V,..

NY PUBLIC

IBRARY

THE BRANCH LIBRARIES

3 3333 02200 0794

BREE MALWINE* THE GROUNDWORK OF THE LESCHETIZKY METHOD* 75.00 NNBR 760109174^y

MUS
The New York
Public Library
Astor.

Lenox and Tilden Foundations

The Branch

Libraries

THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY AT LINCOLN CENTER

Music Collection
1 1 1

MY
JMUt3

Amsterdam Avenue
York, N.Y. 10023

New

BOOKS MAY BE RETURNED TO ANY BRANCH OF THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY ALL RECORDINGS MUST BE RETURNED TO BRANCH FROM WHICH BORROWED NO RENEWALS ARE ALLOWED FINES FOR OVERDUE MATERIAL PER CALENDAR DAY.
Adult books lOtf Juvenile books 54 Recordings 10^ Form #0567

THE

GROUNDWORK
OF THE

LESCHETIZKY METHOD
ISSUED

WITH

HIS

APPROVAL

BY
HIS ASSISTANT

MALWINE BREE
WITH FORTY-SEVEN ILLUSTRATIVE CUTS
OF LFSCHETIZKY'S
BAKER

HAND

TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN BY

DR.

TH.

HASKELL HOUSE PUBLISHERS

Publisher] of Scarce Scholarly Booki

LTD.

NEW YORK.

N. Y. 1OOI2

1969

First

Published

1902

HASKELL HOUSE PUBLISHERS

Publishers of Scarce Scholarly Books

LTD.

28O LAFAYETTE STREET

NEW YORK.

N. Y. 10O12

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number:

68-25284

Standard Book

Number 8383-0290-4

Printed in the United States of Ameiica

TO MY HONORED MASTER

PROFESSOR THKODOR LKSCHKTIZKY

Twenty
years

years ago

became your
to

pupil,

and

tor

more than

ten

you have considered

this

me worthy

hold the office of your

assistant.

book, what you have taught me throughout this long period, and what I in turn have tested on hundreds of pupils.

Let

he

my

justification for publishing, in this

am

well aware that

finished pianist can

a
;

no more be formed

by

a theoretical

method alone than

painter or sculptor can be trained

nevertheless,

by books on painting or sculpture

certain
disciples
later

my book may

claim a

right to exist,

it"

only as a welcome reminder to

many former

of the Leschetizky School of their early instruction, and, for the pupils, as affording a correct idea of the basis of that School.

Following the
pedantry.

spirit

of the latter,

have been

at

pains to avoid
is

My

work does

not aim at a slavish observance of rule, but

I

meant
the

to

be a guide to tine and correct piano-playing.

desirous
ot

am

rendered

more

attaining

this

end

by

reason

of

the

honorable

distinction conferred
I

upon my work by the illustrations of your own hand. thank you most sincerely for this distinction, and beg you to

accept the dedication of this book.

Thus

it

only returns to the fountain-

head whence we

all

draw.

VIENNA, February, 1902.

MALWINE

BREE.

(TRANSLATION)

MME. MAI, WINK BREK. HONORED MADAM: Mv

hook, which
principle
I

VIENNA, Feb. 24, 1902.

best chunks for the dedication of your

of course accept most gladly. As you know, I am from no friend of theoretical Piano-Methods; hut your excellent
I

work, which

have carefully examined,

I

is

such a brilliant exposition

for

of

my
with

personal views, that

subscribe,

word

word,

to

everything you
leads
years,

advance therein.
a

Your "

Groundwork of the Leschetixky Method"

tor

practised

hand along the same path on which,

many

you have won such striking success as my assistant by teaching in accord with my intention. Moreover, the tone of your work is not monotonously didactic, but enlivened by clever conceits and humor.

Approving the illustrations ot my hand as genuine and lifelike, I declare your book to be the sole authorized publication explanatory of my method, and wish it all success and popularity.

With
(Signed)

sincerest regard,

TMKODOR

LKSC'H KTI'/KY.

TAHLF. OF CONTENTS
SKllTloN
I

Attitude

at

the I'iailo
Its

The

land and

Posture

III.

\Vrisl exercise

I\

Some General
1.

Kuli
:

Finder exercises
2.

3.
.).

One-linger Kxi-ivisrs Two linger Fxcrcises Three-l' ugcr Kxcrcise

....... .... ...... .... ...... ......

.
.

PAGE
I

-.

9 9
10
10

P.
(t.

Foni linger KxcrciM' Five linger Kxercise

7.

Finger-exercise \villi Oiu- Tone Held Free Finger exercise without Held Tones
Studies for the Diatonic Scales
.

10

n
II
.

VI.
VII.

1'rcparatorv
Tin-

Same, One Tone Wider

.

I?
'7

VIII.
IX.

Diatonic Scales

Preparation

I'm-

the

Chromatic Scale

2o
.

X.
XI.

Preparatory Studies for lirokcn Chords (Triads)

ISrokcn

21

Chords (Triads)

25
.

XII
XIII.

Preparatory

Studies for Kroken Seventh-chords

26
27

Alternating Fingers on the Same Kev

Stvles of

XIV.

Touch

.-K

XV.
XVI.
XVII.
XVIII.

On

Octaves
.

3'

Chords
Arpeggios

.U
4

Paired Notes; Scales

The- Highest

in

Thirds ami Sixths

plav ing
.

4(1 $fi

XIX.

Part in

Chord

XX
XXI.
XXII.
XXIII.
X XIV.

The

(ilissando

57

F.mhcllishinents

Dvnamics

On

tin-

Pedal
for

...
.
. .

*>

6"

Rules
1.

Performance: Melodv plaviug

*>$
.

2.

Tempo

(*)

3.

RhMhm
.

70

XXV.
XXVI.
XXV
1

Fingering Practice and Slndv

/3
.

7?

Movements
'.'.'!:>

of the

Hand and Arm

to

7*

X.XViii.

Should Devote Himself

ADDKNDA
Ai'i'KNiux
j
.

...
.

the

Piano?.

.... ...

Ho

H5 x"

Scale of Scales

2.

Scale of Arpeggios Suite of Arpeggio*-

94
y7

CONCLUSION

Attitude at the Piano

one remark by Leschetizky " Sit at the piano unconstrained and erect, like a good horseman on his horse, and yield to the movements of
:

the arms as far as necessary, as the rider yields to the

movements of

his

horse."

Sit at

such a distance from the keyboard that when the arms are easily

bent the finger-tips

pedals comfortably.

may rest on the keys without effort, and the feet reach the The elbows should be held neither too close to the sides nor

too far away

but very

little

moreover, they should either be on a level with the keys, or be held Too low a seat, in particular, necessitates r\n accord with higher.
is

the laws of leverage) greater exertion on the player's part, so that he

compelled,

when playing

forcible chords, to raise his shoulders,

which has no very graceful look.

stress

Many
while playing.

even eminent

pianists lay

too

little

on

a graceful attitude

The enough. rendered more impressionable. Neither does " posing" meet with our approval. The usual pose is to lean backward with a splenetic air and to play with slow negative movements of the
head, the eyes rolled heavenward.
disdainful expression of countenance

" If That is not They seem to think: only the ear be satisfied." listener's ear should first be seduced through the eye, and thus be

Then
;

there

is

the nonchalant pose with the

till

or the player bends over

his

head almost

touches the keys, and after every passage turns

interrogation.

his face to the audience in smiling

All this produces a

effect

more or

less

comical impression, and

is

apt to injure the

of the finest playing. True feeling is not expressed by means of the pose, neither does a pianist's art find expression through his mien, but through his fingers
;

and true feeling manifests

itself

spontaneously,

if

the player really has

it.

II

The Hand and

SHE
pianist

Its

Posture
aristocratic

and " A thoroughly trained pianogracefully formed, with well-kept nails. " hand becomes broader, supple in the wrist, and muscular, with broad
so-called

must renounce the

hand,

slender

finger-tips.

The

nails, too,

must be kept

short, for the springy

pad of the

finger-tip

yields a mellower tone than the inelastic nail.

hands are not always advantageous at the piano ; but too small hands are often a disadvantage, even though such can generally bear fatigue better
large

Too

Large hands, which small hands have to make again, superiority widespread chords, means of dexterity and suitable arrangement. For the rest, there have good by

" than large ones, and also more readily acquire the " pearly touch.

show

in

been, and are, pianists of the highest rank with large hands and with small hands.

The method

of holding them

is

the

same

for both.

FIG.

I.

How

TO HOLD THE RIGHT HAND

[3]

FIG.

2.

How

TO HOLD THE LEFT HAND

The hand should assume

decidedly vaulted form (see Figs,

and

2)

for, apart from the unpleasing, amateurish impression made by playing with flat hands and fingers, the only way to get strength into the fingers is to hold the hand

rounded upward.
fingers so

The wrist must be

held somewhat lower than the knuckles, and the

curved that the tip-joints fall vertically on the keys, which are touched The thumb forms the sole exception, as it strikes by the tips of the fingers only. the key not with the tip, but the edge it is held away from the hand, with the
;

tip-joint bent.

Now
the touch
slip off.
is

set the finger-tips

in

an easy posture on
this

five

consecutive white keys,

and press them down together.

lightest there,

Do

near the front edge of the keys, because

at

buc do not hold them

the very edge, as they might

The
to the

of course, fingers being unequal in length, their vertical tips cannot,

stand in a straight line side by side, but form a line curving outward from the

thumb

jd

finger,

and then inward

to the

th finger.

[4]

III

Wrist-Exercise

FIG.

]S

soon

as the posture of the

five

hand

is

quite under control, press rather firmly

white keys and lower and raise the wrist slowly and repeatedly, that the fingers taking care (i) that the hand remains rounded upward, (2) retain their position, (3) that on raising the wrist it does not rise higher than its

on the

original position,

and (4) that the upper arm does not follow the wrist-motion. Repeat this exercise for only a few days, and with the hands in alternation.

IV

Some General Rules

IRE
for the fingerfollowing fundamental rules are very important even

exercises

(i) It
after

is

they should, therefore, be learned at the very beginning, best to play all finger-exercises at first only with a light touch;
;

two or three days one may try to get more tone, always endeavoring to play

[5

evenly (with equal strength of tone) with

an unequal exertion of pressure on

all

the fingers.

This

is

accomplished by
then comes

the keys in conformity with the unequal length

and muscular strength of the

the

fingers.

Strongest of

all is

the

thumb

3d

finger, followed

in

order of strength by the fth, id, and

finally, as. the

weakest, the 4th.

rule,

But

in this case

we do not observe
;

the ordinary educational

weakling with indulgence we must, on the contrary, exert the The dynamometer for the its inequality. strongest pressure on it, to remedy One must hear whether the tones exertion of force at any given time is the ear.

and

treat the

finally

sound equal
(2) It

in

force.

After some practice the fingers will accustom them-

selves to the necessary degree of pressure.

is

not well

at the outset to repeat the finger-exercises until fatigued.

