ng strength. These exercises are now
world famous, and it would be hard for me to imagine anything better for
this particular purpose. They are somewhat voluminous, but necessarily
so. One conspicuous difficulty with which teachers have to contend is
that pupils attempt pieces requiring great digital strength without ever
having gone through such a course as I advocate above. The result is
that they have all sorts of troubles with their hands through strain.
Some of these troubles are irremediable, others are curable, but cause
annoying delays. I have never had anything of this sort and attribute my
immunity from weeping sinews, etc., to correct hand positions, a loose
wrist and slow systematic work in my youth.

VELOCITY

Velocity depends more upon natural elasticity than strength. Some people
seem to be born with the ability to play rapidly. It is always a matter
of the fingers, but is more a matter of the brain. Some people have the
ability to think very rapidly, and when these people have good supple
hands they seem to be able to play rapidly with comparatively little
study. When you fail to get velocity at first, do not hesitate to lay
the piece aside for several weeks, months or years. Then you will
doubtless find that the matter of velocity will not trouble you. Too
much study upon a piece that fails for the time being to respond to
earnest effort is often a bad thing. Be a little patient. It will all
come out right in the end. If you fuss and fume for immediate results
you may be sadly disappointed.

TALENT

Talent is great and immutable. Take the case of Liszt, for instance. I
recently heard from a reliable source the following interesting story:
One day Liszt was called away from his class at Wiemar by an invitation
to visit the Grand Duke. Von Buelow, then a mature artist, was present,
and he was asked by Liszt to teach the class for the day. Liszt left the
room, and a young student was asked to play one of Liszt's own
compositions. Von Buelow did not like the youth's interpretation, as he
had been accustomed to play the same work on tour in a very different
manner. Consequently he abused the student roundly, and then sat at the
keyboard and was playing to his great satisfaction when the tottering
old master broke in the room and with equal severity reprimanded Von
Buelow, and sat down at the keyboard and gave an interpretation that was
infinitely superior to that of Von Buelow. It was simply a case o