er that
will deprive him of becoming a truly great pianist.

INSPIRING THE STUDENT

"Exercises for the mechanical side of pianoforte playing abound. Czerny
alone wrote over one thousand opus numbers. There have also been
valuable attempts to provide books to assist the student in his
technical work, but it should always be remembered that this depends
first of all upon understanding and then upon the ability to translate
that understanding to the instrument.

"There can never be any exercises in the emotional side of the student's
work other than the entire literature of the instrument. One may as well
try to capture the perfume of the flower as define the requirements of
the emotional in pianoforte playing. A great deal may be done to inspire
the student and suggest ideas which may bring him to the proper artistic
appreciation of a passage, but it is this very indefinability which
makes the emotional phase one of the most important of all. Attendance
at the recitals of artistic pianists is of great help in this
connection.

"The student, however, may learn a vast amount about real piano technic
and apply his knowledge to his playing through the medium of the proper
studies. For instance, in the subject of touch alone, there is a vast
store of valuable information which can be gained from a review of the
progressive steps through which this significant phase of the subject
has passed during the last century. The art of piano playing, considered
apart from that of the similar instruments which preceded the piano, is
very little over one hundred years old.

CHANGES IN THE MECHANISM OF THE INSTRUMENT

"During this time many significant changes have been made in the
mechanism of the instrument and in the methods of manufacture. These
changes in the nature of the instrument have in themselves doubtless had
much to do with changes in methods of touch as have the natural
evolutions coming through countless experiments made by teachers and
performers. Thus we may speak of the subject of touch as being divided
into three epochs, the first being that of Czerny (characterized by a
stroke touch), the second being that of the famous Stuttgart
Conservatory (characterized by a pressure touch), and the third or new
epoch which is characterized by weight playing. All my own playing is
based upon the last named method, and I had the honor of being one of
the first to make application of it when I commenced teaching some
twent