This character piece by Étienne David exemplifies the accessible salon style popular in late 19th-century France. Its charm lies in the simplicity of its primary theme against a gentle, swaying waltz accompaniment.
Ensure the bass note of the waltz accompaniment provides a firm foundation without overpowering the melodic line.
Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.
Au gré des flots is rated Henle level 3 of 9 — late beginner repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 4–5. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 5.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 3 — meaning you can already play level 2–3 pieces cleanly. Learning it one level early is possible as a stretch piece, but more than that usually leads to months of frustration.
A typical performance of Au gré des flots lasts about 3 minutes.
Au gré des flots is available as free public-domain sheet music on IMSLP — the score is linked directly from this page.
Pieces at a comparable difficulty and character include Für Elise by Ludwig van Beethoven, Prelude in E minor, No. 4 by Frédéric Chopin, As in a Rose Jar by Charles Wakefield Cadman — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.