The Act of Touch in All Its Diversity: An Analysis and Synthesis of Pianoforte Tone-production

Front matter

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Preface

Abilitt to understand and feel Music, and ability to communicate such perceptions to others by means of an instrument, are two totally distinct accomplishments. They have often been confused, owing to the fact, that it is impossible to achieve a really satisfactory musical performance without their happy combination.

To become pianoforte players, we must learn Music, and must acquire Taste, but we can only succeed in expressing what we feel, musically, by means of the physical act of Iceydepression. In short, the purely physical act of playing

consists solely of an act of Touch, — an act of Tone-production. All the gradations of Agility (fleetness of finger), Duration (staccato and legato), as well as all the contrasts of Tone-inflection depend solely and directly on the nature of this act ; and it is therefore upon our expertness in the Art of Touch that the whole superstructure of Pianoforte-playing rests. The Art of Touch may indeed be concisely defined as : command over the Means of Expression,

This Art thus forms the very Foundation (the Elements or Rudiments) of Pianoforte-playing ; and it can no more be a '* gift " (as so often supposed) than is the art of articulate Speech itself ; for it can be acquired by every person of average intelligence. Its precise place in the scheme of Piano-

forte Education need not here be further dilated upon, since

vii

Vm PREFACE.

Part I. is devoted to that purpose ; and the reader is referred to the Summary of this Part, ou page 40.

A performer can indeed prove himself to be musical only to the extent of his command over touch variety. It is the constant flow of note to note touch-inflections that forces one to realize that a performer is a sentient being. And it is just this Art of Touch, that will for ever defy mechanical imitation ; and will for ever render the simplest performance, coloured by human fingers, immeasurably superior to the most complex one obtained by mechanical agency, however perfect the machine.

Although it is only thus, by perfecting himself in the Art of Touch, that the player can obtain the means of expressing his musical sensibilities, yet until within quite recent years the paramount necessity of studying this problem had not begun to dawn upon teachers, artists, and students.

As the true fundamentals of this Art remained practically unrecognized, no serious attempt could be made to give direct instruction in it. True, it was recognised that the

musically endowed evinced a " finer touch " than did others less endowed ; but this, it was assumed, was owing solely to some occult influence over the keyboard, the possession of which enabled the favoured ones to produce tone of a better quality and of finer gradations ; — and there is some half-truth in this, for it is certain that the possession of a musical ear, and a strong wish for musical expression, will undoubtedly compel the player to experiment at the keyboard, until he does sooner or later discover for himself at least sorne of the mechanical Means that will conduce to success. True, also, that

the more serious teachers have insisted upon the necessity of good quality and variety of Touch. But even the greatest, so far, have relied almost exclusively upon empirical methods,

PREFACE. ix

or upon the force of Example. Or they have insisted upon what is after all a mere accompaniment of good touch, i. e. : Position and Movement— thus placing **the cart before the horse." True it is, moreover, that the necessity of ra-

tionally studying this problem has lately made itself keenly felt, especially in America. How pressing this need is, becomes only too painfully evident, when one has to teach those who have already formed wrong muscular-habits, and when one is compelled to witness the ineffectual struggles of many even of the musically endowed in the Examination-room, and Concert-room, who, were they not thus handicapped by faulty habits (acquired through ignorance of these Rudiments) could give free vent to the powers of perception and imagination evidently latent in them !

Obviously the only way to succeed in the attempt ration- \ ally to learn and teach the Act of Touch in all its immense variety, is, first to discover through Analysis how the successful placers obtain their effects, and then to test such Analysis, by observing whether the act of touch, built up in accordance with such analysis, does give the anticipated tonal-results. Having thus determined the structure of all varieties of touch, and the permits to Agility, we ought then to be in a position directly to help ourselves and others towards their acquisition.

The Means of Touch-variety or Key -treatment having thus been analysed, it follows that all who will take the trouble to master the subject — all who will take the trouble to understand the requirements of Key and Muscle, and will take the trouble to form these into physical and mental habits — will be able to acquire the language of Expression. Everyone may thus be enabled to gain power of Agility and Colouring ; and even the musically endowed, may, by directly acquiring a tone-palette (or Touch-palette) thus save years of time, which

X PREFACE.

would otherwise be wasted in futile experiments, and in forming bad habits.

