difficulties or drowning them by pressing the loud pedal, with no varia-
tion in tone, and utterly ignoring such slight hints from the composer
as " riteunto," " accelerando," etc. One thing that shows a sort of
carelessness in training, is the sing-songy style of counting pupils fall
into unless you train them positively, and count with them ; not too
much, though ; accustom them to counting alone.
PRACTICING EXERCISES.
No matter how fine a player is, exercises are indispensable. Each
player knows what kind of a practice he or she needs most ; but prac-
tice must be had. Von Bulow says, " let me miss my practice one day
and I notice it ; two days, and my friends notice it ; three days, and
the public notice it." The fingers are unruly little things, and need a
great deal of care taken of them. Never attempt to play faster than
you have perfect control of the fingers ; if you do, just so sure will you
stiffen them. Never attempt to play your " new piece " till you feel
perfectly at home, with all its movements, for there are few people who
can play before strangers with that degree of confidence as when alone.
To feel embarrassed and at the same time attempt to play a piece
you only half know will spoil the most promising scholar. Never refuse
to play — play, no matter how simple your music seems — and each time
you will play with more confidence. Never permit a musical item to
pass your eye without reading it. You will be surprised to see the
amount of musical ideas you will get by doing so. Learn each lesson
perfectly and the next one is already half learned.
To Limber the Fingers — Place the hand in position ; have the fingers
curved ; play on the ends of them, then draw the hand down so as to
make dimples across the knuckles ; if you do not understand lay your
hand flat down on a book or table ; press down on the palm of the hand
and draw the fingers up without lifting them off the book, and you will
get the idea. Keep the hand in that position, then commence with the
thumb ; stretch it as far from the hand as possible without moving the
other fingers ; bring it back and strike the note ; repeat it several times,
then hold the thumb down and take the forefinger; keep all the others
down ; stick the finger straight out and bring it around in an easy curve ;
do all the same fingers the same way, then take the thumb and first
alternately, then first and second, and so on ; then take the thumb and
second together, first and third and second and fourth. Be sure to
keep the hand in position with the dimples. You will have to take one
hand to hold the other when you first commence, but keep at it until
you can play them and hold a nickel on the back of your hand. The
most doleful one of all is, put your thumb on D, pass the first finger
over on C sharp, draw it around in the same position ; hold it so ; then
take out the thumb, without moving the finger more than you can pos-
286 MUSICAL CHIMES.
Page 253
Presented as published in 1886. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
difficulties or drowning them by pressing the loud pedal, with no variation in tone, and utterly ignoring such slight hints from the composer as "ritenuto," " accelerando," etc. One thing that shows a sort of carelessness in training, is the sing-songy style of counting pupils fall into unless you train them positively, and count with them ; not too much, though ; accustom them to counting alone.
PRACTICING EXERCISES.
No matter how fine a player is, exercises are indispensable. Each player knows what kind of a practice he or she needs most ; but practice must be had. Von Bulow says, " let me miss my practice one day and I notice it ; two days, and my friends notice it ; three days, and the public notice it." The fingers are unruly little things, and need a great deal of care taken of them. Never attempt to play faster than you have perfect control of the fingers ; if you do, just so sure will you stiffen them. Never attempt to play your " new piece " till you feel perfectly at home, with all its movements, for there are few people who can play before strangers with that degree of confidence as when alone.
To feel embarrassed and at the same time attempt to play a piece you only half know will spoil the most promising scholar. Never refuse to play — play, no matter how simple your music seems — and each time you will play with more confidence. Never permit a musical item to pass your eye without reading it. You will be surprised to see the amount of musical ideas you will get by doing so. Learn each lesson perfectly and the next one is already half learned.
To Limber the Fingers — Place the hand in position ; have the fingers curved ; play on the ends of them, then draw the hand down so as to make dimples across the knuckles ; if you do not understand lay your hand flat down on a book or table ; press down on the palm of the hand and draw the fingers up without lifting them off the book, and you will get the idea. Keep the hand in that position, then commence with the thumb ; stretch it as far from the hand as possible without moving the other fingers ; bring it back and strike the note ; repeat it several times, then hold the thumb down and take the forefinger; keep all the others down ; stick the finger straight out and bring it around in an easy curve ; do all the same fingers the same way, then take the thumb and first alternately, then first and second, and so on ; then take the thumb and second together, first and third and second and fourth. Be sure to keep the hand in position with the dimples. You will have to take one hand to hold the other when you first commence, but keep at it until you can play them and hold a nickel on the back of your hand. The most doleful one of all is, put your thumb on D, pass the first finger over on C sharp, draw it around in the same position ; hold it so ; then take out the thumb, without moving the finger more than you can pos-