The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-10-19
PIAN0-PLAYING.
Some Practical Points About
the Science of Music.
WHY MANY TEACHERS FAIL.
civ Years study of Four to Six Hours
Day Needed to Play Beet
hoVen's Sonatas.

hoven's sonatas.
Yhe science of music teaching has
nsde great progress OF late" said
Detroit professor to a reporter of the
Times of that city the other day.
Whereas in those old days many used
TO fail to learn piano-playing through |
the erroneous method of teaching, which |
treated all alike, at the present time not
more than one per cent of the entire !
incubation need fail, and that, too, will
include those with deformed hands. Inc
great cause of'the many failures IS the
incapacity of teachers who, inferior
musicians themselves, are incapable OF
teaching what they do not know. You
know that to be a good teacher II Is
necessary to be good performer, see
PeoDIe saw. 'Oh, the best artists have
been inferior teachers. That Is true
but is that a reason that a teacher should
not be fine player? Oh, no, not at all
Poor PLAYERS may do tolerably well IN
the elementary stage, for teaching the
notes and the mechanical portion. but
for the teaching of expression? Of real
plaving2 No! But, nevertheless, the
puDil must not be allowed to copy the
teacher's method, for in so doing she
would become a mere machine. Inc
example must be given her Just enough
to give her conception Of what should
be, and she must build up an lndlvlduall
style of her own. Another OF the ola
faults was in the teaching of lingering.
In the same way the teacher used to
oblige the pupil to finger according TO
the teachers mode, independent OF the
pupils physical formation and strength.
Now. however, all is changed, and, as
child at firstis taughtto hold pen and
IS afterWard allowed to drift off into
style of its own, so also shouldn't be with
the student of music. ~
PARENTS THE GREATEST OBSTACLE.
Formerly, also. teachers were obliged
to pander to the wishes of tasteless peo-
pie. You must know that there is a
literature in music as well as in letters,
and unless followed closely the student
can never attain to skill, Fancy a girl
at school whose intellect instead OF being
nourished with the grammar and the
spelling book should befed only upon
dime novels and books of that callbre;
would not her education be ruined
What conception would she have OF
refined iiterature2 None! And 1t IS
precisely the same with music. The
pupil must be made perfect IN the ele-
ments and her taste formed, and then
she will not care for the light, trashy
and inartistie music that is so prevalent
and disgusting to a real musician At
the same time the pupil must not be
kept entirely upon finger exercises, but
should have a series of little pieces which,
while pleasant and melodiOus, are still
written according to the proper lines,
do you know, the parents are the
greatest obstacle in the way OF pupils
advancement. The child's taste could
always be formed were she left alone,
but when she goes home and plays the
little pieces suitable to her capacity and
calculates to form her task, the parents
viii often say: What is that? That's
no music? When will you play tune?
They wish something fast and iingling,
and the child, having no encouragement
at home, loses her desire to go on with
really good music. In classes where
children meet at intervals to play fOI
each other, the pupils will often become
so ambitious as to disregard home infiu-
ence; but still, if the parents are deter
mined TO have tunes, it is uphill work
Personally, am not much troubled
with such cases. When they do come
talk with them, tell them of the fallacy
of the course they wish to pursue, anC
if necessary absolutely refuse to proceed
in the way they wish. Things are grad
ually changing; parents are gradual!
growing more sensible, and as time goe
on so, doubtless, will the public tast
steadily improve.
PLAYING BERTHoYEE's sONATAs.
The good teacher may form tn
pupils taste, as 1 said, by playing TO
them. and while severely classical must
would merely disgust them, there ar
many beautiful pieces, light and airy
and with charming melody running a.
through them. Such as these are Men
delssohn's Songs without Words
They catch the ear of the pupil an
stimulate the ambition wonderfully.
You ask how long it takes to lear
pianoforte playing? Oh, " that c
course varies with the ability of the pei
son. Then, too, there is much differ
ence in the idea of what constitutes
good player Some call good player
those who give a recital of sewers
pieces in such a manner as to pleas
their own personal friends, who are i
love with everything they do, anyway
But any one can do that. No, it woul
be impossible to say. | know nOthin
of an average. l have always locke
upon music as an art and never We've
ii mathematically." q
Wei. some people say such music 6
Beethoyen's Moonlight and 'Twelft
Sonatas and the Sonata Pathetic, ca
y be learned in two years study. Doyo
think so?"
mo, sir! Impossible! How is it poss
Ne for the pupil of two years to under
md the wonderful depth and power {
Ih Emusic which makes itself felt, an
Ca[A meaning without the aid {
s ToIG Not understanding, how coul
Sne nh1Epret, and, granting that sh
vas enough and had the soul
, aPt ! bas those hidden meanings, how
t. tiea ~ years experience, can 81
n marg ame +fheaaSacy of touch required t
ploIucg t1oSccoft, tender, and yet pc
IeI1iy o, wair IS3 She must know to
drive the key doF, inst inst certain III,
lance in order to pf dnce those ' sonnd
and can she learn TT N two vaars
No, sir! In five or Shears, S hard stud
pupil may learn to exentetbose n;ecf
and express them in a t0erablv eecen
able manner. BY hard pfctice mea
six or eight hours practice Adav. Tbe1
again you see the difficulty c expres