Easy piano studies: Czerny, Duvernoy, Lemoine, Burgmüller

A study, or étude, is a short piece built on one thing your hands need: an even scale, a steady left hand, a chord shape, a hand moving to a new place. The teachers of the nineteenth century wrote whole books of them, from Czerny's short exercises to Duvernoy's École primaire, Lemoine's Études enfantines and Burgmüller's 25 Easy and Progressive Studies. Each fits on a page or two, so they suit a daily reading habit, and each has easier versions made from the score itself.

Pieces: 70
Levels: 2 to 5
Key signatures: 3 flats to 4 sharps
Length: 8 to 88 bars

Level 2

A tune over a simple left hand, mostly in one hand position. Minuets, carols, Ode to Joy, Czerny's first studies.

Level 3

Both hands busy, the hand moves around, a sharp or flat or two. Most of the Notebook minuets, sonatinas, The Entertainer.

Level 4

Real independence between the hands and more accidentals. Bach's inventions and little preludes, Für Elise, Chopin's easier preludes.

Level 5

The edge of early intermediate: dense textures, fast passages and far keys. The Moonlight Sonata, Maple Leaf Rag, Solfeggietto.

Open a piece to print any of its versions free, or to play it at your MIDI keyboard with every note marked. New to reading? The level 2 sight-reading exercises are a good warm-up.