Let us say, once for all, that the by frequent alternation of the hands. After a time each with both hands together. finger-exercises are never to be played hand may practise longer; but even then be careful not to overtire yourself.

Avoid

this

Should the hand begin to feel heavy, let it rest. Should one continue practice, one soon feels a trembling, or even pain, in the muscles, and this may injure the hand. lower and raise the hand frequently while (3) Without interrupting practice, By so doing one prevents the hand from playing, as described in Section III.
growing
stiff.

(4)

When

the finger

is

raised

from the key,

it

must not change

its

form,

but remain curved (see Figs. 4 to 8). Bending the raised finger inward, or stretching and is a waste of strength at the expense it out stiff and straight, does not look well,

of tone and velocity.

(5)

Always keep
;

a watchful eye

on the

finger-tip,

and

strike the

key exactly

with the tip

for that

is

the only
in

way

to bring out a full, strong tone.

advance, that in playing a melody forte, or for strong accents, the black keys are struck, not with rounded, but with outstretched fingers.
(6) Let us remark,

The

fingers thus touch a wider key-surface

and

are less apt to slide off.

V
Finger-Exercises
i.

ONE-FINGER EXERCISES
finger-exercises
are

the

start

the simplest

the

best,

so that attention

can be concentrated on the posture of the fingers and wrist.

45
R.H.
jf'

"'O^

L.H

17]

FIG. 5

manner with

the 2d finger, raising

it

about one-third of an inch and striking the

their keys.

key repeatedly while the other fingers hold

(Fig. 5.)

FIG.

Proceed similarly with the jd

finger,

keeping the others down.

(Fig. 6.1

[8]

FIG.

FIG.

Now

continue with the 4th (Fig.

7)

and

th fingers

Fig. 8).

These two

may more independence and the 5th more strength. acquire During this exercise of often repeat the wrist-movement described under " General Rules,''' the five fingers,
to

must, however, he raised as high as possible, so that the hampered 4th finger

make

sure that the wrist

is

loose.

After practising these exercises for

some time

legate, try
its

them

also staccato

(compare Section XIV).

blow,
flies

For
its

this

each finger, after striking

key a short, swift

elastic.

back,

high

in

rounded form.

Tins renders the fingers more

2.

TWO-RNGER KxERUSES
i

This

is

the application of Kxercise

to

two tones.

R.H.

4645

T2
-8-4-

1,

...

3434

.,

64

'^r^^m^Ffii ^wVi-r^ 3636 2424

'l

2 6 2 5

^r^
t

'|

-3-4-

I'ress do\\'ii the five

the above keys, tnen play with two fingers according to

its

examples.

When

one finger strikes

key, the other must go up a tempo.

he

active fingers should play legato, the other three holding their keys.
.

THREE-FINGER KXERCISE

.46

LIOJ

Two
down
its

fingers hold

down

the whole notes, three play

is

key

after striking, while the next in turn to play

but each finger holds raised a tempo.

4.

Koi'R-RWOER KXERCISE
5

R.H.

23*32 1

1
4
5

L. H.

One

finger holds

down, four

play, as above.

5.

KIVE-KINGER EXERCISE

R.H.

23-* 54 32
r
Press
its

down
;

all

five keys.

Then one

finger after the other plays,

and holds

key (as above)

etc.

6.

FINGER-EXERCISE WITH
, *

ONE TONE HELD

+_2__
R.H.;

-WP-P-P-P-

Hold

the

first

note of the measure and play with the next finger. high
in

Inactive
is

fingers are to be

held

their

rounded form, excepting the thumb, which

i

held bent and loose under the 2d finger

.e Fig.

12).

[II]

Be
take too

careful

not to hold the inactive fingers

up spasmodically,

for this
if

would

much

strength from the active ones.

And
if

do not worry
the

the 4th

finger jerks a little

when
is

the

3d

finger plays, or

the 5th does likewise

this, in

when

the 4th plays.

There
;

an anatomical

reason

for

presence of a
is

common
task,

tendon

so

it

does no harm.

The

breaking-up of this habit

of the

wearisome

whose

sole result

would

be, perhaps,

a certain stiffness

wrist.

7.

FREE FINGER-EXERCISE WITHOUT HELD TONES

12

23.

4 5

*.-m

m
t

23323*3346 K K
wm

"-

Jt

23

3_4

324

L.H..

Here, too, the finger must instantly

finger strikes.

fly

up
is,

in

rounded form when the next

where the right

The thumb,

after playing (that

in all exercises

hand begins on

and the

to its key, as if ready to

on G), does not go under the palm, but stays close (See ADDENDA, p. 83.) press it down.
left

VI

Preparatory Studies for the Diatonic Scales

|HEN man
tually

was made, the Creator surely had no idea that he would even" " himself as a pianist for otherwise, in view of the scales and perfect
;

each

broken chords, he would have provided him with at least seven fingers on For the hand, and furthermore, with seven fingers of equal length.

"

"

piano-man

this

thumb

once, at least.

would have obviated the unpleasant necessity of turning under his But with our insufficient number of ringers, turning-under

requires special

preparatory exercises.

FIG.

sa'
R.H.:

a2

one plays. form an arch, under which the thumb moves.

fingers hold
their notes,

Two

The id and 3d

fingers

must

[13]

FIG.

10

' a 3 * a

* 8 ?
n.. LTT
'.

*3

One

finger holds,

two

play.

R.H.^g
3
i

14

All three fingers play, and hold their notes after striking.
exercises

Both

in

these

and the following ones, the fingers coming just before and

after the

thumb

should strike rather stronger than the others, going either upward or downward, so that the turning-under and turning-over may not be noticeable. The notes requiring
stronger accent are

marked by

dashes.

R.H.

1^

.H.^

~4'V^

&

^^

3
ij

leaps

Two fingers hold their notes, while the right thumb, passing under them, from C to F; the left thumb from C to G. Keep the thumb bent, and do
it

not allow

to rise in too high a curve,

but

let it

glide over the intermediate keys.

Take
but

care in
;

all

these exercises to keep the

hand

quiet,

and the wrist loose

unmoved

neither

must the elbow

rise

when

the

thumb

passes under.

32
R.H.

32i
.11

8**1

123

L.H.

-^f4 *J
:
I I

'

!*? :.!. rrr^iirrrrrr

*
3
,

..

-f-^

t i 2

In the above free exercise without held notes, the thumb, in the measures

beginning on C, passes instantly under the palm,

in

bent

posture,

when

the

id finger has struck.

From

the second
the

measure of

this exercise on, the

arms

must

fol-low

up or down when

thumb

turns under or a finger turns over.

[IS]

VII

The Former

Preparatory Exercise,

One Tone Wider

FIG.

1 1 .

2222
o

r
r.

i
; r. 4 4

"gt [

2
I

L. H.

'H.'.?!"
1

^
I
I

*
J
j|
'

9 ?
i

J 3

a 3

i>

4 J

4
J

a o

'|JJJJl.fflJ
a
II
I

|.flj " 4

JJJ

fl "

One

finger

plays, three hold.

R.H.
2
3

34

*33
Two

34
fingers play,

41
two hold.

[16]

R.H.

*= ~m~.
r

s
.

2343
343

r r r

-II |l

P ">

-II

r r r r

3*14
4
I

23

One

finger holds, while three play

and remain down

after striking.

^
All fingers play, and remain

down

after striking.

1
I

The
as in the

2d, jd and 4th fingers hold

the

whole notes, the thumb leaping

former similar exercise, without describing too high a curve.

in

The

wrist

may now turn a trifle thumb strikes its key.

the direction in which the hand

is

moving, when

the

T
L.H.;

-3

8 3

T3>

frrrrrrrirr^^
Free exercise without held notes.
p.

The remarks on

the similar exercise on

14 apply here.

I?

VIII

Diatonic Scales

FIG.

FIG.

13

THE HEW YORK

18

Fio.

14
all

||N

scale-playing

take care, above

is

things,

that

when

the

under the arm

not thrust forward with a jerk, but follows the

thumb turns movement

of the hand evenly and horizontally, gliding along much like a car on rails. The fingers Furthermore, hold the wrist loosely, without moving it up or down. should always retain their curve, even on the black keys. As remarked before, the thumb passes under the palm as soon as the 2d finger strikes only at the end of a scale (playing up with the right hand and down with the left), the thumb should
;

remain beside the hand, bent and ready to

strike.

FIG.

Practise the scales at first slowly

and with

strong, even

touch,

without

should one gradually increase the speed, at the same time counting rhythmical groups of three (triplets) or four notes, hut wholly without accentuation.
counting.
until
later

Not

R.H.

The
stroke

left

hand two octaves lower.

In rapid

tempo "detach"
first

the fingers, that

scale

is,

lift

them quickly

after each

as in staccato

which renders the

"pearly."
in

Practise at

with each hand alone, then with both together

contrary

motion, and

finally

parallel
is

through

all

the keys.

When

the slow scale with

it

strong, even touch

thoroughly drilled into the

fingers, practise

with the various

dynamic shadings;
also, to

at first forte, then pianissimo,

and

finally crescendo

and diminuendo;
In these

the last two shadings in the variations

shown

in

the following examples.

begin with, play slowly.

R.H

dim
\

cresc.

dim.

he

left

hand two octaves lower.

Dynamics.

Concerning crescendo and diminuendo,

refer

to

the chapter on

[20]

IX

Preparation for the Chromatic Scale

FIG.

a
L. H.

R.H.

-*>

|gg
near the black key
;

i
it

HE

thumb holds

the

2<d

finger strikes C3, presses

down

quickly, and then passes rapidly over to Djt.

Also reverse.

(Fig. 16.)

FIG.

17

^2

R.H.

2.3.2

Free exercise.
little

At the two neighboring white keys bend

in
line.

the nd

finger a

more, that the fingers may keep

(Fig. 17.)

In both the exercises the wrist remains quiet

and loose; but hold

strikes the ke\

it

a little

higher than for the diatonic scale, so that the

tip.

thumb

more with

the

He

careful to strike the black keys very near the front edge.
for

Observing the directions

scale-exercises,

both the chromatic and diatonic preparatory

begin

now

to

practise the chromatic scale in

groups ot three and

four notes, without accentuation.

..
I

21

m2

1321X3181X1231

X
Preparatory Studies tor Broken Chords (Triads)

2
|~6t% -Bo

3333
J

rjJJJ H.
:

U -i

l-e-

F.H.

L.H.^

?^

i-*y v

F~^

.11

a"

<*+ 4

L.H.^iS

iOLI) down

iht-

whole notes

as

long as the quarter-notes are played, keeping

the hand arched and the fingers curved.

Often move the

wrist

up and

down without

interrupting the playing.

R.H.

Let each ringer lie, after striking, until its turn wise, observe the directions for the preceding exercise.

to pliy

comes

again.

Other-

[23]

FIG.

3,

R.H.

J J

r r

fesfe
j.

4
-II .