As I have now for a great number of years applied such Analysis and Synthesis of Touch in my daily work of teaching, doing so always with increasing directness, and mainly ascribe such success as I have had as a teacher (and my pupils, also, as teachers) to the resulting ability to point out the immediate causes of the observed Javlis, and the direct means of their cfrrrection—io the ability to show explicity how to command the physical fulfilment of each interpretative and technical detail, I have long been urged to render this knowledge more widely accessible, and the present little work is the result.

In endeavouring to place the many unfamiliar facts and new ideas before the reader, there was however this dilemma to face : that innumerable prejudices and fallacies would have to be combated, and that to do this would render the treatise too elaborate for the Schoolroom ; whereas, to limit it to direct information in its concisest form (as required for the Schoolroom) might render its teachings liable to misconception, and unacceptable to the prejudiced.

To overcome this difficulty, the work has been laid out in four Parts, as follows : — Part I, is purely introductory, and purposes to show the relation the study of Touch bears to the general problems of Pianoforte-education. This is followed by the practical Parts, II to IV. Part II, " The instru-

mental aspect of Key-treatment," demonstrates the nature of the mechanical difficulties to be overcome, — what are the requirements of the key, and how the key must be treated for each kind of eflfect. Part III, " The muscular-aspect of Keytreatment," exhibits the muscular difficulties of the problem, and their solution — the muscular means we must adopt, to fulfil the key's requirements. Finally, Part IV deals with the

PREFACE. XI

positional aspect of the subject — the postures and moyements which must^ or may, accompany correct key-treatment. Each of these practical Parts consists first of a Preamble, giving a general idea of the matter to be dealt with, followed by a number of chapters, providing explanatory details ; each of these chapters being followed by a Becapitulation, and each of the Parts again by a Sumbcaby; the concluding chapter of the work, moreover, giving a Glossary of the whole. A system of Notes accompanies the text, and Appendices, which follow each Part, give further opportunity for detailed instruction.

In this way, the close enquirer may obtain full information in the chapters, while the less advanced student can be referred to these Becapitulatories and Summaries. These, in fact, form a work complete in iieelfy — a digest or extract, designed for school use. This Digest or Extract, is in* tended for publication in a separate form later on, to render it more easily available for such purpose.

The work, it will be seen, is entirely explanatory. It has nothing to do with any particular system of exercises or studies, etc. The Student can apply its teachings at any stage of his progress, since it applies in all cases, whatever the system of teaching or exercises adopted in other respects. The Artist can learn from it the reason of his greater or lesser success technically, and how further to improve his powers of Expression. The Teacher will find it useful at every step ; and finally the Critic can find in it a basis for his technical opinions.

This work may presently be followed by an extra Part- Part V, giving certain exercises for acquiring Muscular-discrimination, which have been found useful in direct teaching.

Coming now to the end of the years of labour expended on this little volume, the late Professor Tyndall*s words recur

Xii PBEFACB.

to me : " The ease with which an essay is read, is often a measure of the laborioosness with which it has been written ; " — and in concluding, I can only express the hope that my readers may find some measure of correspondence between my labour in this instance, and its result !

I must also here take the opportunity of thanking the many kind friends who have encouraged me in my self-imposed task, and to acknowledge the valuable help given me in the revision of the proofs, etc., by Mrs. Eennedy-Fraser, of Edinburgh, and others.

Tobias Matthax.

Hampstbad, London, July, 1908.

REGOMMENDA TION.

In studying this work, each of the four Parts should be taken in the following order : L The Preamble to each Part, n. The Contents of ea<)h chapter. m. The Summary of each chapter.

IV. The Text of each chapter, with re-study of the Becapitulatories.

V. The Recapitulatory or Summary of each Fart^ to concentrate the knowledge acquired.

YI. The student should afterwards constantly refer to the Becapitulatories, whenever he perceives technical difficulties between himself and his interpretative intentions.

The reader may here be warned against a mistake often ma^e, viz. : the assumption, that an author must needs be in the wrong, because a reader fails to understand the facts dealt with!

Granted, that it is wrong to accept any teachings unless one's reason is convinced of their truth, nevertheless it is still more deeply wrong, to be convinced that such teachings are untrue, because they happen, perhaps, to be in complete opposition to doctrines faithfully clung to for years ! Only by a rigid analysis of facts can we hope to eliminate untruth, and the author begs for such test, convinced as he is that the facts here stated become only the clearer, the more they are subjected to examination.

OOISTTENTS.

