ersten_Lage%2C_Op.76a_(Popper%2C_David)|access-date=October 23, 2023 }}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[List of étude composers]]
* [[Music written in all 24 major and minor keys]]
* [[Invention (musical composition)]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
{{Wiktionary|étude}}
* {{Cite Grove |last=Ferguson |first=Howard |last2=Hamilton |first2=Kenneth L. |title=Study|ref=none}}

{{Authority control}}

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