An étude (pronounced /ˈeɪtjuːd/) is a short musical piece created to help musicians practice and improve specific skills. The tradition of writing études began in the early 1800s as the piano became more popular. Many études from that time are still used in music lessons, especially those written by Carl Czerny and Muzio Clementi. A few études by famous composers like Frédéric Chopin, Franz Liszt, and Claude Debussy are now performed in concerts. In the 20th century, composers such as György Ligeti wrote études connected to older traditions, while others, like John Cage, created pieces that required unusual and creative techniques.

19th century

Before the 19th century, music studies, lessons, and other teaching pieces were very different from one another, with no clear categories. Domenico Scarlatti wrote 30 Exercises for Harpsichord in 1738, which were similar in difficulty to his other keyboard works. J.S. Bach’s four volumes of Clavier-Übung ("keyboard practice") included many types of music, from simple organ duets to the complex and challenging Goldberg Variations.

In the early 19th century, instruction books with exercises became more common. Important collections included Johann Baptist Cramer’s studies (published between 1804 and 1810), early parts of Muzio Clementi’s Gradus ad Parnassum (1817–26), works by Carl Czerny, Maria Szymanowska’s Vingt exercises et préludes (around 1820), and Ignaz Moscheles’ Studien Op. 70 (1825–26). Later parts of Clementi’s collection and Moscheles’ Charakteristische Studien Op. 95 (1836–37) aimed to create music that was both enjoyable for audiences and useful for teaching. This mix of teaching value and musical quality is sometimes called a concert study.

The technique required to play Chopin’s Études, Op. 10 (1833) and Op. 25 (1837) was very new when they were published. The first person to master these pieces was the famous virtuoso composer Franz Liszt, to whom Chopin dedicated Op. 10. Liszt also wrote études that were longer and more complex than Chopin’s. His most famous collection, Études d'Execution Transcendante (final version published in 1852), did not focus on teaching, as each étude used different techniques and had a unique character, such as "Paysage" (Landscape), "Mazeppa," and "Chasse-neige" (Snow-whirls).

Friedrich Dotzauer, a cellist and composer, wrote 113 Studies for Cello Solo during the 19th century. He also composed many other types of music, such as operas and symphonies. Most of his works are no longer remembered, except for his 113 studies. The first two volumes (studies 1–62) were for intermediate players, while the last two volumes (studies 63–113) were for advanced players.

Friedrich Grützmacher wrote music for small groups and a book of études for solo cello titled 24 Etudes for Cello. The book has two volumes, each with 12 études. The first volume was for intermediate players, as it did not require using the thumb position. The second volume included the thumb position and other advanced techniques, making it suitable for more advanced players. The later études in this book focused on showing off technical skills, such as double artificial harmonics and off-hand pizzicato.

Grützmacher also wrote a set of 12 études called Elite-Etüden. Each étude was inspired by a famous cellist, often highlighting a technique or playing style that the cellist was known for. Some of these cellists included Bernhard Romberg, Luigi Boccherini, and Jean-Louis Duport.

Sebastian Lee was a cellist who composed works for the cello. In 1842, he wrote Forty Melodic and Progressive Etudes for Violoncello. He was known more for his virtuosic playing than for teaching. He advised against keeping the hand in a strict blocked position when using the thumb, instead suggesting keeping the thumb mobile, a technique used by cellists today.

Lee was a productive composer of cello études. In addition to his Forty Melodic and Progressive Etudes, he also wrote 50 Etüden für den Anfang (First Steps in Violoncello Playing), 40 leichte Etüden in der ersten Lage (40 Easy Etudes for Cello), 12 Études mélodiques (12 Melodic Etudes), and other smaller sets of études.

The 19th century also saw étude collections for instruments other than the piano. Guitarist and composer Fernando Sor published 12 Studies, Op. 6 for guitar in London as early as 1815. These works followed the standard definition of 19th-century études, as each was a short piece focusing on one specific technique. Collections of flute studies were published in the second half of the 19th century by Ernesto Köhler, Wilhelm Popp, and Adolf Terschak.

20th century

In the early 20th century, many important collections of études were published. Claude Debussy’s Études for piano (1915) followed a rule where each piece focused on one specific skill, but they had unusual structures with sudden changes. These études often explored unique sounds and tones of the piano rather than just technical challenges. Leopold Godowsky’s 53 Studies on the Chopin Études (1894–1914) were based on Chopin’s études, but Godowsky’s changes made the music far more difficult than Chopin’s original works. Other notable études from this time include Heitor Villa-Lobos’s 12 Études for guitar (1929) and works by Russian composers Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Études-Tableaux (1911, 1917) and Alexander Scriabin’s piano collections.

By mid-century, the traditional étude style was no longer widely used. Olivier Messiaen’s Quatre études de rythme (1949–50) were not meant to teach specific skills but instead explored new ideas about rhythm, dynamics, and musical colors. John Cage’s études, such as Études Australes (1974–75) for piano and Freeman Études (1977–80, 1989–90) for violin, were based on star charts and are considered some of the most challenging pieces in music. György Ligeti’s three books of Études (1985, 1988–94, 1995) focused on specific techniques, similar to older étude traditions. Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji’s 100 Transcendental Studies (1940–44) built on the work of Godowsky and Liszt, emphasizing technical and rhythmic challenges. William Bolcom won the Pulitzer Prize in 1988 for his Twelve New Etudes for Piano.

Among all cello études, the set of 40 études titled Hohe Schule des Violoncello-Spiels ("High School of Cello Playing") by David Popper is the most well-known and widely used. Popper, a cellist and composer, met with famous composers like Wagner, Berlioz, and Liszt to create études that helped cellists learn both solo and orchestral music. For example, the 19th étude is called the "Lohengrin Etude" because it uses music from Wagner’s opera Lohengrin.

After writing High School of Cello Playing, Popper created two more sets of études for students at different skill levels. The first, Zehn mittelschwere grosse Etüden (10 Studies Preparatory to the "High School of Cello Playing"), was published a year later and aimed at intermediate players. Five years later, Popper released 15 Leichte Etüden in der ersten Lage (15 Easy Etudes in the First Position), designed for beginners who could stay in the first position on the cello, making them easier to learn.