Études

Études, in music, are short pieces designed to develop a particular technique or to explore a specific musical idea. The word comes from the French étudier, meaning to study; the plural études is used in French, while in English the form is often referred to as an etude or etudes. Most etudes are functional pedagogical works, but many have become standard concert repertoire.

The practice began as a catalog of character-building exercises in 18th- and 19th-century pedagogy and was developed by composers such as Czerny, Cramer, and Clementi. In the Romantic era the etude evolved toward artistic expression; Chopin's Op. 10 and Op. 25 are among the best-known sets, emphasizing lyrical phrasing as well as technical difficulties. Liszt's Transcendental Études extended the technical scope and dramatized form. In the early 20th century, composers such as Debussy and Rachmaninoff published virtuosic collections—Debussy's Douze Études and Rachmaninoff's Études-Tableaux—that balance technique with color and narrative.

Today, etudes exist for many instruments beyond the piano, including guitar and violin, and remain central to piano pedagogy as a way to build technique while maintaining musicality. Some modern etudes emphasize experimental approaches, microtonality, or extended techniques, while others retain traditional tonal idioms.

In addition to music, the term étude in French means a study or scholarly examination, and is used similarly in academic contexts to describe research studies or articles.