pecially of octave practise
as being eminently beneficial. They feel these things are essential to
the acquiring of a fine technic, and keeping it up to concert pitch.

Some artists are partial to certain technical studies. Bachaus highly
recommends those of Brahms, for instance. All artists use Bach in
connection with their technic practise; in fact the works of Bach may be
considered to embody pure technic principles, and pianists and teachers
consider them a daily necessity.

INVENTING EXERCISES

Together with their studies in pure technic alone, the artists invent
exercises out of the pieces they study, either by playing passages
written for both hands with one hand, by turning single notes into
octaves, by using more difficult fingering than necessary, thus bringing
into use the weaker fingers, changing the rhythm, and in numerous other
ways increasing the effort of performance, so that when the passage is
played as originally written, it shall indeed seem like child's play.

Another means to acquire technical mastery is through transposition. One
would think Bach's music difficult enough when performed as written, but
the artists think nothing of putting it through the different keys.
Burnham relates that during early lessons with Dr. Mason, that master
gave him a Bach Invention to prepare, casually remarking it might be
well to memorize it. The simple suggestion was more than sufficient, for
the ambitious pupil presented himself at the next lesson with not only
that particular Invention learned by heart, but likewise the whole set!
De Pachmann, in his eagerness to master the technic and literature of
the piano, says that when a Bach Prelude and Fugue was on one occasion
assigned him by his teacher, he went home and learned the whole
twenty-four, which he was able to play in every key for the next lesson!

SLOW PRACTISE

The question is often put to artists: "Do you deem it necessary to work
for velocity, or do you practise the composition much at the required
speed?" Many pianists practise very slowly. This was William H.
Sherwood's custom. Harold Bauer believes velocity to be inherent in the
individual, so that when the passage is thoroughly comprehended it can
be played at the necessary rate of speed. Bachaus testifies he seldom
works for velocity, saying that if he masters the passage he can play it
at any required tempo. "I never work for velocity as some do," he
remarks. "I seldom practise fast, fo