étuden.
/eɪˈt(j)uːd/, /eɪˈtʃuːd/, /ˈeɪt(j)uːd/, /ˈeɪtʃuːd/, U.S. /ˈeɪˌt(j)ud/ Music.
A short piece written (esp. for the piano) as an exercise to improve or demonstrate a particular aspect of a performer's technique; = study n. 11.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > music > piece of music > type of piece > [noun] > exercise or study
lesson1574
solfeggio1774
study1806
étude1826
scale1865
1826 Q. Mus. Mag. & Rev. 8 106 Style and expression are only to be attained through the agency of mechanical power and sensibility; these etudes will give the former.
1855 F. Chopin (title) Grand Study, extracted from the 24 Études for the Pianoforte.
1882 Pall Mall Gaz. 22 Dec. 20/1 A fantasia on opera airs or an impromptu or an étude.
1947 A. Einstein Music Romantic Era xv. 223 Alkan..wrote..an étude ‘The Railroad’.
1966 Chicago Tribune 19 Mar. v. 8/1 Not everyone can run a mile in 3:51.3 or rip off a Chopin etude, but everyone has the capacity to excel at something.
2000 S. Broughton et al. World Music: Rough Guide II. i. 65/1 The opening piece, called a varnum, is comparable to an étude in Western classical music and allows the musicians to warm up.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2014; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1826