The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-10-08
AT THE PIANUFORE.
Mechanical Aids II Piano Playing-The
TecIlzicon and the C1avier.

Mechanical Aids II Piano Playing-The
TecIllicon and the CIavier.
Under the head, "Machine Versus
Mind Playing a writer in The Etude
gives expression to the following:
Concerning the use of mechanical aids
to.developing the hands, the truth ap-
pears to lie between the extreme posi-
lions. Mr. Liebling, for instance, says
that when one desires to learn to swim
one goes into the water, and that there
is no case Oh record where ono has ac-
quired the art by pTacticing the motions
upon dry land. Mr.. Cady takes the
ground that playing is entirely a matter
OF musical concept, which, If right, Will
of its o%Vn accord develop a musical
playing, in which speed will come hand
in hand with speed of music thinking.
There is another position illustrated by
Mr.. Virgil, inventor of the practice
clavier, who, for the sake Of showing
what can be done with his apparatus,
has had pupils practice upon it and go to
the piano III public for the first time to
play pieces studied and memorized upon
the clavier, with its dumb keyboard. The
fingers of these pupils are excellent.
Such fingers have never seen upon tho
keyboard, except in the case of very adj
vanced players But tho playing was
wooden and wantiu g in all true musical
feeling.
The truth is that all playing is large
" matter of mind, the concept deter
mining the result One may practice
exercises for the fingers with ever SO
much disciplinary advantage, but wheth
er the fingers will remember these things
in going through their pieces depends
upon what goes along with the finger
habits acquired. Now, the technicon adj
ministers to muscle concept and to mus
Gle concept only. The practice clavier
gives Us at least keyboard concept and
may give rs musical concept OF may
assist US in getting it. ! do not believe
an expressive quality of playing is ever
reached without the fingers and the mu
steal concept having arrived at g nlutu-
al confidence through the approval and
revision Of the car, IS tho playing comes
back 30 ii with its tonal peculiarities.
There are certain elements in the
playing, however, which d teacher can
arrive at more rapidly and certainly by
the aid of the practice clavier than upon
the keyboard. One can develop n heavy
touch. OF quick tDuch, CT a habit of el-
durance, because the clavief can be set
to light or heavy touch, so that the
student is obliged to use at least q GER
tain amount of finger power in order to
produce=the telltale clicks which rep
resent tho conscience of tho instrument.
But the logical Outcome of tho clavier
is a uniform touch, which is never re
quired in playing, for there are scarcely
two notes in succession anywhere in
music which need to oe played with OK
actly the sano degree of power; hence
after using the clavier the student still
has to come back to The keyboard itself
in ordor to find out what kind Of effect
he is really getting, and wherein it
must be modified Ill order to correspond
with the concept. Moreover, it Will
often happen if the pianoforte be & good
one that many small but beautiful mod
ificaticns viii suggest themselves, or
the pianofOrte viii i;uggest them.