This piece is a contemporary etude written in a neo-Romantic style by Colin Peter Snuggs. It focuses on melodic expression and legato phrasing within the tonal framework of E major.
At Henle 3 this is a late-beginner piece — comfortable hands-together playing is assumed, and musical shaping starts to matter. The main demands: a true singing tone, with the melody floating above the accompaniment; chord voicing — bringing out one note inside a handful of others; and continuous sixteenth-note figuration that must ripple, not chatter.
Beyond that, expect rubato that must breathe naturally without losing the pulse.
The primary challenge is maintaining a consistent, singing tone while navigating the lyrical melodic lines.
Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.
A level or two down with the same spirit — ideal if this piece is still out of reach.
Where this piece's skills lead: slightly harder works making similar technical demands.
Lesser-known works by the same hand, at a comparable level.
Etude No.9 in E major is rated Henle level 3 of 9 — late beginner repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 4–5. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 4.
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.
Etude No.9 in E major 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 Etude No.11 in E minor by Colin Peter Snuggs, Etude No. 9 E major by Colin Peter Snuggs, Etude No. 11 E minor by Colin Peter Snuggs — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.