"

* f-

f
the

Hold
fingers

the whole notes, play the

quarters.

Here, too,

3d and 4th

must form an arch under which the thumb

passes.

R.H.^a

^ J

I
2

a,

@
_
i

a,

i
4

I..H.:

Free exercise.

From

the second measure on, hand and

arm move

in

the

direction of the next tone to be struck.

The thumb

in

turning under, and the

fingers in turning over, should not describe too high a curve.

[24]

FIG.

19

it

4 *

R.H.

'14
I

Triad-exercise in the

first

inversion.

..

'J"3JJ
L

*^^
Same
same
rules as for the

P
For both

P
inversions, observe the

exercise in the second inversion.

fundamental position.

Players having sufficient stretch to extend this exercise by a tone without

forcibly contorting the hand,

may

take

up

the following exercises.

R.H.

.tt

<vp

0-a~
two
fingers.

0-3*

W=
,

i^
*

Observe the same- directions

as for the exercises with

R.H.

lere the

fi

niters stay

down

after striking.

XI

Broken Chords (Triads)

R.H.
a
,

FUNDAMENTAL
POSITION

fcy

FIRST

Kv

HRSION

SFCONH

\\

KSION

RST
then

practise
in all

the hiiulaiiieiital position, and also the inversions, in

other keys.

The

given fingering applies

to

all

major; and minor major

ke\s.

rule are the following triads: I'Accptcd tVom this

26

27

R.H.

L.I

* *

r r

:|

-1

,.

*|

a.

*,

R.H.

^^
5

'

Practise these
in

preparatory studies in

all

inversions and

combinations

(as

Section X).

XIII

Alternating Fingers on the

fingers

Same Key

alternate

knuckles; they are

on the same key, they are moved only at the held somewhat less curved than usual, and their tips
the key.

make

"wiping" motion on
hand

The

wrist

is

held loosely

and

rather higher, allowing the

slightly outward.

to follow the

movement of

the fingers by

turning

2S

At

first

practise the alternation ot fingers

on only one key

Hglgg^
:

Then practise the diatonic scale, the broken triad, the dominant seventh-chord, and the chromatic seale according to the following examples

Also

play

these

exercises

with

three

ringers

4 f

and four

ring ers

4321
'

~r

f*

f*

f*

with each hand alone

the

left

hand correspondingly
slow tempo

lo\ver.

The
superfluous
;

alternation ot fingers on the

same key

in

is

obsolete and

one can shade

succession of tones of like pitch better with one finger.

XIV
Styles of

Touch

HK
"

devotee of the piano \\lio treats the "dry" finger-exercises disdainfully does himself the greatest injury tor such exercises are the same, tor the
;

piamstic

member,"
I

the hand, as voice-development tor the singer's vocal

organs.
tuli,

The

pupils ot

.escheti/ky,

who
s
f

particularly excel In

their touch

and
le

their

warm
fait la

tone,

owe
"

this to the

proper

"

of the finger-exercises.
-

" C'est

ton,

qui

musique

(It

is

toi

music);

this the

pianist should no'

29

forget; and even

still

if

he he not able to

rival the effect

of a voice or a violin, he must

endeavor to approach them as This may be done, in the

execution of the legato
is

far as possible.
first

place, by

means of
linger
is

well-developed
lifted
in

legato.

The
style

as

follows:

The
its
is

the normal
let

only when the next finger has struck

lie

key.

To

obtain a legatissimo,
:

the finger

a trifle longer, after the next tone

struck, like this

When
the following

a strong,

full

tone

is

to

be brought out legato in

cantilena,

the
in

strength of the fingers does not suffice, but must be reinforced by wrist-pressure

way:

'['ouch the key hgntly

and force the

finger to

press

it

down

deep (without losing contact with it) by means of a swift upward movement of the '['he same effect may wrist; at this instant, wrist and finger-joints must be firm.
also be obtained by a rapid

down-stroke of the
its

wrist.

Immediately

after striking

the tone, the wrist must return to

normal position, while the finger holds the Practise this singing tone on five tones. key lightly. For the staccato the keys are not pressed down, but struck down from
above.

A
The

distinction

is

made between

finger-staccato

and

wrist-staccato, according

as the striking lever hinges at the

knuckles or the

wrist.

finger- staccato

is

played

by throwing the fingers

upward.

Practise

slowly on five tones.

P
Holding the the key swiftly, and
staccato

wrist loosely
let

and unmoved,
fly

raise

the

bent finger high, strike

In rapid

the finger

back instantly

as at first.

tempo

the

becomes

a non legato,

because the finger has not time to draw back fully

before the next strikes, the two

movements

nearly coinciding.

Practise the finger-staccato at first

all

keys.

Begin slowly, increasing gradually.

on four tones, then through the scale in The thumb is carried under the

palm

as for the legato scales.

In the wrist-staccato the bent finger

ceremony, striking
it

it

thrown upon the key without further the wrist. Practise smartly, and being instantly withdrawn by
is
:

slowly in accordance with the following examples

ere finders

;iiul

h.iml

must "

retain their position."

This means, that the

fingers,

as in

their respective keys, and the wrist lunger-exercise No. 6, musr cover
left.

must

\ield neither to right nor

I'lay

ad

libitum

through

all

keys.

in all

broken chords through one octave at first, Also ad libitum through all keys. inversions, then through several octaves.
Practise the last two exercises in

Retain the position as

far

as

possible,

but follow

the sideways

movement
Hut
i

of the fingers yieldingly with the wrist. The rapping sound of the finger-tips does no harm, ami
in

in staccato

cannot be avoided.

it

the

burlesque style,

e.g.,

Mendelssohn's Scher/o, op.

ft,

even has

good
the

effect.

In
faster

\\T\xt-s/iU'((i/rj

the

wrist

mo\ement

of

course becomes shorter, the

close to the

one plays.

In very rapid

tempo
a

the fingers have to stay

keys,

ami the hand-movement resembles

Sonata op. passage from Beethoven's
Prestissimo.

quivering.
10,

Kor

illustration, the following

No.

Another short kind of touch

while the finger joints are firm
the key
instantly
lightly
lifted

is

the "lifted" tone.

a

l''or this,
I

the wrist

is

loose,

in

state
it

of

tension.

he bent linger touches

and noiselessK

presses

down

with

a swift,

short stroke, and

wrist.

is

from the key bv the flying back of the hand from the continuous playing, the next finger falls on its key without hesitation.

In

When

two

13.

notes or
together.

full
It

chords arc struck, the same rules apply to will suffice to practise the lifted tone at
five

all

the fingers

employed

first

on single keys, and

thereafter on
In the
,

notes.
lifted

examples below, the

notes are

marked

\\itli

an asterisk

'

).

cantan

Liszt, Elude.

In the next

the finer

example the marked note is treated as a lifted tone hy reason ot Also take tone-efleet and more elegant phrasing, although ;t is legato.

the pedal.

SCHUMANN

"

'

I'APII I.ONS

Finally, in the Portamento, the finger presses

down

the key slowly, holds

it

firmh tor

moment, and

is

then

lifted

by slouly raising the hand and forearm.

XV

On

Octaves
preparatory
5

begin
alone
:

\\ith,

practise

the following
5

studies

\\ith

each

hand

R.H.

L.H.

=1

32

holding the whole note with the

curved, but firm
in the joint,

tip

of the

little

finger, while

the thumb, easily

Lift the

plays the quarter-notes staccato.

thumb,

at

most, a handbreadth, and strike the key by means of a twisting motion of the wrist, After this, let the thumb hold its key while the which is held somewhat higher.
outstretched and stiffened 5th finger plays.

This exercise strengthens both

it is

fingers

greatly, but ought not to be practised too long, as

fatiguing.

After the preparatory exercises proceed to the practice of staccato octaves.

Play them

in
i

the style of the v/rist-staccato, taking care that the width of the stretch

between the
the octave

stand 5th

fingers does not change

when

the hand

is

lifted,

so that

may he

struck squarely and clean.

n.n.y
jf m

33]

Octaves arc played

legato with

an

unmoved,

hut

not

stiff,

wrist

and with

finders gliding close over the ke\s.

This gliding hinds the tones almost more than

the fingers do.

in

In ascending, the right

left

thumh should

he held as tor the (ilissando;

descending, hold the

thumh

similarly.
is,

The

fingering tor hoth staccato and legato octaves

the

51)1

finger

on white

keys, the 4th on black.

legato, the 5th

When

playing on either white or hlack keys alone, and

as follows:

and 4th fingers alternate

Small hands, which

find

the execution with

1-4 too

difficult,

or

cannot

develop strength enough, should always employ the 5th finger. An effect employed in youth by Leschetizky, and now in general vogue, is that of after-striking octaves. They are substituted for passages written in simple
octaves, like that in the third

movement of Chopin's A'-minor Concerto:

Here

the

thumb

notes are

more

forcibly playeil in both hands, thus

making

the entire passage

sound stronger.

(See

ADDENDA,

p. 83.)

XVI

Chords
I',

nH
the

principle of playing chords

a

is

to press, not to strike them.

The

tones
well.
is

of

chord struck

trom on

high

sound hard, and

in

do

not carry

Therefore, press the chords

;

down

the following manner:

;

The hand

arched as far as the stretch permits

the fingers are curved

the finger-tips and wrist

in

remain firm during the stroke, which, as described

in a cantilena}, is effected

in detail

Section

X V
1

(legato

by a wrist-movement upward

or

downward.

In a slow suc-

cession of chords, either wrist-movement

may be

utili/ed; in a rapid succession, only

For playing chords forte or fortissimo the wrist-movement upward movement. must be greater and more vehement, for piano chords less extended and slower.

34] not tire one too soon,

it

In order that chord-playing

may

is

indispensable

not to hold the chords with a

instantly after the stroke; then
is

stiff"

wrist after striking them.

Relax the wrist

it

will

be unnecessary to expend

more strength than

requisite simply to hold the

keys down.

Thus

the hand rests, and can better

resist fatiyue.

must be prepared before taken. o prepare, place the fingers on their respective keys, as it to take the measure of the chord now, try to take its measure away from the keys, in the air, and keep
sure of striking a chord clean,
it
I
;

To make

on

until the correct stretch

is

learned.

By

dint of practice, the

to

hand

finally learns to

prepare the chord rightly at sight of the notes

were.

recognize

This

is

of peculiar value

in

taking the chord-leaps in

physiognomy, as it modern virtuoso-pieces.

its

&SW.

Practise each of these exercises with two kinds of touch

at first

with the

upward wrist-movement, the chord being

Rachmaninoff:

lifted

short

oft",

as

in

this

1'relude by

R.H.

fff

PC*,

m
$L
- jttti

*&E
L.H.
PCS.

f
When
this

*
in

performing

piece

which there

is

slow succession of chords,

upward movement may be more broadly executed, so that not only the hand, but also the arm, is raised. This is more especially the case, when/ir/c or fortissimo
;

closing chords are to be cut off short

for instance

Also practise the foregoing exercises A and B with a thrown stroke, as for the Vfrist-staccato. True, the chords are now struck; but the good effect of this exercise sanctions the exceptions. Indeed, there are cases m which chords must be
struck,
e.g.,
in

when
the

their rapid

succession
1

makes
:

preparation of the hand impossible;

Tenth Rhapsodie by

.is/t

For the exercises on

repeated (as
in

p.

