Cc Sheet Music” Preparatory Exercises. oe Section I. Preliminary Remarks (1) Dexterity in octave - playing is essentially dependent on the training of the wrist, the as ~ sistance of which is required in two different di- rections; a. In staccato playing, in order that the rise and fall of the hand required by the separation of the tones, may be executed easily and with- out stiffness. b, In legato playing, in order to facilitate the rising and falling of the hand,which has to serve as a weight augmenting the pressure required of the finger depressing the key, thus facilitating a sustained and connected style of execution. For this ri ing and falling are necessary to prevent o- verexertion and exhaustion. In contradistinction a I, Staccato Repeated striking of one and the same key ; fingering 1_5; the simple wrist-stroke. Assuming that the pupil knows the correct attitude of the body and position of the seat, as well as the correct angle between the forearm and upper arm,the simple form of the wrist- stroke re- quires independence of the hand of the arm, which latter must strive to retain its normal position. ‘The up-strokes and down-strokes of the to legato playing, which is based on the simple “finger-stroke from the knuckle this style“legato playing by the aid of the wrist.” int?” we term (2) In the second place, we must consider the training of those fingers which are chiefly employed in octave-playing. The principal finger is the thumb, the fifth and fourth fingers are next in impor — tance,the third and second being utilized only ina very subordinate capacity.The three principal fingers (particularly for the legato execution of successive octaves), for the reason that they are obliged, by the distance be- tween the lower and higher tones of the octave, to 1,4 and5, require special trai assume positions and perform duties at variance with those demanded by the simple finger- legato, oo Playing. hand must be executed as evenly as possible. Ac- cents require a higher up-stroke,so that the down. stroke may gain greater power. Each of the fol- lowing exercises is to be repeated several times in succession in the same manner. The unemployed With increasing facility, the tempo may be accelerated and various degrees of force (p, ff, etc.) may be taken into account fingers should assume an easy attitude.CCD Sheet Music (tm) ~ Kullak ~The Schoo! of Octave Playing, sec. 1 Preliminary School ete, through the entire Chromatic scale.CD Sheet Music (tm) ~ Kullak ~ The School of Octave Playing, see. | Preliminary Schoo! Also practise with the left hand, the right playing the same accompaniment Il. Legato Playing. (1) “Touch” is the technical term for “the velopment of tone” on the pianoforte. In teaching touch, three phases are distinguished: a.The preparatory——the up-stroke (lift). b. The tone-producing——the down-stroke. ©. The tone-sustaining-the clinging pressure of the finger on the key, corresponding to the time-value of the note. The height of the up-stroke is determined by technical and musical requirements. When the fing- er is perceptibly lifted from the key before the down- stroke, the hammer-touch (in the stricter sense) re- sults, But if this lift is barely, or not at all, per- ceptible, we have what is called thespressure-touchy because the sensation in the hand is rather one of pressure than of striking. Although this distinction may be termed more quantitative than specific, long experience in piano-teaching determines me to treat these two styles of touch as separate and distinct. Musically considered, the pressure-touch is chief- ly important by reasonof the greater fullness and roundness of the cantilena. For technical reasons it becomes indispensable whenever one finger (e.g., the thumb) alone has to bind successive tones} be- cause the slightest raising of the finger from the key would prevent the legato effect. (2) Legato octave-playing belongs in the sphere of the pressure-touch. In this style, a strict binding of the tones can be effected only when the fing- ers employed press down the keys, while the weight of the hand augments the power of the sup- porting fingers, bearing down on them during the rising and falling of the wrist. At the same time, the members of the arm are likewise affected; the forearm, more particularly, is obliged to partici- pate in the movements of the hand. Even if the wide octave- stretches admitted of an easy lega- to by means of the “finger-stroke from the knuc- kle-joint?” only fingers 3, 4 and 5 could fulfil the requirements of this style of touch, whereas the thumb, even at the lowest lift from the keys, would immediately destroy the smooth connection, strictly. speaking. (8) The movements which form the essential features of legato octave-playing, can best be il lustrated and learned by pressing down an octave on the white keys with thumb and little finger, and then, without quitting the keys, raising and lowering the hand. The rise and fall should be as nearly equal in height as possible, and in strict rhythm (counted) and even tempo. When this has been learned, all that has to be done is, to retain these same motions while passing from one key to another. After brief study of Exam. ples a,b, od, ¢, and f, choose,