Chopin Waltz in A flat major, Op 69 No 1

Q: Whats the easiest Chopin waltz?

They are: Waltz in A Minor, op. posth., B 150”, Waltz in B minor, op. 69, no. 2”, and Waltz in A flat Major, op.

Although Chopin is known to have written a total of about 20 waltzes, most of them require a pre-advanced to advanced mastery of the piano to be able to perform comfortably. Luckily, there are 3 that are easier than the others in difficulty level, and should be very manageable for intermediate and high-intermediate level students (think at least 3 years of consistent piano playing). They are: “Waltz in A Minor, op. posth., B 150”, “Waltz in B minor, op. 69, no. 2”, and “Waltz in A flat Major, op. 69, no. 1 (‘L’adieu’)”. Although less technically-demanding than his other waltzes, they are just as beautiful!

Table of Contents Show

#1. Waltz in A Minor, op. posth., B 150
#2. Waltz in B Minor, op. 69, no. 2 ("Deux Valses")
#3. Waltz in A flat Major, op. 69, no. 1 (“L’adieu”)
What grade is waltz Op 69 No 1?
What grade is Waltz in A flat major?
What grade is Chopin Waltz Op 69 No 2?
What's the easiest Chopin waltz?

Let’s look at each of these pieces in turn and get inspired to learn them!

#1. Waltz in A Minor, op. posth., B 150

QUICK FACTS

Composed: betw. 1843-1848 (betw. ages 33-38), posth.
Pages: 2
Key: A Minor
Tempo: Allegretto (fairly fast)
Ability Level: RCM Level 6 – lower intermediate
My personal rating: 5/5 (love it!)

GET SHEET MUSIC FOR “WALTZ IN A MINOR” HERE.

WHAT’S EASY ABOUT IT:

It’s in A Minor. That means you will mostly be using white keys, though there are a few accidentals (especially in second half).
It’s short. There is really only about one page of material to learn. The rest is repetition.

WHAT YOU MIGHT FIND DIFFICULT ABOUT IT:

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Ornaments. There are quite a few grace notes and several mordents in this waltz. Make sure to play them quickly and lightly, while maintaining the main beat.
E Major arpeggio run. In one section of the piece, there is an E Major arpeggio that needs to be played quite fast (a triplet followed by a quintuplet). This might need a bit of practice.
LH (left hand) jumps. As is the case with a lot of Chopin’s compositions, the left hand tends to jump quite a bit between a single note and a chord. Tip: practice the LH separately to get really comfortable with it before doing it HT (hands together).

#2. Waltz in B Minor, op. 69, no. 2 ("Deux Valses")

QUICK FACTS

Composed: 1829 (at 19), posth.
Pages: 4 (just over)
Key: B Minor (with one part in B Major)
Tempo: Moderato
Ability Level: RCM Level 8 – upper intermediate
My personal rating: 5/5 (love it!)

GET SHEET MUSIC FOR “WALTZ IN B MINOR” HERE.

WHAT’S EASY ABOUT IT:

The key. The majority of the waltz is in B Minor, which is not too difficult with only two sharps. Be warned, however, that it does change to B Major (5 sharps) briefly in the middle, before reverting back to B Minor again.

WHAT YOU MIGHT FIND DIFFICULT ABOUT IT:

Double Notes. The second section of the waltz (the one in B Major) uses quite a few double notes, which might take some practice to get good at – particularly the legato double thirds. (For tips on how to practice double notes – see this article).
The B Major Section. As mentioned earlier, this section of the waltz uses five sharps, which is bit of a change from just two. Luckily, the section doesn’t last long.
LH (left hand) jumps. As is the case with a lot of Chopin’s compositions, the left hand tends to jump quite a bit between a single note and a chord. Tip: practice the LH separately to get really comfortable with it before doing it HT (hands together).

#3. Waltz in A flat Major, op. 69, no. 1 (“L’adieu”)

QUICK FACTS

Composed: 1835 (at 25)
Pages: 4-5
Key: A flat Major
Tempo: Tempo di Valse
Ability Level: RCM Level 8 – upper intermediate
My personal rating: 4/5 (very nice!)

GET SHEET MUSIC FOR “WALTZ IN A FLAT MAJOR” HERE.

WHAT’S EASY ABOUT IT:

The Tempo. At “Tempo di Valse”, this piece is the slowest out of the three. Tempo di Valse is usually played somewhere between 90-120 bpm.

WHAT YOU MIGHT FIND DIFFICULT ABOUT IT:

The Key. With its four flats, A flat Major is by no means the hardest key to play in, but not the easiest either. So be prepared for four flats.
The “tuplets”. The piece contains several instances of quintuplets, sextuplets, and septuplets (groups of 5, 6 and 7 sixteenth notes played in time of one beat). This will require dexterity and finger agility.
LH (left hand) jumps. As is the case with a lot of Chopin’s compositions, the left hand tends to jump quite a bit between a single note and a chord. Tip: practice the LH separately to get really comfortable with it before doing it HT (hands together).

* Want to get the most out of your practicing? Take a look at our “5 Best Practice Tips for Music Students”

* Wondering if your child is gifted in music? Take a look at: “6 Signs Your Child Is Musically Gifted”

* Learn everything you need to know about RCM exams with our “RCM Exams: Your Complete Guide”

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