^4,

note also the following:

Where

chord

is

Kx.

A), the

uplifted

hand must
is

retain

the shape of the

(as in
F.x.
15),

chord.

Where
first

leap from one chord to another

to he

executed

press the
s\\ing.

one down short, and

cam

the

hand over

to the

second with

s\\itt

Where
of each

different chords follow in succession, the

hand must already catch the shape

new chord

in

the

air.

For

the prevention
:

of

fatigue during

performance-, also take to heart the

following advice
uplifted
rest.

When
,

hand

easilv

chords follow each other slowly, hold the fingers of the after striking, in the shape of a fist, so that the muscles may
habit, anil Lescheti/kv

Such was Rubinstein's

does the same.

The

fingering tor
).

flat

chords, and

its

exceptions, are the same as tor broken

chords (see Section XI

Below are pictured the various positions ot the hand tor all the different chords on (.', as a study on the shape of the hand. Proceed, for the practice of
these positions, as directed on together, ami then broken.
p.

^4,

lines

(>-

\\

First

play

the

chord-tones

After practising the chords on

/)">,

(.'

for

some

time, proceed to the chords on

all

which are to be treated similarly; and so on chromatically through

tones ot

the octave.

This studv

is

of high value, both from a technical ami theoretical viewpoint.

[36]

FIG.

20

First practise these, as well as

all

following chords, within an octave as an

arpeggio; later as a suite of arpeggios (see APPENDIX).

the

While

practising, observe

same

rules concerning the wrist

and the thumb

as for the Staccato (page 30).

FIG.

21

[37]

FIG.

22

Fw. 23

[38]

FIG.

FIG.

25

[39]

Fie;.

26

FIG.

27

[40]

FIG.

28

FIG.

29

[41]

FIG.

30

FIG.

31

FIG.

32

FIG.

33

[43]

FIG.

34

FIG.

35

[44]

FIG.

36

FIG.

37

145

FIG.

38

FIG.

39

[46]

FIG.

40

FIG.

41

[47]

FIG.

42

FIG.

43

48

FIG.

44

XVII
Arpeggios
Played.

Played.

Played

three fingers of the chord ready over their keys, with the 5th extended. Now, while the first three fingers are pressing their finger keys, give the hand a quick turn towards the 5th finger, so that the latter
the
first

strikes

its

key.

This turn of the hand somewhat resembles the

5th finger must
lift

twist of unlocking
it

with a key.

The

the note short, as this

makes

sound

fuller.

the hand swiftly returns to the normal position, so as to prepare the next arpeggio (as described above).

Then

For arpeggios in both hands, do not begin with both hands together, but with the 5th finger of the left hand, the thumb of the right following just after the
left

thumb.

The

execution would be thus:

[49] R.H.
Played

L.H.

XVIII
Paired Notes
PREPARATORY EXERCISES

F^S
4

J.3*

5 o .,4 >!
:

8* "
ll

I
5 3 *
'

4 1*

4
>

5 4

fp:||"vFFFp:|l"g^
43
a*
1

32

21

54

4 3

D
R.H.

these

exercises

hold

the

hand

as in

the

Finger-exercises,

Section V.

The

wrist remains loose.

Hold

the whole notes and play the quarter-

notes.
.

3 4 t 2

* 5
~

45

II

...

=B

3 4

Hold

the whole note, play the Thirds.

-ft
H.H.

..46

3 5

r r
leads off is to be held until
its

The Third which

turn to be played comes again.

[So]

FIG.

45

FIG. 4.6

5'

4 6
2
3

R.H.

Free exercise without held tones.

(Figs.

45 and 46.)
A. ,
. 4343
t

B. 3

6_3

63
i

K.H.

Turning over
Kx.
5th,

in

Third-playing.

In this exercise proceed as follows:

In

press

down

the keys with the id and 4th finders, in Kx. B with the

jd and

and take the

next-following Third, for

the
this

st

and jd

fingers,

with wrist

high and a swift swing sideways.

backwards, so

as

swinging movement ot the hand to turn over the id and 4th, or ist and jd fingers respectively in
initial

Now make

order to take the

Third.

As

a point ot

support for

this

swinging movement,
(in the
left

use the 4th or 5th finger going up, and the

the reverse).
It

thumb going down

hand

being impossible

in

playing paired notes to bind both tones

when turning

over, merely bind the finger which acts as a point of support with the next tone:
let

go of the other tone just

as the

swinging movement

is

to be

made.

52

Scales

in

Thirds
MAJOR.

DIATONIC.

'

53

DIATONIC.

MINOR.

CH ROM ATIC
Minor Thirds.
R.H.

343
<

'*
:

i*

_>

Major Thirds.

^W;-?wS&rS g^-fa^rqj

l"-y_

Scales
I

in
.

Si \tiis

)i

O\K

\joit

4
,

5
_

',

1
_

r,

Cll
5

ROM
4

ATIC
5

--tt-tentfr-frj pJ^E^tt-^^

XIX

The Highest

Part

in

Chord-playing

the theme usually lies in the highest part. In order to bring it |N chords, out when the chord is not to be arpeggiated, make the finger which bears the

theme

longer than the others.

This
tip

is

clone by stretching this finger

flat

out on the key, touching white keys with the

other fingers remaining easily rounded.
deepest, obtaining
a fuller

and lying

on black keys, the

its

The "longest"
it

finger presses

key down

tone.

When

playing on white keys the wrist should be

high and firm; but on striking the chore],

to
its

must

instantly

relax again

and return

normal position.

Besides, the \\nst should support the finger bearing the

all

theme by

not exercising equal pressure on

in

the fingers, but rather bearing do\\ n

on the one
It

question.
lift

one can take the pedal with the chord,

all

the finders but that bearing

the

theme

instantly after striking the chord; e.g.,

Played:

~F3~

1
This example
is

^m
i
:

from

Rachmaninoff, Prelude:

etc.

"if

^~r

- etc.

Hind the highest part

as

tar

as

possible,

and

let

go

of

the

middle parts

directly after striking, with a gentle

lift

of the wrist.

The
equally

sth

finger general!}

bears the
lias

theme; but the above directions apply

theme, or \\here the
in

\\here

some other

finger

the

latter

lies

in

the

middle of the chords

(in alto

or tenor); as

Brahms, op. 117:

dolce

57]

XX
The
Glissando
is

Glissando
it

the ideal of a diatonic scale, as

well done.

sounds very

swift

and

"pearling" when n]HE

precisely alike.

In this case, however, the

are
far

false pearls are

all

preferable to the genuine, because the former

rounder and

This implies, further, that

a Glissando

must sound smooth and

even.

It must not be played jerkily, with uneven "spurts," neither should the

finger-nail

scratch the keys audibly

final tone, let

when

gliding over them.

To

close cleanly

and

decidedly on the
in question.

the finger slide

down over

the front edge of the key

sure,

it

This also gives the tone the requisite accent. The 3d finger is to be employed, whether for playing up or down. but the tone is easier and more usual to play down with the thumb
;

To
is

be
less

velvety than with the

3d

finger.
is

Still,

any one who

is it

able to bring out a

so.

smooth

Glissando with the thumb,

quite at liberty to play

The

and powerful hands. Octave-glissando can be executed only by large the fth finger is curled under, so that the nail glides over the tip-joint of

The

the lower keys with higher keys, while the thumb depresses down, the attitude of the fingers is reversed.

its

inner edge.

Going
to the

The

Glissando

may

be executed in

all

dynamic shadings, according

force of the pressure exerted

on the keys.

FIG. 47

58]

XXI
Embellishments
|O render the "embellishments" such in the must be sharp in outline and clearly and
true sense of the term, they

elegantly

executed.

Chief
Trill.

among them
Touching
in

are the Appoggiarura, the

Mordent,

the

Turn, and the

it is

the Appoggiatura

we

will

merely remark, that

it

to be played,

connection with paired notes or chords, by taking

it,

together with the notes

below

the melodic principal note following instantly.

The accompanying

tone

or chord in the bass

must be taken simultaneously with the Appoggiatura.

Written
:

Played

f\

59

lii

rapid

tempo the mordent

:

is

played like

triplet

e.g., in

Leschetizky's

Araheske, op. 45

these triplets being nothing

more than mordents written

is

out.

For the Turn, the

follow ing fingering

the most advantageous;

Played.

I&

turn requires one to Frequently the position of the notes following the

emplo\ the fingering 3-2-1-2. The Trill is the most important of

ness of finger-pressure
is

all

embellishments.
trill

First of ah, evenbrilliant than

essential

tor an
trill

even slow
is

sounds more

an uneven rapid one.

in

True, the best

both even and rapid.

The

difference

the strength of the fillers must again be equalized by difference in pressure.

For the riyht hand the best

and many do well with 2 and For the left hand, supposed.
It
is

trill-fingers are
2

and 3

and

5 are also
is

good,

4.
i

and 3 are not

and
after

as favorable as
2

generally

and

:,

them

and

3, are best at trilling.

good plan
\\ith

accenting the

first

Also practise

beginning slowly and later note of each triplet gradually faster and without accent. all the given combinations of fingers.
to

practise

the
;

trill

in

triplets,

A
of

trick for the execution

of a forte

trill

is,

to begin by striking

both tones

the

trill

together sforzando

then quickly

raise

the

finger from

the principal
trill

note, strike the latter again instantly

rapidly.

with another finger, and continue the

for

change from one fingering to another to prevent fatigue; instance, alternate 1-3 and 2-3. (See AIMJENDA, p. 83.)

For long

trills,

<>

The

fingering for

trills

in

thirds

is

as

follows:

Any one
for
trills

finding

more convenient, may use these

fingers;

hut

only

in

thirds without afterheat.

XXII

Dynamics
I'SICAl
dynamics
is

the art ot
ot

employing the various shadings brought

prune colors: piano, forle, and the
accent.

out by changing force

tone.
three
ot
1

Music possesses only

Out
is

ot these the rich

a

color-scheme

the musical picture

ot

must be

built up.

This

achieved by
to

frequent

alternation

the prune colors, and by transition from

one

the other.
b'orlc

and fortissimo cannot be brought out by the unaided strength ot the The finger-tips must be firm, and fingers; the \\rist must be brought into pla\
.

the wrist should not be loose.

In point

ot

tact,

the fortissimo in rapid passages

all

is

not the product ot individual finger-power, but the total effect ot

factors

of

reinforcement which one commands, such as the pedal and the wrist-pressure. Where the tones follo\\ each other slowly, equal strength is put forth in
piano and forte, only that
in

the

former the keys are not pressed down quickly, but

In pinno passages the wrist should
firm, for yielding
a tone

slowly, which brings out the soft, singing tone.

beheld loose; but the

finger-tips
in

must be held

finger-tips can
fail

bring out only \\piann lacking In quick

time, and here and there

may

to sound.

tempo

the fingers are thrown with a loose wrist.

