Étude Op. 25 No. 1 in A-flat major
About this arrangement
Chopin composed it in 1836 and published it in 1837. Robert Schumann called it 'a poem rather than a study', and the name 'Aeolian Harp' is linked to his description.
Block each group of six notes as a chord first to learn the hand shapes, then play them broken at 50% with the fifth finger bringing out the melody.
Start with short loops.
Use the section list as a practice map. Start at 50% tempo, loop one section, then return to the full piece once the hand shape feels stable.
Choose Right or Left to focus on one hand. Wait for note checks the highlighted notes as you play them on the screen or a connected MIDI keyboard.
Before you practice.
01 How hard is the 'Aeolian Harp' Étude?
It's advanced. Both hands play fast sextuplet arpeggios with stretches up to a 13th, and the melody has to sing over them.
02 How long is Op. 25 No. 1?
Our edition has 50 bars in 4/4.
03 What should I practise first?
Practise each hand's arpeggios as blocked chords, then broken slowly. Once the shapes are secure, focus on voicing the top melody.
04 Why is it called the 'Aeolian Harp'?
An aeolian harp is a stringed instrument played by the wind. The name comes from Robert Schumann's description of the étude, not from Chopin.
