Musical term :What is a Etude?

Question:I play alto sax and would like to know what a etude is so I can audtion for Interlochen's school of the Arts.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I play alto sax and would like to know what a etude is so I can audtion for Interlochen's school of the Arts.

Etude is a French word meaning "excercise." It is a short composition that emphasizes practice in a particular skill. They are meant for someone to play to learn or proved they have mastered a paticular musical skill.

From Wikipedia: "For example, Frédéric Chopin's etude . . . Op. 25 No. 10 covers parallel octaves."

In auditioning, it is a test to prove you have enough skill to enter their program.

1 : a piece of music for the practice of a point of technique
2 : a composition built on a technical motive but played for its artistic value

This is according to webster.com.

The word "etude" means "study". It takes a certain aspect of music and arranges it so that you get lots of practice playing that particular kind of thing. So basically its a piece designed to enhance your playing skills if you master it.

pronounced 'a tood', btw.

you will find bunches of them if you look.

remember what Claude Gordon said... 'a simple piece played well is better than a difficult piece played poorly'

good luck at Interlochen!

an Etude if a piece of music that works on technical skills. Its good music though. Stuff like this is good for auditions

the French verb "etudier" means to study ...and an Etude is a study piece, something to give the player exercise .....actually I did a search for etudes in the Wikipedia article....and did not see any listed for sax ..... I am surprised that Interlochen did not suggest acceptable repertoire....why don't you try looking at the Juilliard catalogue and see if they mention anything.... or The Eastman School of Music.......all the best

An etude (from the French word étude meaning "study") is a short musical composition designed to provide practice in a particular technical skill in the performance of a solo instrument. For example, Frédéric Chopin's etude Op. 25 No. 6 trains pianists to play rapid parallel chromatic thirds, Op. 25 No. 7 emphasizes the production of singing tone in a polyphonic melody, and Op. 25 No. 10 covers parallel octaves.