"Fluttering" passages

are \\ghtpianissimo passages on black keys, to be played with outstretched ("flat"),

but firm, fingers; like

tins

from Chopin's Berceuse:

Accent u

the

marking

ot ind'
rp;i

tones by stronger pressure, for either

accent

melodic, harmonic, or rhvthnr-

mav

be more or less strong ui

weak, and

is

obtained

\\itli

firm

fingers

and firm

wrist.
is

When

the tone

is

to

be
is

prolonged, the ringer holds the key

down and

the wrist

relaxed; or the tone

the tone

held with the pedal, and the hand withdrawn.

This

makes

more

brilliant.

Kor

short accent the hand

I*

or

making
Kor

a a

withdrawn, without raking the pedal. crescendo, begin with a loose wrist, gradually increasing the
is

wrist-tension.
relaxing.
in
I I

diminuendo the action

"
is

is

reversed, the tense wrist gradually

;

ere this "gradually

a chief factor

tor the increase

and diminution
to

intensity

must not be accomplished

fingers

"

by spurts."

Whoever needs

do

so,

may
or"

assist his

by

his

imagination, fancying, tor

example, the increasing roar

an approaching railway train, or the decreasing sound of one receding. The tone to be most strongly marked is the dynamic climax or dynamic
note, indicated here by an
:;:

principal

Lescheti/.ky,

Op. 40, No.

i):

Also observe whether a

forte,

cresceHilo

leads from pianissimo to putno or mezzo

in

or from forte

to fortissimo

(and for the djminueinln

reverse order), and

in

calculate accordingly the

and end tone-power of the dynamic beginning

each case.

V \III

On
HE
pedal, for

the

Pedal

most good people and bad players, is an instrumentality for Not to dwell on the horrible pedalistic abuses trampling on good taste. of dilettantism, there are likewise two species of serious musicians who are
less
in in

more or

the

wrong

as regards

the pedal.

Firstly, they are

such

as use the

pedal rightly
to

so as not tor heaven's sake general, yet with pedantic scrupulosity,

letter

infringe the
all

of harmonic law.
effects.

These
there

will

do no mischief, but
the
rely

carefully

avoid

interesting

Secondly,

are

in pedalling, but generally guides them aright

who

whose good ear too much on instinct, and

pianists

treat the pedal

as a

uniformity
that

in their
is

the

pedal

happens that their pedalling lacks 1 various interpretations of one and the same piece. hey forget as any other factor in piano-playing, and quite as important

mere accessory.

Thus

it

careful study. requires a no less

to

bind separated tones

It

it

is

purpose is not alone to reinforce the tone and also intended to produce special effects.
Its

would give the composer too much trouble

brief' details of'

to indicate

between the notes

all

the fine,

pedalling

these arc
is

left

to the pianist himself.

The
is

regulator for correct pedalling

here.

the ear.

the

his

Consequently, the pla\cr mind which tones he wants to bind, and then verity by ear their actual presence
final

authority

Not Theory, but Kuphony, should, above 'all, make up

and that they form no discord.* Then

together with
the music.

let

him

ti\

the pedalling, and practise

it

The
tone
is

pedal

ma\

be taken either simultaneously \\ith the tone, or after the

"following" or "syncopated" pedal. The simultaneous pedal undertakes to hold the tone where the finger must be withdrawn and the tone should continue sounding; e.g.,
struck.

This

latter

may be termed

where the bass must sound through the

hold
it.

last

beat, although the 5th finger cannot

the tone or lones which syncopated pedal can be employed only \shere should continue to sound can be held down by the fingers over the change of pedal.

The

(The small nules merelv

si;.>\v

where Ihe pedal

is

to be taken.)

Practise the syncopated pedal according to this example, striking the fundastrike mental tone and holding it only until the pedal has taken the tone.

Now

the chord, and hold the pedal until you have struck the next bass tone; repeat this

with each succeeding chord.

A
No.
i,

fine exercise for s\

ncopated pedal

is

Mendelssohn's Song without Words

because the harmony often changes.

* See

ADDENDA,

p.

84.

[63

cantahile

%fc

ere the tones are convenient to hold,

he re to re the pedal need he taken

only on the second halt ot each heat, so that the foregoing harmony has lime to die

away without producing

dissonant

effect,

which would he unavoidahle

it

the pedal

were taken directly with the hass tone.

In the ahove example, besides, smaller hands must change the pedal quicker
in

the fourth heat of the

first

measure,

us they

cannot hold the hass tone with the

fingers.

In
(i)

all

cases,

observe the following general rules:

In chords the bass tone

must sound with

its

chord.

When

the bass

cannot be held with the fingers in wide-spread arpcggio'd chords, it must be held with the pedal, which should then be taken simultaneously with the bass tone; e.g.,

(2)

The
in

pedal

may be more

freely

employed
In

in

high positions than

when

playing low or

the middle of the

keyboard; because the shorter soundwaves of

the
treble,

the treble produce a shorter resonance.

therefore,

tones

may

be

would form dissonances, yet are not felt scale upward and downward in h'or example, as such by the ear. play the chromatic the thrice-accented octave with pedal, to convince yourself that the above is correct.

bound by

the pedal which in themselves

(j)

In connection with the pedal, the low bass tones are dangerous to the

low bass tones higher ones, because of their prolonged resonance; consequently,

must be sooner released by the pedal

in

ascending passages.

04

however, pedal-dissonances in.i\ be overpowered by a r/v\ ent\ scendo, the weaker tone being always covered In the succeeding louder one.
(4)
I'or the ear,

by playing rapidly an ascending diatonic scale with both hands and pedal it tempo with the d\namic principal tone, the highest and loudest.
this

lifting the

This will

produce no dissonance, but rather

a
in

for stylistic cnYct,

instance at the

ose ot the

Chopin

K tilde

op.

.5,
:

No.

i,

which the heav\

tundaniental chord likewise

supports puntv ot tone

crescendo

With

the

Organ-point, too,
;

a
g.,

pure pedal-effect

is

obtained, even

when

dissonant chords sound together

e.

g^
IT

TT

%5r
The
as a

soft pedal

was not added merely tor the sake of symmetry, but

It

is

valuable
/>/>

counterpart ot the loud pedal, by veiling the tone.

<>t

max be used
delicately.

in

ami
it

frequently at the end

diminuendo, to taper

it

down more

Mere
a
/>/>,

tor the reason assists the fingers, " '' that yields a tone. husky

that they must not strike too sottU

in

as

To
employ
a

bind melody-tones well, while holding the tundaniental, one must often
in

"false" pedal, though not tor prolonged tones; as

Chopin's Kantaisie:

"5

F^I
liiu-s

slum

hi'

jiliu-i's

win

ii

tin- ].i,l;il

i-,

\:tki-t\

XX

Rules tor

Performance

MKI. OIJV-l'I.A^'INd
II
is

probably tnif,

in

a general \\a\,
taste.

thar the )KTtonnancr of a nv.-lody

is

matte;- ot teeliny

and

But

as,

on the one hand, these

fine qualities

are delieate

not

common
are,

property, and, on the other, the best

all

taste

and
world,

most
the

feeling

like

things

spiritual,

hound

to

the

material

Rules for Performance given here

will

hardly prove superfluous.

its

Do

not consider

them

as fetters tor the

imagination, but as

helpers.

(i)

Where

notes of unequal time-value follow one another, the longer note

it

must be played louder than the shorter one, because

is

to

sound longer;

e.g.,

Beethoven, Sonata, op.

10,

No.

2.

(2)

I'lay

melody
"
:

upwards

crescendo,

downwards

dimnnietid"

e.

y.,

in

Schumann's

"

Des Abends

LOG

But where the melody

is

rises

or

falls

by

wide interval, the crescendo or diminuendo

executed with greater intensity.

(3)

The

beats are unequal in accentuation,

softer.

Notes coinciding with strong beats are

In 4-4 time play the
first

some being louder and others played louder, those on weak beats
a trifle less loud,

weaker.

tone loudest, the third tone

the second weaker, and the fourth weakest,

somewhat
(f

as

shown below:

f
rfi
1

mp

[67

KXCEPTIONS
(1
?. )

'I'D

THH ABOVE KlM.ES

is

When
it

short notf on

;i

weak heat

tied to the
is

following note, forming

syncopation,
(2)

is

considered as a

long note, and

in

played loud
falls

When

the highest note,

playing upwards,
e.g.,

on

weak

beat,

it

is

played louder than the one preceding

it;

Chopin, ,-/i-major Impromptu:

wP^
legato

(3)

\Vhen

long note,

in

playing downwards,
it
;

falls

on

weak

heat,

it

should he played louder than the one preceding

for

example, the notes below

marked

:::

in

Beethoven, C-minor Variations:

(4)

short note which

is

lifted after a

longer one, should he played piano

:

either ascending or descending; e.g., in Mo/art's Fantasie

w*

on the performance of melodies also apply to passages And not merely and accompaniment-figures. (especially important for Chopin) melodic passages, in which the melodic motive is to he brought out, are meant
here, as for instance in the A'-minor concerto by

The above remarks

Chopin

(Tlic-

tliri'i-

inrliiclic

nutus

arc lo be

'

out.J

but also non-melodic passages, consisting shaded; e.g., from (irieg's Concerto:

of scales

and broken chords, should be

Do
coloring
is

not be afraid to

"shade" even Hach.

a colorless,
,

Why

should

this

great master
?
I

enjoy the invidious distinction ot

dry rectangular interpretation

one-

not an invariable sign ot sentimentality.

The

latter

resides

rather in
as

the tempo, e.g., in a ri/emi/o either too

marked or

wroiigl)

placed, such

many

Chopin-players

cultivate.

In the melody one ought not, strictly speaking, to play several successive
tones with equal dynamic power; tor this causes
a

hardness

ot

tone

\\lucli

one might

be inclined to attribute to the great volume ot tone. One max plax excnlx in piano, and yet not tenderly; m forte, on the other hand, one max obtain a tender effect in
a

figure by an

opportune toning-down
in

ot

dynamic energy.

Contrast

shading
is

that

is,

the repetition ot the

same phrase with vanmsj

I'or

dynamic expression
a

also ot tine effect in melody-playing.

in

instance, play
it

phrase, which occurs twice

succession, torciblx
;

the

first
first,

time, and repeat

like
it

an echo piano (with the soft pedal)

lend
it

or plax

it

piano at

and then

forte, as

to

emphasis on repetition. The stx le ot contrast in shading to be chosen in any given case depends partly on the meaning ot the phrase, and partly on the player's taste; the following example is from I'.duard Schuft, op. ^5
special
:

An

observance of these fundamental rules does not

in

the least interfere with

rely

the play of original fancy or subjective emotion.