Chapter I. Freambls

The absurdity of attempting to teach Pianoforte Playing, without teaching the Elements of '* Touch". — Comparison of Empiric with Rational, or Direct, methods of teaching. — Practice unprofitable, unless it tends towards the aoquintian of Variety in Touchy through the formation of correct habits. — Only by a preliminary practical understanding of the LenffM of Tone-production can this be ensured. — Such understanding insufficient by itself, the rules of procedure must be fixed into Mental-Muscular Habit.— The form of Attention a fully*trained Artist gives during the act of performance, must hence widely differ from that required from a Learner. — Comparison of the Accidental with the Rational methods of attaining Touch. — The Highly-talented may happen to discover correct forms of tone-production, the Less-talented will probably fail. — Tone-production discovered by accident is easily forgotten ; whereas, this is not likely, once the facts are understood. — The rational method of acquiring Tone-production premises knowledge of the laws that govern it. — The formation of correct habits of Touch is ensured, when we understand what Treatment the Key requires for each different kind of sound, and the nature of the Muscular-Conditions by means of which such Key-treatment can be fulfilled.— Three stages of acquaintanceship are possible with regard to Tone-production, viz.: (a) Ability to obtain the effects from the instrument, while ignorant of the processes adopted ; (b) Understand* ing the nature of these processes, how key and limb have to be treated for each effect ; (c) Perception of the reason for such treatment

XVI CONTENTS.

Chapter II. The Problem Of Pianoforte Trainiko

PAQl

Successful Performance consists in the combination of two distinct processes: the mental act of Musical Perception, and the physical act leading to its Execution. — The first process implies Musicianship ; the second, Ezecutantship. — Neither avails, unless Attention is forthcoming from both sides during the act of performance.— Musicianship has a dual aspect : the Emotional, and the Intellectual ; both sides must be trained. — Emotional training permits us XxifeA Music : Intellectual training permits us to ue the Musical Shapes through which Feeling is expressed.— Executantship similarly has a dual aspect : one, implying Artistic Judgment, and the other, implying Command over the Art of Tone-Production. — Artistic- judgment comprises : (a) Familiarity with the possible Instrumental effects ; (b) Judgment, as to their appropriate Application ; and (c) Keenness of Pulsational-Sense, of perception of Time-lapse. — ^Command over Tone-Production involves special training for the particular instrument ; it implies Ability to draw from it every effect dictated by our Musicianship, and our Artistic-sense

Chapter III. The Problem Of Education In The Art Of Tone-production

The Art of Tone-production comprises the production of all possible Sound-effects from the instrument : those of Tone-Quantity; those of Tone-Quality ; those of Continuance ; it includes also the attainment of Agility. — The laws of Tone-Production apply equally to everyone, gifted and non-gifted. — Certain endowments render easier the acquisition of Agility ; these are distinct from those which constitute a large Pianoforte- Voice. — Even the smallest natural Piano- voice, when properly produced, is capable of far larger volume of tone, and its modifications, than is generally supposed possible. — * 'Stiff" fingers and wrists also indicate faulty habits, rather than natural incapacity. — Facility in Tone-production rests on knowledge and physical attainments, in two distinct directions : Instrumental education and Muscular Education.— The Key-treatment required for each kind of sound must be understood ; and the muscular Conditions consummating each shade of treatment must be forthcoming 21

CONTENTS. XVU

CHAPTBR IV.

THB PROBLEM OF MXJBCULAB EDUCATION.

Consists of two 8tep& — We must learn to discriminate the right muscular-conditions from the wrong ones; we must then learn to apply these correctly-discriminated Conditions to the Keyboard, both as regards amount and duration. — The First step in Muscular-education can be carried out apart from the Pianoforte keyboard. — It is a process of MiminaUon of not-required activities. — The result is Freedom of action. — The needful muscular activities and inactivities produce two distinct classes of effects ; Visible effects, in the shape of movements, and Invisible effects in the shape of stresses and tensions. — The mode of Imparting the Visible actions ; also, the Invisible actions. — Warning not to overlook ultimate Object, Sound excitation, during such process of Muscular-education. — The Second step in muscular-education demands a keyboard, and that of a good instrument.— We must here learn to time the muscular-act both to commence and to cease at the right moment — We must learn to gauge the intensity of the Mfiscular-act In obedience to the needs of the Key, before, during, and after its descent 26

