Repertoire › Nocturne in C-sharp minor (posthumous) › What to play next
What to play after Nocturne in C-sharp minor (posthumous) ?
Frédéric Chopin · difficulty 53/100

Choose your level of commitment: consolidate, move up a tier or prepare a challenge. The top-ranked cards combine difficulty, risk, shared skills and confidence.

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Gentle step

The safest next step.

Gentle
Nocturne, op. 33, "Hommage to John Field"
Samuel Barber
58/100 +5 pts 5-10 weeks
close skills low risk to confirm
A short step up, staying in Intermediate (around grade 6 ABRSM/RCM). New compared with the previous piece: Style moderne et contemporain and Voix chantante — the notes are not enough: articulation and ornaments follow performance conventions best checked in an urtext edition.
Gentle
Nocturne in G major Op.37 No.2
Frédéric Chopin
57/100 +4 pts 5-10 weeks
close skills low risk fair confidence
A short step up, staying in Intermediate (around grade 6 ABRSM/RCM). The skill that will carry the work: Voix chantante — the notes will be secure long before the musical line: work in whole phrases, singing the main voice.
Gentle
Prelude and Nocturne for left hand only, op. 9
Alexander Scriabin
56/100 +4 pts 5-10 weeks
close skills low risk to confirm
A short step up, staying in Intermediate (around grade 6 ABRSM/RCM). New compared with the previous piece: Indépendance des mains and Voix chantante — practise it slowly and hands separately before any attempt at tempo: that is where tension builds up.
Gentle
Nocturne in B-flat minor Op.9 No.1
Frédéric Chopin
59/100 +6 pts 5-10 weeks
close skills low risk fair confidence
A short step up, staying in Intermediate (around grade 6 ABRSM/RCM). New compared with the previous piece: Octaves and Ornements romantiques — practise it slowly and hands separately before any attempt at tempo: that is where tension builds up.
Gentle
Nocturne no. 7, H.45
John Field
56/100 +3 pts 5-10 weeks
close skills low risk to confirm
A short step up, staying in Intermediate (around grade 6 ABRSM/RCM). The skill that will carry the work: Voix chantante — the notes will be secure long before the musical line: work in whole phrases, singing the main voice.
Balanced step

A genuine step up, without a jolt.

Balanced
Nocturne in F minor Op.55 No.1
Frédéric Chopin
64/100 +12 pts 12-24 weeks
close skills moderate risk fair confidence
A real step up, staying in Intermediate (around grade 7 ABRSM/RCM). The skill that will carry the work: Voix chantante — the notes will be secure long before the musical line: work in whole phrases, singing the main voice.
Balanced
Nocturne no. 6 in D flat major, op. 63
Gabriel Fauré
63/100 +10 pts 12-24 weeks
close skills moderate risk to confirm
A real step up, staying in Intermediate (around grade 7 ABRSM/RCM). New compared with the previous piece: Ornements romantiques and Voix chantante — ornaments must be secure before the piece goes up to tempo, otherwise they break the line instead of decorating it.
Balanced
Nocturne no. 2 in B minor
Mily Balakirev
65/100 +12 pts 12-24 weeks
close skills moderate risk to confirm
A real step up: this piece moves you into Advanced (around grade 7 ABRSM/RCM). The skill that will carry the work: Voix chantante — the notes will be secure long before the musical line: work in whole phrases, singing the main voice.
Balanced
Nocturne in E major Op.62 No.2
Frédéric Chopin
61/100 +8 pts 12-24 weeks
close skills moderate risk fair confidence
A real step up, staying in Intermediate (around grade 7 ABRSM/RCM). The skill that will carry the work: Voix chantante — the notes will be secure long before the musical line: work in whole phrases, singing the main voice.
Ambitious challenge

A useful leap with guided practice.

Challenge
Nocturne in D-flat major Op.27 No.2
Frédéric Chopin
70/100 +18 pts 28-56 weeks
close skills high risk to confirm
An ambitious leap into Advanced (around grade 7 ABRSM/RCM) — only worth starting if the practice time is really there. New compared with the previous piece: Doubles notes and Ornements romantiques — practise it slowly and hands separately before any attempt at tempo: that is where tension builds up.
Challenge
Nocturne no. 1 in F
Georges Bizet
70/100 +17 pts 28-56 weeks
close skills high risk to confirm
An ambitious leap into Advanced (around grade 7 ABRSM/RCM) — only worth starting if the practice time is really there. The skill that will carry the work: Voix chantante — the notes will be secure long before the musical line: work in whole phrases, singing the main voice.
Challenge
Nocturne in B major Op.32 No.1
Frédéric Chopin
68/100 +16 pts 24-48 weeks
close skills high risk to confirm
An ambitious leap into Advanced (around grade 7 ABRSM/RCM) — only worth starting if the practice time is really there. New compared with the previous piece: Ornements romantiques and Voix chantante — ornaments must be secure before the piece goes up to tempo, otherwise they break the line instead of decorating it.
Same level

To widen the repertoire without raising the level.

Same level
Nocturne g minor op. 37,1
Frédéric Chopin
52/100 -1 pts 4-6 weeks
partial transfer low risk to confirm
Equivalent demands, still Intermediate (around grade 6 ABRSM/RCM): what changes is the ground. The demand here is musical rather than mechanical: Phrasé — the notes will be secure long before the musical line: work in whole phrases, singing the main voice.
Same level
Nocturne e minor op. post. 72,1
Frédéric Chopin
54/100 +1 pts 4-6 weeks
close skills low risk to confirm
Equivalent demands, still Intermediate (around grade 6 ABRSM/RCM): what changes is the ground. The demand here is musical rather than mechanical: Phrasé — the notes will be secure long before the musical line: work in whole phrases, singing the main voice.
Same level
Prelude in D minor BWV 851 (WTC I)
Johann Sebastian Bach
51/100 -2 pts 4-6 weeks
partial transfer low risk to confirm
Equivalent demands, still Intermediate (around grade 6 ABRSM/RCM): what changes is the ground. What changes is the skill in play: Polyphonie à trois voix ou plus — practise it slowly and hands separately before any attempt at tempo: that is where tension builds up.
Progressions computed from difficulty, skill overlap and style between works. A What do we play next? recommendation should remain a pedagogical starting point, not an automatic prescription.