One may

implicitly

upon

the guidance ot these delightful attributes

when one possesses them.

[&>]
2.

TEMPO
to musical dynamics, the tempo

we may apply the term "color" be the life and movement of piano-playing.
If

would

But not the treadmill

life
is

of everythe spice

day monotonous routine, of life, charm of style, in

not a metronomic movement.*

like

As

variety

manner, flows from continual changes in the tempo,

played in a uniform tempo from beginning allowed only in those practised solely for fingeris

from contrasts

in the
is

movement.

There
to end.
dexterity.

no composition which
in exercises this
is

Even

In the performance of other etudes, taste

its

in

style

is

by no means

excluded, although in them

The
"

expression devolves chiefly on dynamic changes. changes in tempo must be so delicately graded that the hearer notices
;

neither their beginning nor their end

otherwise the

performance would sound

choppy."

Thus,

in a ritardando, calculate the

gradual diminution of speed exactly,

in

so that the end

may

not drag
fast.

and conversely

an accelerando, that one

may not
tone a

get going altogether too

trifle

In a ritenuto, moreover,
ritenuto
it

many

play the

final

faster,

which abbreviates the

and gives the hearer a

feeling of dis-

should quite often not be taken literally at the very outset, but the former tempo should be led up to gradually; beginning in the course the reprise of the theme like an improvisation, for instance. Thus,
appointment.
of one or two measures, one would regain the original tempo; e.g.,

Where

an a tempo follows,

Paderewski, Legende.

However, where the

character of the composition requires

this

it,
:

begin the

a tempo immediately at the original pace, as in

Prelude by E. Schutt

- -

Tempo

I.

* See

ADDENDA,

p. 84.

7"

].

KHYTHM

strut observance ot the measure, init permits, docs not depend on on the contrary, ot a freer disposal over rhc heats, hut onl\ between the boundaries

Rhythm

;i

ot the liars.

lengthened at
e.g., in

Thus individual hears may he abbreviated to the profit of others, or their expense, but not whole measures in proportion toother measures;

Schumann's "Grillen:"

At

the sign

::;

the quarter- note

is

prolonged

little

at

the expense ot

the

following eighth-note.

This

is,

however, not
pianists, of

in

the least intended as an absolution tor the blunder

made by many

hurrying over the end ot one measure and so beginning

a

the next too soon.

Kor such

"

tever ot rh\ thin

"

the best

remedy

is

the counting
It is tar

ot beats or halt-beats, like eighth-notes or sixteenth-notes, in slow

more allowable
is

slightly to retard the

special

commencement
effect
is

ot"

tempo. the next measure

in

in case

it

emphasized or anv
:

rhythmical

desired; e.g.,

Schumann's

" Grillen "

The

octave marked

'""

is

arpeggio'd, and so played that the lower bass tone

beat, while the

exactly coincides with the

first

upper bass tone

is

struck together

with the right-hand chord, producing an extremely slight retardation.

An
rhythm,
carrying
it

abbreviation

of"

the

first

beat after striking

in

it

is

permitted

in

waltx-

for instance,

by accenting the bass tone

the

over

to the

second beat; the resulting

accompaniment and rapidly abbreviation however slight

7>

of the

first

beat

the third heat

made good by throwing somewhat more lightly, stuccato, ami

may

here

In-

the wrist
in

upward; then
By the

strike
wristit,

exact time.

movement one

gives the accompaniment

"ssvmg;" hut guard

against overdoing

otherwise the rhythmic effect hecomes

trivial.

\VK|-.[-\IO\ KAIKNT

In the

5-4 time ot the

Ma/urka,

the accent

tails

now on

the

first,

aow on

the second, and again on the third heat; e.g.,

Chopin, op.

7.

cresc.

trfu
Lescheti/ky, Ma/urka.
Lescheti/ky, Ma/urka.

In a Polonaise-accompaniment, on the other hand, the hass tone must be

accented and then followed by

minute retardation, the

loss ot

time being

made
i

good

in the

next two sixteenth-notes.

;

The second and

third beats are played in

normal time

e.

g.,

RETARDATION

4.

A Ki'K(,(,io-ri.

\vi\r:

One must
play

"flat."

An

not ahvays arpeggiate only such chords as are too wide-spread to arpeggio is also in order \\here a tender or delicate effect is
left

desired.

In
;

such cases the right hand plays arpeggio, while the

g.,

strikes

its

chord

flat

e.

I'adcrewski,

.egende.

Conversely, the chord sounds energetic, and yet not hard, when the right

hand
,i

strikes

its

tones simultaneously and

;

the

lett

arpeggiates

Init

this

must he

very swift arpeggio

e.

g.,

etc.

arpeggio may also he employed where the polyphony is to he brought out more distinctly but only at important points, for instance where one part ends and the other begins at the same time as in Schumann's Romanze
; ;
:

An

Similarly

canon
varie.

Paderewski,

Theme

Lento.

Neither

should

hass

tciu

and

melody-note always

he

taken

precisely

together, hut the melody-note

it

may
I

he struck an instant after the hass, which gives

low-ever, this can he

more

relict

ami

a softer etlcct.

done only

at

the hetiinning

of a

for

(It is hetter phrase, and usuallv onl\ on important notes and strong heats. the hands to coincide preeiseU on \\eak heats.) 1'he melody-note must follow as to

so

s\\iftl\

make

the pause hardly

noticeable

tor

the uninitiated: e.g., in

Chopin's Nocturne:

XXV
Fingering
' 1

N(i

I'.

\\

N(

is

gooil \\hen eas\

provided that the

effect

is

the same.
cases,

()nl\

the easy player can also play confidently and finely.

it

In

many
it

therefore,
,he

is

not teasihle to

fix

the fingering in advance, because

of different hands.

must

accommodated

to the si/e

and stretching capacity

in

To

the rules for the fingering given

preceding chapters, only one more

he played, wherever possible, with

can he added, namely, that loud tones should

strong fingers.

74

Contrary to

all

rules,

one may sometimes

let

the fingers run out to the 5th,

better he carried out
;

so as to save turning under.

By so doing,
:

a switt

tempo can

" Concertstiick " as in Weher's

dr.

Moreover, the thumh may turn under on a black key, when the tone is This turn should accented and the following one made easier to reach thereby.
not, however, be
wrist.

made

in

The examples

are

the regular way, as in the scales, but with a swing of the " from

Leschetizky,

Cascade,"

and Rubinstein, Fourth Concerto:

~1-r*

In general, every one

who

has sufficient courage and the needful

amount

of

confidence
that

may go
is

as far in the irregularities

the passage

well

played.

Still,

of fingering as he will, provided only disregard of rule must not proceed trom
ot
in

mere wantonness, but

to facilitate the execution

First, try the fingering

difficult

passages, or to

make

them sound
appears

better.

given

good; otherwise, seek another fingering

your piece, and retain it it it adapted to your hand and

individuality.
It binds intervals which of great assistance to the fingering. the hand cannot stretch, and permits the hand to leave one chord in order to

The

pedal

is

prepare the next.

pedal

In
is

the melody, too, a tone once taken

may be held with

its

the

when

the finger

required elsewhere, and another cannot take

place.

[75

XXVI
Practice and Study

|RT

is

the most unique possession of man.

It

is

not obtained by birth or

heredity, but
artist's

must

lie

acquired by the individual.

easily

Were

it

otherwise, the

crown would be

won, but of
he either

slight desert.
tells

When

any one

says he learns everything

learns
is

without

effort,

an untruth, or what he
the brain
;

valueless.
art

Thought alone

springs effortless from

I

the technics

must be acquired step by step. low many strokes of mallet on chisel were needed, pray, to fashion a Venus of Milo from the rough block of marble?
of every

How

many

strokes of the brush did Rafael make, to create his Sixtine

Madonna?

and before he knew how to guide the brush aright, what pains did he have to take ? Practice makes perfect; and through practice no talent is degraded not even a
pianistic talent.

Practice at the piano should not he an unreflective rattling-off of exercises by the hour or by the

number
hand.

of

repetitions.
I

To

bear

fruit,

it

must be the simultaneous

training of head and

ringers, the

he simplest finger-exercise demands, for untrained

undivided attention of the student.

lie must see whether the hand

is

held right and the fingers

move
few

correctly

he must listen to each tone he strikes,

and exercise thought

rightly
last

in all.

After the fingers have been controlled by thought,

applied,

tor

only

weeks, you

will

be convinced that
for the

they

are at

Then, growing independent ami trustworthy. attention may be directed to the mental side.
Thinking
faster until
is

study of pieces, most

rendered easier by practising

of

at first
is

very slowly, not playing not rapid at the beginning,

you are sure

that
is

your ground.

If

progress

do not fancy

evening; that

you can improve matters by sitting at the piano from morning till harmful to health, and it is impossible, besides, to pay close and
long.

careful attention for so

Four hours

of sensible

practice are quite enough.

When

one has

to

keep up an extensive repertory, one or two hours more may be

devoted

to the repetition of pieces.

as

As soon
arpeggios, they

one has thoroughly mastered the finger-exercises,

applied in the study of the etudes.
short, easy

scales,

and

may be

Begin with Czerny's

pieces.

"School of Velocity," and then take up rather

latter at first, like the exercises,

Play these

slowly with each hand alone, and while practising

slowly play louder than you afterwards do

etude-playing, in particular,
is

to

when playing them faster. A point for after they go well and quickly play them
you can keep
it

several times in succession without stopping, as long as

up

this

promotes endurance.

76

Thought
direction,

is

most

essential ;n the stud)

of pieces

for the

way by which they

in the

are learned, or rather

memorized, goes trom brain

I

to fingers,

and never

other

from

fingers to brain.

lay stress
a

way

to possess one's self permanently of

on memorizing, because it is the best new piece. Go about it as follows:

in

To
difficulty

acquaint yourself with the piece

hand, read (play)

fingering; then

it

through only

once, so as not to
of

grow accustomed
at

to a faulty

according to the
take
it

the composition

or the mental grasp of the student

up one

measure, two measures, or

most

phrase, at a time, analyze

harmonically,

and determine the fingering and pedalling. Observe, however, that rapid passages must be tried rapidly, because fingering and pedalling might be suitable in slow

tempo and not

in fast.

Determine them, therefore,

in the

given tempo, only then

returning to the slow stud) of the piece.

Kxcept

to play

the leading parts louder and

the secondary
is

parts

softer,
;

abstain for the present trom fine shading and

else
it

emotion, until Matter

conquered

may happen

that

you waste your finest feelings on wrong notes.

before your mental vision, and
;

Now
the notes
a

read your practice-measure or measures through carefully and repeatedly

ovit clearly

with the eye, until the notes stand

name
the

few times either aloud or mentalh

and then

not before

pi''!)'

measure or phrase trom memory, but no taster than memory can dictate the notes. If you forget a note, do not try to find it by groping with the fingers on the Should keys, or play on by ear, but try to recover the forgotten note in the mind.

you

fail,

then glance at the music.

