Table of Contents

Best Chopin Piano Sheet Music Editions
Chopin Etudes
Chopin Nocturnes
Chopin Waltzes
Chopin Preludes
Chopin Ballades
Chopin Impromptus
Chopin Scherzo
Chopin Sonatas
Chopin Polonaise
Chopin Mazurkas
Chopin Fantasies
- National Edition
- Paderewski Edition
Chopin Concertos

Best Chopin Piano Sheet Music Editions

Frederic Chopin

Frederic Chopin was born in 1810 in Poland. Chopin wrote music primarily for the piano. Any serious pianist is expected to play many of Chopin’s works, such as his piano etudes, scherzo, ballades, waltz, polonaise, mazurka, and piano sonatas.

Chopin Etudes

The Chopin Etudes of Op. 10 and Op. 25 have remained a stable mark of piano repertoire for many years. These etudes aid in building a pianist’s virtuosic technique. The Opus 10 Etudes were composed in 1829 – 1832. The Etudes of Opus 25 were composed between 1832 – 1836.

The most recommended editions for these etudes are placed on the top of the page, and the lease recommended editions are placed toward the bottom.

National Edition

The National Edition of the Works of Fryderyk Chopin, published by PWM and distributed by Hal Leonard Corporation, is a superb edition of the Chopin Etudes. Including both the Op. 10 Etudes and the Op. 25 Etudes, this edition promises the most authentic resources for their work. Recent publishing of Chopin’s works by National Edition were in 2013.

Sources include Chopin’s original autographs, and pupil’s editions of the Chopin Etudes. This edition claims to be the “first source-critical edition of Chopin`s complete works based on the entire body of available sources.” The edition features Chopin’s original fingering, the editor’s fingerings, and commentary notes on topics such as pedaling.

Those who wish to compete in the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw are recommended to use this edition for the competition.

You can see samples of Chopin works edited by National Edition with this link

Edtied by Jan Ekier and Pawel Kaminski

Here is an example of the Polish National Edition (This is from Chopin’s Second Scherzo)

what is the best edition for chopin — Click on the image to read more about why the National Edition is the best edition for Chopin

Etudes: Chopin National Edition 2A, Vol. II (Works Published During Chopin’s Lifetime)

Paderewski Edition

This Paderewski edition is considered the standard edition for Chopin’s works by many professional pianists. This book contains the 24 etudes from Op. 10 and Op. 25 and contains 156 pages. This best edition for Chopin is known for its unique performance notes, and the details it gives for how the sources affected the edition.

Some people who use this edition complain about the difficulty of keeping these books open. The binding of this edition does not hold the book open too well.

Edited by Ignacy Jan Paderewski

Here is an example of the Paderewski Chopin Etudes:

Studies: Chopin Complete Works II

Henle Verlag Urtext Edition

You can never go wrong with the Henle Verlag Urtext of the Chopin Etudes. Trustworthy and reliable, this edition can be used for both professional and amateur use. The Henle Verlag Urtext draws its edition from many credible sources, such as autographs, copies, and early printings. This version is also considered a standard that is used and promoted by many piano teachers.

Edited by Ewald Zimmermann and fingering Hermann Keller.

Chopin Etudes Urtext Opus 10 And Opus 25 Etuden

Durand Salabert Edition

A famous edition for Chopin that includes study exercises and suggested fingerings by Alfred Cortot. A must have for pianist who are struggling with finding good ways to practice the Chopin etudes.

You can view the Cortot edition free by clicking here.

Here is an example of the Durand Chopin Etudes:

12 Studies Op10 Piano Etudes (English Text)

12 Studies Op. 25 Piano Etudes (English Text) (Musical Expeditions)

Alfred Masterwork Edition

This edition of the Chopin Etudes by Alfred Masterwork includes pedal markings taken from the original score, and fingerings made by the editor Williard A. Palmer.

Click here to see a sample of Alfred Masterwork Chopin Etudes

Chopin — Etudes (Complete) (Comb Bound Book) (Alfred Masterwork Edition)

Dover Edition

This edition of Chopin Etudes, along with the Chopin Preludes, is a reproduction of the Mikuli edition. Carl Mikuli was a student of Chopin, and in this edition, it is known that he wrote some of his personal suggestions for notes, details, and fingerings. Some pianist find this to be troublesome.

Click on the following link to see a sample of the Dover Chopin Etudes.

The Complete Preludes & Etudes: For Solo Piano

Schirmer Edition

Even though this is perhaps the most popular edition for Chopin Etudes, this website chooses to place this towards the bottom of the list for good editions of the Chopin Etudes. While this is still a good edition and features interesting finger suggestions, some of the editorial details are contentious. The Dover Edition would be a better buy it terms of price and similar quality.

Edited by Arthur Friedheim

Click on the following link to see a sample of the Schirmer Chopin Etudes

Etudes for the Piano (Schirmer’s Library of Musical Classics, vol.33)

Chopin Nocturnes

The Best Editions for Chopin Nocturnes are ranked from top (most recommended) to bottom (least recommended).

I wanted to add a discovery I found in Nocturne in C minor, Op 48 No 1, MM. 16.

Let’s take a look at the National Edition:

And the Henle edited by Zimmermann:

Pay attention to the last note in measure 16. It’s a B natural octave in both the Henle and the National Edition.

Now look at the Dover edition edited by Carl Mikuli:

And the Durand Edition edited by Alfred Cortot:

Those two editions, as well as many others, contain a G octave instead of a B. Both work harmonically, but which one is Chopin’s true intention?

When viewing the source commentary of the National Edition, it is stated that in Chopin’s Autograph, First German Edition, and Fontana’s Copy, the note is a B octave. In the French First Edition, it was B to G (wrong), and then corrected it to a G octave. The National Edition chooses what is written in Chopin’s Autograph, as Chopin often fixed errors with more errors.

Now let’s listen to different performers on this piece:

Rubinstein: Plays G octave

Valentina Lisista: Plays G octave

Seong-Jin Cho: (winner of International Chopin 2015 ) – Plays G octave

Tiffany Poon: (also competed in International Chopin 2015) – Plays B octave

Out of these 4 performers, only one played the B Octave. What’s even more interesting, is that the International Chopin competitors in Poland are encouraged to use the National Edition by Jan Ekier. Tiffany Poon probably used the National Edition or Henle when studying this piece, while Cho did not.

With all of this in mind, which score should you study from? It’s really tough to make a clear decision on this, seeing that most pianists are choosing to not play what is in the National and Henle editions, which are considered to be the leading editions. Whatever edition you choose to use, be ready to defend yourself against geeks like me who know a little bit about this kind of stuff.

I would recommend choosing the National Edition or the Henle, as their source commentary and reasoning for choosing the B octaves makes the most sense.