Chopin, in the Eyes of His Pupils
Chopin as a composer needs no introduction. But Chopin the teacher? That’s a story less often told, yet it’s equally important for understanding his approach and what it means for his music – which in turn informs how we should teach it today. To understand how Chopin taught, we must turn to his students: their accounts of their lessons with the master. So, sit back, relax, and let us cast our mind back to the 19th century.
The Salon
If we were to go back in time to Paris in 1833 on a celebrity hunt, we would be disappointed to learn that it was impossible to meet Chopin without being in the right circles. One does not simply ask Chopin for lessons. He was always surrounded by his entourage of Polish compatriots acting like bodyguards, and the lesson fees – 20 francs a lesson at his apartment, 30 for a home visit with the carriage arranged by the pupil – are rates affordable only for the wealthiest in Parisian society. So now let’s just pretend we’re back, and this time we’re rich.
Upon arrival at Chopin’s Parisian apartment, we were greeted by a valet who spoke a little French. As usual, the lesson fee was to be placed in an envelope on the mantelpiece of the fireplace, and we remember that under no circumstances should we give money to the master directly – the master would not dirty his hands with it. The master was always impeccably dressed. His lilac gloves protected his delicate hands, and were only removed when he played. His teaching room has two pianos, and we would sit at the grand piano while the master sat at his upright, listening. We remember he was eager to do away with any stiffness or tension before we started to play.
“Facilement! Facilement!”
Chopin’s most repeated word was “Facilement!” – easily, easily. He hated stiffness. He once broke a chair in rage when a student failed to relax. To him, relaxation was the prerequisite for producing a natural, beautiful tone.
Most students played only a few bars during an entire lesson. Rather than lengthy explanations, Chopin preferred to demonstrate, and create. There is no doubt Chopin was one of the most sought-after and demanding teachers of his time.
He occasionally altered his own pieces during lessons – adding ornaments, variants, or changing the fingering. He would not play a piece the same way twice. Once, a student returned confidently having copied every nuance of the master’s phrasing from the previous lesson, only to find him angry at what he’d done. The master then went on to play the same phrase in a completely different way, more beautiful, and reduced the student to tears. We know he did not want copycats. He wanted each student to find their own voice.
Yet despite the tears, his students remained fiercely loyal. His meticulous shaping spared them years of tedious exercises.
The Unfinished Method
Chopin attempted to write down his pedagogical thought, but writing pained him. As a perfectionist, he crossed out words, rewrote them obsessively. His Projet de méthode survives as only twelve pages, filled with brilliant insights on the natural shape of the hand. It was discovered by Alfred Cortot in 1940. It was never finished, but it was a sketch, a blueprint to be discovered, with insights into the master’s world, his understanding of how piano playing should be.
After Chopin’s death, his students became the keepers of his legacy. Karol Mikuli, Émile Decombes, and others took meticulous notes – on fingering, phrasing, tempo, and character. They did not create a rigid “school.” They passed on a spirit: suppleness, singing tone, musical thinking – and they passed it on to their own students. Without them, and the generations of teachers that followed, much of Chopin’s practical pedagogy would have been lost.
A Final Thought
Chopin’s teaching was not a fixed system. It was flexible, humane, and focused on music that was still living, breathing, and unfinished.
That is the tradition we aim to continue at Salon Chopin – not just the notes, but the philosophy behind them, the approach that made them possible.
If this world intrigues you, explore our lessons.
Further Reading (for the curious)
Chopin: Pianist and Teacher: As Seen by His Pupils by Jean‑Jacques Eigeldinger
Frederick Chopin, as a Man and Musician by Frederick Niecks
Projet de Méthode by Chopin