Chapter V. The Final Problem : The Union Of Exectttion With Conception

ne completion of the act of Tone-production arises at a definite point in Key-descent, and at a definite moment of Time ; herein lies the means of Union. — This Union is accomplished, by timing a muscular-act, of requisite4ntensity, to culminate the mechanical operation upon the key in absolute correspondence with the degree and time which our conception of the Music demands for each note.— Execution fulfils Conception, when Key-arrival " at Sound " corresponds with the musicsiWy-intended moment of tone-ezcitation. — Only through the Ear can we be promptly enough notified of the moment when the act of " Touch " is consummated : the moment of transition from Silence to Sound.— Alertness of Ear, hence, the final and most important problem of Executive-education.— Final definition of the Four Elements which together constitute the Act of Attention required in per. formance. — Warning not to forget the ultimate Object in endeavouring to fulfil the Means.— Even Attention itself must not be given for its own sake. — In performance, our consciousness must always be a supreme desire to perceive Music, for the sake of communicating it . 80

XVUl CONTENTS.

Chapter VI. Conclusion, And Summabt

* PAOI

Realization of the components of Pianoforte Education will enable us to locate each fault.— This will enable us to correct each fault separately, the quickest and surest way.— It will enable us the better to Practise, Criticise, Play, and Teach 87

Summary f a Table, giving the relationship of the various components of Pianoforte Education 40

Appendix To Part I

Note I. On Listening 40

Note II. On Rhythm 41

Note III. As to Oymnastics '^H'3

Note IV. Piano-talent 42

Note V. As to Self-consoiousness and Nervousness 43

Note VI. Musical Feeling • . . , .43

PART IL— KEY-TREATMENT FROM ITS INSTRU- MENTAL ASPECT.

CHAPTER VII. preamble: the main instrumental facts.

The Pianoforte consists of two distinct portions, the instrument proper, and the set of machines provided to excite it into sound. — The Sounding-board with its strings forms the instrument proper. — The Key with all its appurtenances forms the exciting Tool. — This only serves to transmit Speed to the string. — Sound can only be excited by giving Motion to the Key, nothing else forms Tone-production. — The application of Energy must be so Timed during key-descent, as to culminate coincidently with the moment that tone begins to appear.— Hitting or Striking the key is as fallacious as Pressing it upon its bed. —We must realise the key's weight and resistance through the finger-tip, and must overcome this resistance so as to aim the hammer-end of the key against the string.— Thus used, the key forms but a mechanical elongation of the finger.— The act of aiming involved in creating String-speed by means of the hammer-end, includes three points : (a) the full key-speed intended must be reached as the sound arises ; (b) the Energy applied must cease at that moment ; (c) the

CONTENTS. XIX manner of its application must be determined^nuldeniy applied energy creates " brilliant" tone, harsh and non-carrying ; gradually applied energy creates " sympathetic ** tone, singing and carrying. — Th<&fir§t lesson of key-treatment is, that every note must be musicallyintended as to Time and Tone ; the second lesson is, that the culmination of each key-descent must be made to coincide with such intention 47

Chapter VIII. The Inbtkument

Ttn^ outer Case contains the sounding-lioard, the strings and frame and the Mechanism, or *' action.'* — Description of the Sounding-board. — The Strings and Frame. — Description of the components of the Mechanism — Firstly : A compound Lever, to facilitate the transmission of speed to the string — its resemblance to a see-saw, since all speed transmission-power vanishes with the key's full depres&ion— Stctmdly: The Escapement, to allow the hammer to fall away from the string the moment that tone-production is completed. — The Kepetition contrivance— 2%4ref/y ; the Check, to prevent rebound of the hammer — Fourthly : The Damper, to stop the sound when the key is released— P^ly : The Damper-Pedal, which raises all the dampers simultaneously—Correct Pedalling— The Sostenente pedal — Sixthly : The Una Corda pedal and its substitutes.— Recapitulation 5d

Chapter IX. On Bound

The physical nature of Sound.— Concussions travel through the air as areas of alternate compression and rarefaction. — We are unable to iden* tify air-concussions individually when repeated more frequently than about sixteen per second.— Beyond that speed they blur into a continuous ear-impression. — The sensation of Noise arises when the ear-impression is derived from an irregular sequence of impacts. — We hear a Musical-note when the continuous ear-impression arises from a regular sequence of impacts. — The Pitch of a note depends on the component number of impacts that form such ear-impression; the ear counts these component impacts and delivers the result as a musicalsensation ; the higher the number, the higher the note. — Loudness depends on the intensity of the individual air-disturbances, the more violent the vibrations the louder is the soi^d. — A sound wave reaching us may be simple in its structure, or compound. — Thence arises the sensation of difference in the Quality of the sound, a powerful means of expression 64

ZX C0NTSNT8.