When

you can play the phrase

in

taultlessl)

and without hesitation by heart,

proceed further exactly

just learned before,

the

manner
tr\

prescribed.

Take up

each time the portion

and also

to play

the whole by heart

from the beginning.

This

feel

memorizing in the form of addition." Next day, should you have apparently forgotten what you learned, do not You will rememorize it discouraged, but practise it over again as before.
is

"

rapidly, and

after a tew

such da\s of practice you

will

have made

it

yours tor ever.

proceed to filing and shading; impart animation to the phrases, and distribute light and shade. Proceed dynamically and technicall) (as when memorizing), only step by step, suitably dividing long passages, tor instance,

Now

and practising
not often

each division separate!).

One
as
in

never forgets

a piece

learned by this method, even

fingers are so apt to
tail

when

it

is

repeated; and neither

the
case

memory nor

one

at critical

moments

of players accustomed to practise unreflectingly with the fingers.

be ?urc,
lines
will find

This

latter class, to

brain-study hard at

first,

and must be

satisfied

to learn

two or three

daily

and that

not

at

one

sitting,

but with

long

77

intervals.

More advanced

students, too, should interrupt

study

frequently, to

prevent overtiring the brain.

During such pauses they may

liusy themselves with

technical exercises already well in hand, or leave the piano altogether.

arrives at the point

One

finally

of being able to think through

:t

a piece

much

faster

than the

fingers can follow.

T.escheti/.ky

says:
a

Learning

by
at

this

method

is

only

apparently slow.

Kven
in

if

one learn but

few lines daily

the outset, and later at

most

whole

page-

one day, and assuming that study must be suspended for one-third of the year, the finished year nevertheless shows an outcome of over 200 pages learned, to
which one may add some 100 pages of repetitions, such
pieces.
as

occur

in

almost

all

In the very

first

year, therefore, a considerable

number

of pieces will

have

been learned, which the growing routine ot following years

annually."

will

double or treble

To
after
will

students whose talent permits of their playing a piece from

it,
I

memory
They

glancing through
find
it

also

recommend

the above

method of study.

In his easy, aid it will insure correctness when playing in public. domestic privacy, and on the concert-platform, the artist has two distinct individualities. When he appears in public, he leaves part ot his security at home. It
follows, that he can never have

enough

of

it.

The
start to

intending concert-player must,

play
it

therefore,

make

beginning to

point from the very end l be first time. It is ot no

it

piece

faultlessly

from

avail, to play

right only un repetition.

Should you break down, or make

considerable pause, making
it,

a
it

as

mistake, stop playing, and begin again after a " first time." Also observe this were, another
pieces, or

method
and

\shile

learning etudes and

their several

phrases and divisions,

finally,

when
is

practising compositions already

to think.

mcmori/ed.

The

best

way

to

avoid mistakes,
are playing,

you however sure you may be of it. Thought is like reins for the fingers, to keep them in the r.ght road. Whoself-criticism. There is still another stage in correct piano-playing ever has got so far as to critici/e himself as sharply as his neighbor, is tar advanced
;

While

at

the piano, think of nothing but what

for

even the recognition of one's

faults

means much, although there

is

yet a long

step to their "

amendment.
piano-players, too,

Those
for their

who have no mind

to give concerts, but play only

Or pleasure," really ought to prefer to do it well ami correctly. " " Let them try it, anyhow, if only from their own pleasure ? might this diminish
own
humane motives
;

for

everybody

likes to

show

off.

What

should we not have been

"
stage-fright
"
?

forced to endure, had not a merciful Providence invented

True,

the genuine

artist finds

it

a.

stumbling-block which can be done away with only by

dint of studs in the way described above, anil by

much

playing

in

public,

whereby

he gains a feeling of confidence.

with the Dragon,"

Let him do
his

like

the hero in Schiller's

"Fight

who accustomed

horse to a painted dragon before introducing

hin 1 to the real one, and take the edge off his dread of the public by
to

much

playing

others.

Let him knock

this stage, let
is

at

having reached

And, every door and request a kindly Rearing. him play before his fellow-artists. It he can meet

their criticism, he

proof against the dragon himself.

XXVII

Movements
|?^|[ANISTS
uplifted
to
all

of

the

Hand and Arm

temperament often execute acrobatic marvels with their hands, as if to show the audience that they have risen superior
of
fiery

earthly trammels, and

fancy tricks not wholly devoid of

mere play of difficulties. These are piquancy, and may be viewed with indulgence
a

make

In contrast to these are the necessary when accompanying virtuoso performance. movements of the wrist, winch serve to facilitate the execution of phrases, to support

the rhythm, or to rest the 'hand after the tension of fnrte playing by

relaxation of

the joint; there are, besides, the motions of the arms, which are thrown

an involuntary

reflex

movement
of

after striking vigorously.

None

of these

upward by move-

ments should be destitute

of

freedom and grace. The necessary movements of hand and arm vary according to the character the piece played. do not mean that in a Scher/o the fingers may execute
I

merry gambols on the keys or in the air, or creep along sleepily in a Berceuse. What mean is, the influence on the tone, which in energetic passages, where the hands are lifted abruptly from the keys, differs from that in playing softly, or in
I

melancholy

strains,

better, as little, as

where they are raised slowly and the arm the wrist-movement demands.
twisting

rises as

much,

or, still

The upward, downward, and

been treated
at

movements of
I

the wrist have already

length in a former Section.

it

Here

will

mention only the sideways

movement, whose aim

the next notes.

is

to bring the

hand into
25,

convenient posture tor taking

i,

In the

Chopin Etude op.

5.

No.

tor instance,

?.)

one can take the melody-tone E? more easily, and render turning the right hand (not too tar) sideways; the left hand
the accompaniment-figure.

ir

more expressive, by

also turns in following

Talented students
wrist,

will

find
it

instinctively

the

proper employment ot the

;

and how
it

to

accommodate
whence

to the

varying position ot the hand

ot

others must
the

acquire

by

practice,

arises a sort

"preparatory

technics" tor

promotion

ot an easy

and sonorous execution.

By holding and prolonging the tones, it assume the next-following position as at all the chords
;

The
leaves the

pedal

is

again very helptul.

to

hand
in

tree

marked

Chopin's Kantaisie:

We
makes
it

may

also

add

to the section

on preparatory technics

device which

easier to play clean basses.

as

These

are not such a matter ot course as

one

might imagine,

the appellation "pseudo-basses," invented

is,

by

.is/,t,

proves.

The

usual

reason
left.

that difficult passages or leaps in

the right hand divert the

in

eyes from the

The

device tor getting the bass clean consists

lett

touching the
;

higher octave of the bass tone with the

thumb, without depressing the key

without looking

the 5th finger can then readily strike the bass tone, for every pianist has the stretch

of the octave
hand, or

in

his fingers.

Also practise

this

trick

at

the left

in the dark.
in

Another device which may he mentioned

leaps
a fertile source

this connection,

concerns wide
to

of incertitude.
;

Through

practice alone
ot

one cannot learn

take such leaps with certainty

one requires presence

mind, and likewise

a certain
:

knack which ought to be taken advantage of when practising leaps; namely For a leap on white keys, the hand should not describe a curve, but glide
tone swiftly over the edges of the keys, striking the
the leap with the outer edge of the the wrist
little finger,

which

is

the objective point of

tip.

not with

its

At the same time,

This procedure has the further advantage, that the hand does not hide the key to be taken from sight, one being able to fix the eye upon

must drop.

it,

which

is

necessary.

It

aids accuracy greatly to

name

the tone mentally before

striking.

So

For

;i

leap on

Muck

keys, the hand

is

also

held close to the keyboard

its

hut
tip.

the linger (preferably the jd) docs

not strike with

\vrist

edge, but

flat \\ith
it

the

For such
raised

leap

on black keys, the

cannot be dropped, but

must not be

too high.

Do
hand.
also

not be discouraged by so

many

rules

tor

the

training ot fingers ami

Through them the

to

fingers finally acquire exquisite sensibility,

and the wrist

to

soon learns
a

follow

the

movements

ot

the fingers.
lesl

The arm,

be sure,

remains

clumsy

k-llow, always having to be

guided

he throw fingers and wrist

the
first scale-

oft the track

by faulty movements.
look to
it

Consequently,
the

in

and chord-

exercises one should

that

arm does not press forward too rapidly

when playing up, and drag backward when playing down.

XXVIII

Who
DKLICA
reply,

Should Devote Himself

I

to the

Piano

IT. question, indeed! " short and

tear

me, an echo from the World But

this

will
in

sharp:
the

No one!"
glorious

were wrong,
ot"

it

only

consideration

ot

opulent,

literature

the

piano,

which
with
a a

deserves that an
mission, ot course.

unbroken

line

of interpreters should arise

reply
to

interpreters

And

here

we have the

our question: Those with

mission tor

it

should devote themselves to the piano.

I

But what qualities justih this claim: to say: "Only a talent of Were the highest order," one might just as well assert that onK millionaires have a right
to
live.

In

music, too, there must be a middle

class.

Qualifications which one

ear, a

must have
fine

to

become

good hand,

artistic

temperament,

sensibility,

thorough pianist are a good intelligence, and persevering

the ear which
tone, whether

industry.
I

he musical ear naturally varies in quality.

tell

Finest of

all

is

recognixes absolute pitch, and can instantly

the

name of any
its

produced by

musical instrument or the ringing of a glass.

tell

Next comes the

relationship to

recognition of comparative pitch, which can

any tone from

another key-tone previously struck on the piano. This kind of ear is only secondclass, hut is capable ot further development; musicians possessing this ear have
frequently a refined sense for shading.

The
him
to

lowest grade of ear for a music-student should be that which enables

sing correctly any tone he hears.

[Si
Aii
inferior ear can

he developed, raised to a higher grade, by a sort ot

is

singing-exercise;

not actual vocal studies, tor the singing voice

\vhich
its
is

nor taken into

account.
rind
as
it

Merely sing some tone,

so natural and easy to sing that you can

the piano.

find again at any time, and

name on
\o\\

Hold

fast

to this

tone,

one from svhich

to derive others.

try

the following exercise:

Strike a

tone on the piano, and sing to this tone the minor second, then the major second,

and the other intervals

one interval
Also
intervals,
until
try,

in

regular order, hrst upward, then

it

downward; and keep

at

you can sing

correctly.
at the

without looking
of
all

keys, to

name

separate tones, then harmonic

at the piano.

and

last

chords, played In

some other person

If a

he devoted to these exercises daily, the ear will soon quarter of an hour, at most,

show

progress.

Touching
Section
II
;

the
I

hand and

its

qualifications,

some observations were made

in

here

will

moulded, bv industrious and well-directed

only add, that even an imperfectly adapted hand " " into a
practice,

may

be

piano-hand

-it will

accommodate

itselt to pianistic
it

requirements.
difficult to
all

On
distraction,

the contrary,

is

change the temperament.

phlegmatic

should he possess pupil, even

anil

the other
e

good qualities, can drive a teacher to

his
it.

his
It is

playing

will

never nun

hearers.