Chapter X. Duction

We create soand from the Pianoforte by causing a String or set of strings to move. — The string, in moving, beats the air, and is said to vibrate. — The length, tension and thickness of the string determines how often per second it will be compelled to complete its vibration. — The actual Speed with which the string moves must not be confused with this rate of vibration. — The sounding-board, owing to its large surface, magnifies the effect of the string-movements for our ear. — The string is set in motion by the hammer reaching it, and slightly driving it out of its place of rest. — The hammer shares its speed and momentum with the string during this moment of contact. — The string is then left free to continue in gradually decreasing movement, unless checked by the damper*s descent. — The act of tone-production ceases with the first outward swing of the string.-^Each act of tone-production is therefore of exceedingly short duration, never taking longer than it does in the shortest Staccata^It is quite distinct from the act of retaining the Key depressed, whence arises Tenuto and Legato. — Loudness depends upon the extent of ground covered by the string during each vibration.^The string's vibrations are necessarily completed during the same period of time, whether these vibrations are ample or small in extent ; the string must hence be made to move/a«^ for a loud note than for a soft note. — The Quality of the sound depends upon the manner in which the string is reached. — Sudden application of energy causes the harsher harmonics of the string to appear, whereas gradual application of energy causes the string movements to be simpler in character, and therefore more beautiful, pleasant, and carrying in tone-result 68

CHAPTER XL

The key enables us to propel the String into great speed. — It is a machine complete for each note. — The term Key here includes the whole leverage-system, with all its attached contrivances.— Weight and muscular-energy have to be brought to bear upon our end of this lever ; they are translated by it into Speed at the hammer-end.— The key considered as a mechanical continuation of our finger.— All application of

OONTENxa. xn

PAOB

eoergy must be fulfilled before the key-descent culminates in sound, mnce the hammer then dip9 ojf the end of the happer. — The laws of keymovemenU — We can rest upon the key up to certain point of heaviness without its giving way; slightly more weight than that causes the key to give way at its softest ; still greater weight and energy are needed to induce tone louder than ^p.— The fallacies of Key -striking and Key-bed squeezing.— Key-speed can be induced Suddenly or Gradually ; illustration of the difference. — The more gradually key-speed is induced, the more beautiful is the tone-character. — Tenuio arises when the weight that just suffices to bear the key down, is permitted to continue on it beyond the moment that tone-emission begins. — Legato arises when such Tenuto-causing weight is transferred from key to key. — Super- Legato.— /5/ai;ra^o arises when all weight and energy bearing upon the key is accurately and completely eeaeed the moment that tone begins ; the key is thus left free to rebound, even with the linger lying thereon.— No force greater than is needed to prevent such rebound (in Tenuto and Legato) should ever be permitted Ao reach the key-bed, except momentarily in an extreme form of Staccato. — Summary.— Recapitulatory, and Conclusions drawn from Part II 78

Appendix To Part II

N0TB(1L)VIIL Tone-exeUere 93

KoTB(III.) IX. On quaUty of Sound 98

Note (IV. ) X. On the Fallacy of Key hitting or Striking . . 96

PABT IIL—KEY^TREATMENT FROM ITS MU8CU- LAB ASPECT.

CHAPTER XIL

PREAMBLB: BYN0P8IB OF THE MAIN MUSCULAR FACTS.

Muscular Condition is by far the most important problem to be dealt with in considering the act of Touch. — The eye here often proves misleading, as the visible movements accompanying Touch give but little clue to the actual muscular processes of activity and inactivity, through which, alone, we can influence the key. — The musculnT'Componenis are

XXU CONTENTS.

three in number : (1) Finger down-ezertion, (2) Hand do'wn-exertion, and (8), Arm- weight, occasionally supplemented by shoulder- weight — It is owing to the great number of combinations these offer us, that Variety in touch (and Expression) becomes possible. — Two apparently antagonistic forces arise from the combination of these three components (or ingredients) of Touch, which meet at the Wrist- joint ; where a down-stress is produced by the force derived from lapse of arm-support, and where an upward stress is produced by the exertions of the Hand and Fingers reacting from the keys.— Since the latter exertions are the main ones employed to induce the act of key-descent, it follows, that the sensation of work done during key-descent must be felt to be upvHirds ; upwards by reaction (or recoil) from the key against the Knuckle, and again upwards against the Wrist, and even in extreme cases against the Shoulder.— Touch can therefore be defined as an act of Levering Weight upon the key during the latler's descent.— All exertions employed at the Pianoforte must exhibit absolute freedom, so far as possible ; however vigorously we may wish to urge one set of muscles into activity, we must not permit this to influence the opposite set into activity. — Movement must appear in some portion of the superimposed limb when a key gives way ; this may take the form of either Arm-movement, Hand-movement or Finger-movement. — Which of these three movements ensues, depends on the relative balance existing between the three muscular-components during key-depression. — Arm-touch arises, when the arm- weight released exactly balances the exertion of the other two components during key-descent; Hand-touch (Wrist-touch) arises when hand •exertion is slightly in excess of the other two components; while Finger touch arises when that component is slightly in excess. — Moreover, we have the option of not applying all three components against the key, simultaneously. — Owing to this option, we are able to provide forms of Technique suitable for ponderous passages and agile passages, respectively. — Agility depends rauscularly on the careful elimination of all axm-exeriion (and even Weight) for the time. — We must in such case rely almost exclusively on finger and hand exertions ; and must in extreme cases of Agility, even restrict ourselves to the unaided exertion of the finger.— In both the latter cases, the arm "floats" over the key-board, supported by its own muscles. — Three principles of muBCVLl&r-eombinaiion are thence deduced, which are so important as to deserve the title. Species —The first Species of Touch-construction depends on finger-exertion alone, with passive hand and self-supported arm ; permits fullest degrees of Agility, but restricts Tone- variety to the narrowest limits.- The second Species gives hand-exertion behind that of the finger, while the arm remains self-sup-

CONTENTS. XXUl

iwrted ; permits greater variety of tone-quantity, while slightly reducing Agility .power. — The third Species gives arm-weight (individually released for each sound) in addition to the other two components ; while considerably hampering Agility, this species offers the fullest variety not only of tone-amount, but of quaiUy. — Beauty of quality in any tone above dk piano is only attainable under this last Species.— Contrasts in quality depend on the option we have in this third species, of inHiaiing (or '' willing ") the muscular-act into o|)eration either

(a) by Weight-release, or (b) by Muscular-exertion (of the finger and hand) ; the remaining components participating in both cases, but doing so in automatic response* either (a) to such willed Release, or

(b) to such willed Exertion.— The tendency is towards the ** singing" (or ''sympathetic") tone-character, when this initiatory-prompting is by Release of arm-weight ; and the tendency is towards brilliancy and even harshness, when this Initiative dates from finger and hand Exertion. — The two forms of key-attack thus obtained (i. e., (a) Weight-touch, and (b) Muscular-touch) are so important in their distinctions, as to deserve the name of Sub-genera. — These distinctive tendencies (toward singing and brilliant qualities, respectively) are materially enhanced by the two opposite modes of finger use available, with their correlated opposite conditions of the Upper-arm. — The " Flat-finger-attitude " reduces the whole limb to its most elastic condition ; its dinging action upon the key demands a corresponding release of the Upper-arm or Elbow, and it thus furthers gradual key-attack, and has been recognized as "pressure-touch" or "melody-touch." — The " Bent-finger-attitude," on the contrary, reduces the elasticity of the finger, hand and arm ; and while the thrusting action of the finger here demands a forward tendency of the Upper-arm and Elbow, it thus furthers sudden key-attack, and has been recognized as *' hammer-touch " or "passage-touch." — To obtain Tone-beauty in its fullest measure, we must combine the " Flat-finger" attitude with Weight-touch, unalloyed. — To enable us accurately to obtain the musicallydesired tone from the muscular-operation intended to produce it, we must learn to "aim" this operation during key-descent; we must learn to direct it so that it may culminate and cease at the very moment that Production ceases, the moment when Sound-emission commences. — All force applied to induce key-descent must cease at that moment, whether derived from Weight-release, or from Muscular-exertion.— We can only be apprised with sufficient directness of the moment when this culmination and cessation is demanded, by listening for the moment of sound-beginning. — The result thus obtained is Staccato, since the key is here left free to rebound. — To obtain Tbnxtto, we must rest continuously upon the key-board with