Better an overplus of
is

temperament.

an easier task to restrain

player without temperament

also emotionally dull

when

playing.

And
it

emotionality cannot be created, but only

somewhat

refined, or

awakened

in case

only sleeps.

Musicians themselves, however, should inveigh against the belief that music This last is needed, it needs only emotion, feeling, and not intelligence as well.
only to

make up However

for,

or at least to hide,

possible detect

in

talent.

great the talent

industry and less talent industry

will

may be, one can sooner attain eminence with than with much talent without industry. Unremitting
a

help over

many
in

hard place, and enable

;

its

attain at least possessor to

a respectable

eminence

music

but talent without industry runs to seed.

In fact,

the arduous

summit of Parnassus can be conquered only behind

the double-team,

Industry and Talent.

S3]

A
To page
this
II.

(1 tl

c n

tl

There

are hands

whose
in

finger-joints are too yielding.

This

anomaly manifests

itself

most frequently

the middle (second) joint ot the

thumb;

knuckle-joint either projecting too

tar

outwards, or bending inwards unnaturally

so as to form an angle, which hinders a forcible downstroke, promptness in passing

under, and the firm, confident striking of

chord or octave.

This weakness of the

Practise

principal thumb-joint can be cured only by patience and careful attention.

the following exercise piano, with each hand alone.

n
H. H.

L. H.

_
f>

Take

care

to

hold

the

thumb

in

its

normal

position

(Fig.

i).

If

you

should not succeed, support the joint for a time with the tip of the left-hand forefinger, which should touch the inner side of the joint without pressing it outwards.

Another anomaly, stiffness in the knuckle-joint ot the overcome by the following exercise: Hold down any note, E for
31! finger,

th finger,

may

be

instance, with the

and with the other hand

lift

the 5th finger by the tip as high as possible;

then, with the 4th finger, strike

wrist.

repeatedly and as forcibly as you can with a loose

This treatment may also be applied for loosening the knuckle-joint of the 4th finger, which is by nature comparatively stubborn; only in this case the 4th
finger
is

lifted,

while the 5th repeatedly strikes G.

To page
the

62.

One

can hear them more readily at a distance, than near hy

audience better than the player.

distinctly
it,

But the

latter

can hear the dissonance yet

the pedal tor a time and

moie

without playing on, he holds

resonant waves.

down

listens attentively to the

To page
tronome.
tivity,

69.

At

this
'tis

point
a

Strictly speaking,

we may venture a word concerning the Mewooden Capellmeister, without an atom of subjecoften.
It is

though useful when not employed too

a

not merely a timekeeper,

but likewise

good instrument

for

training a defective sense ot rhythm.

trial ot
it

Conse-

quently, every player should

or pieces with

make

once

in a

while, and play scales, etudes

metronome-accompaniment.
in difficult

Then

he will discover precisely where

he may lose time

passages, or gain in easy ones.

in

Those who

are

weak

time, are advised to practise the following

it
:

metronome-

exercise, either at the

keyboard, or (simply by feeling) away from

.*.

* _*__:*

._..

Quintuplets ami Soxtuplets

</'/

lihjtum.

Do

not set the

metronome on too high

is

number, and

let it

mark

quarter-

notes, during which the exercise

repeated,

at first in regular

succession, and then

skipping.

One ought
temperament but
influence ot the

also

to

play his pieces through once with the

metronome

for

another reason, namely, to learn

tempo metronome is

like

in

on equally two themes of different one and the same piece. For this the controlling
to carry

how

certainly valuable.

85 j

Appendix
I.

Sl'AI.K

OK

Sc.Al.HS, Sl'AI.K

OK ARPEGGIOS, AND SviTK. OF ARPEGGIOS

IK following

Scale of Scales, Scale of Arpeggios, and Suite of Arpeggios,

till

ni

should not he taken up

the player can execute swiftly and evenly the

ordinary scales and broken chords.

Kach

section

is

intended to be played
is

through without a break, for which purpose the connecting fingering Scale of Scales, in particular, requires great endurance.

given.

he

Let no one, however, overdo these exercise?, but stop when too
rest before

tired,

and

continuing

The

requisite

endurance

will
;

be acquired
this

little

by

little.

Play these exercises through once every day

technique, hut increases
it.

not merely keeps

up the

86
1.

Scale of Scales.

C major

C minor. (harm.

C minor.

(?nelod.)

D'cmajor.

87
C# minor, (harm.

minor, (melod.)

minor, (harm.)

minor, (melod.)

88
El>

major.

E\>

minor, (harm.)

El>

minor, (melod.)

E major.

8Q

E minor,

(harm.)

8ft

minor, (melod.)

8Q-

F major

F minor, (harm.)

F minor, (melod.)

F# major

81-

90
F? minor, (harm.)

major.

minor. (harm.)

minor, (melod.)

I63N4

At major.

Gjt

minor, (melod.)

A major

minor. Charm

minor, (melod.)

B\>

major.

B\>

minor, (harm.)

Bt>

minor, (melod.)

major.

minor, (harm.)

minor, (melod.)

Chromatic.

2.

Scale of Arpeg-g-ios.
it

Practise with both the given fingerings. Take the keynote, wherever fingering (that next the heads of the notes).

stands, only with the regular

major.

C minor.

D\>

major.

minor.

major.

minor.

IS3K*

major.

minor.

major,

minor.

gva

F|t

major.

G major.

minor.

8V"

183S4

96

At-

major.

G# minor.

major.

minor.

Bl>

major.

Bl>

minor.

Suite of Arpeg-g-ios. Triads and Seventh -chords.

3.

J.

Ih.iS't

80".

fjVU.

Transpose the Suite of Arpeggios lowing examples:

into all keys,

employing only

the regular fingering, as in the fol-

L7H.

Conclusion
INK Groundwork
players
training.

of the Lescheti/.ky

Method

is

chiefly intended for pianoa

who may

he assumed to possess more than

rudimentary pianistic

This does not, however, preclude the instruction of beginners,

or even children, according to the

Method.

Such must

first,

ot course, he taught

the theoretical elements in one

set their
let

way or another.
strictly

hands on the keys, keep

to

But from the moment that they the rules ot this book. Only do not
full-grown hand.
to Leschetizky, will arrive at the

children play exercises as long as adult beginners, and of course do not allow
to

them

attempt any requiring the stretch of

Pianists re-forming their

method according

from playing in their former style while formgoal only through entire abstention
ing their

new one.

of method
strictly

They must even give up sight-reading. Regard this change " as a treatment," so to speak, during which the prescribed diet must be
in

observed, for a lapse

the regimen

would throw the

ringers

out,

and

Kven when the exercises and scales are thoroughly consequently lose time. mastered in accordance with the Method, play nothing from your earlier repertory
tor

some

time, but take

up etudes and

pieces

which you

have never studied*

playing none of the old pieces until you are sure not to lapse into the former

manner of

playing.

Do
vacation
;

not fear to lose your old-time dexterity of finger during this enforced

on the contrary,

it

will

reappear afterward more

potent and

perfect

than ever.

For such
but one
is

change of method, patience, and

still

more

patience,

is

needful;

repaid by the result.

That has converted many an unbeliever.

45
>1
1

.2

*n*

333

,444

3 5

555

R.H.:

342

222
*
J

2133 33
*o

32-4444

4 3

L.H.3

f 8-

R.H.

'1812

2323

545

3
3

'l

3 3

"i

2424 .8424

3535
i

414
I

2525
i
i

a B

Q o

* 5

54

3
'i

34

S^
|

12

R.H.
t1
1

3454 2343 I^F^

1,

2,

1..H.

^ ^
3

f 3

r r .
/,

f^ 4
: *
:
3

3432
3
5.

'

2'

r-r

r
'

R.H.:

FF-fff^FffrMI-^^l

'f r r

rlTftm
12

r r

r^r r r r*f r r rTf r r rfo

45
8 S

23

34

23*3

3454

R.H.

R.H.;

/V

/^J 23

34 O*^

^ 4

24
/%*
~

3 IJ

5
. -

a 2 3

23
R.H.
2 3 2 * 3
3

32 i

P--

13?

32

2 3

32

i~L

23*3 V
A
2
T

321

R.H.

L.H.^^
3

-Trn

~F~I

32
-P-

p r

U^
1

LIT n.
.

*L^-*-

, ;
-r

ill

^^4f

R.H.

2222

3333
^J
l

J J

"

4-xLRj

..l

J J

^^osj

-.

J J J

23233*
L.H.

f^4^r 2323
9.

r r r

iT"r
4

r r
1

r^n^^f^? 2
4 4

r
,

i.

R.H.

23

*
,

'
.

J J J .H.-y

R.H.

R.H.

R.H.

dim.

8.

L.H.J* Q

12321
2

R.H.

1812123'

V-ri

2 3

1321231212123

J J J J

R.H.

1-e-

L.H.

r^

35

'

r r r r

11

i f- _

1
..

<

L.H.zS

t>|

o,

R.H.

i_

__

'

J J J

:l

major.
-

A major.

major.

major.

F# major.

'

'-

f=.
(4)

i
5

etc.

m 3=*=

etc.

j*Q^
R.H.
il10

L.H.

.11

TT
R.H.

TTJTT 1S
*)'

3"

L.H.

8
2
a

321

P
rrff iirrrr iirrrnt
: :

IP

P P P-iFy-p

^^
:

P
r

f r

Prestissimo.

SE

'

j)^

cantando
Liszt, Etude.
-

o
F-

L.
I
1

33:

fffi

^
j j j j
LTJ .n.
.

v
5

^^j

10

etc.

R.H.I
i

'iiWJ'iifMtfff
4

"

jfi

*
R.H.

fff

PCS-

ff

L.H.

jS^

9 :8

A
i iciy ^u Played.
.

Played.

Played.

11

R.H.

*?m*

.,

':

-frTTTTn

45

gl 4 a

'

L.H.

yTT t T

I "TT

TTt
4
I

8 4

38

385

r r r r

p p

4 8

R.H.

L.H.^
4
5
~E 5
'

*~

183 4

4
8

5 3

R.H.

8
4

2
't

rprpippp pi

4343 2*81
R.H.

s3 a

5
3

2 4343
8
l

3,3, 6353

Minor Thirds.
R.H.
.'{

4 5

Major Thirds.
R.H.

14

iiiiiiUU:<

If)

etc.

Played

etc.

J
etc.

dolcc

1(5

Played.
*

r-f

17

cantabile

L.H.

lF^
,

W"&
fTf

*j.

etc.

crescendo
8-

4m

*j

!J*

If

/'A.

'

mp

rqf

mp p

19

I
pp

-f

Tempo

I.

j
W.

flf/

f
Tempo
I.

mz
*e

m
^
J
f
j

%^
f

20

21

3. j

lift