61-28007 786.3 *3ac Matthay The act of touch In all itsdiversity

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SIP I'7 1979

NOV

S 1 1979

PIANOFORTE TONE-PRODUCTION

BY TOBIAS MATTHAYITS THEsynthesis

ACT OF TOUCHDIVERSITY.of

INanalysis

ALLand

An

Pianoforte

Tone-Production.

15s. Od.

PLAYING. Being " an extract from the author's THE ACT OF TOUCH." Designed for school use, and innew chapters, DIRECTIONS FOR LEARNERS AND ADVICE TO TEACHERS. 6s. Od.cluding two

PIANOFORTE THE

FIRST PRINCIPLES 0*

COMMENTARIES ON THE OF PIANOFORTE TECHNIQUE. A Supplement to "THE

TEACHING SOMEACT OF TOUCH3s.

"

and

"

FIRST

PRINCIPLES."

Od

THE ACT OF

TOUCHIN

ALL ITS DIVERSITY

AN ANALYSIS AND SYNTHESIS OF

PIANOFORTE TONE-PRODUCTION

BY

TOBIAS MATTHAY

BOSWORTH &14/18

CO. LTD.,

STREET, REGENT STREET, LONDON, W.I

HEDDON

LONGMANS, GREEN AND CO.

COPYRIGHT, 1903 BY,

First Edition

December 1903 Reprinted May 1905

Reprinted September 1911 Febr ruary 1914 June 1916 July 1919 April 1921 July 1924 February 1926 September 1928 February 1935 October 1943 February 1945 May 1947 January 1950 May 1954

Printed in Great Britain

Cfo

MY

BLIX>W WORKERS AT THE

PIANOFORTESTUDENTS, ARTISTS, AND TEACHERS

"

Tnere can be no

effect

without

a cause"

PREFACE.ABILITY to understand and feel Music, and ability to communicate such perceptions to otters by means of an instrument, are twq totally distinct accomplishments. They have often been confused, owing- to the fact, that it is impossibleto achieve a really satisfactory musical performance without

happy combination. To become pianoforte players, we must learn Music, and must acquire Taste, but we can only succeed in expressing what we feel, musically, by means of the physical act of Jeeytheirdepression*

In short, the purely physical act of playing consists solely of an ACT of Touch, an act of Tone-production.

All the gradations of Agility (fleetness of finger), Duration(staccatoflection

and

legato), as well as all the contrasts of Tone-in;

and

it

depend solely and directly on the nature of this act is therefore upon our expertness in the AKT of Touchof Pianoforte-playing rests.:

that the whole superstructure

The Art

of

mand over

the

Touch may indeed be concisely defined as Means of Expression.

com-

This Art thus forms the very Foundation (the Elements or Budiments) of Pianoforte-playing; and it can no more be a

"gift" (as so often supposed) than is the art of articulate Speech itself ; for it can be acquired by every person of averageIntelligence.forte

Its precise place in the

scheme

of Piano-

Education need not here be further dilated upon, sincevii

PBEFACE.PartI. is; and the reader is referred on page 40. Summary performer can indeed prove himself to be musical only

devoted to that purposeof this Part,

to the

A

to the extent of his

command

over touch variety.

It is the

constant flow of note to note touch-inflections that forces oneto realize that a performer is a sentient being.

And it is

just;

this Art of Touch, that will for ever defy mechanical imitation

and

will for ever render the simplest performance, coloured

fingers, immeasurably superior to the most comone obtained by mechanical agency, however perfect the plex machine. Although it is only thus, by perfecting himself in the Art of

by human

Touch, that the player can obtain the means of expressing his musical sensibilities, yet until within quite recent years the paramount necessity of studying this problem had not be-

gun to dawn upon teachers, artists, and students. As the true fundamentals of this Art remained practically unrecognized, no serious attempt could be made to give directit. True, it was recognised that the endowed evinced a " finer touch " than did others less musically endowed but this, it was assumed, was owing solely to some occult influence over the keyboard, the possession of which

instruction in

;

enabled the favoured ones to produce tone of a better quality

andfor

of finer gradationsit is

;

and there

is

some

half-truth in this,

certain that the possession of a musical ear,

and a

strong wish for musical expression, will undoubtedly compel the player to experiment at the keyboard, until he does sooner or later discover for himself at least some of the mechanical

Means that will conduce to success. True, also, that *he more serious teachers have insisted upon the necessity of good quality and variety of Touch. But even the greatest, so;ar,

have relied almost exclusively upon empirical method*

PREFACE.

IX

or upon the force of Example. Or they have insisted upon what is after all a mere accompaniment of good touch, i e. Position and Movement thus placing "the cart before the:

horse."

True

it is,

tionally studying thisfelt,

moreover, that the necessity of raproblem has lately made itself keenly

especially in America.

How

pressing this need

is,

be-

comes only too painfully evident, when one has to teach those who have already formed wrong muscular-habits, and when one is compelled to witness the ineffectual struggles of many even of the musically endowed in the Examination-room, and Concert-room, who, were they not thus handicapped by faultyhabits (acquired through ignorance of these Rudiments) could give free vent to the powers of perception and imagination

evidently latent in them Obviously the only way to succeed in the attempt rationally to learn and teach the Act of Touch in all its immense va!

riety, is, first to discover

through ANALYSIS

how the

successful

players obtain their effects, and then to test such Analysis, by observing whether the act of touch, built up in accordance with such analysis, does give the anticipated tonal-results.

Having thus determined the structure of all varieties of touch, and the permits to Agility, we ought then to be in a positiondirectly to help ourselves

and others towards their

acquisition.

The Means

of Touch-variety or

Key-treatment having thus

been analysed, it follows that all who will take the trouble to master the subject all who will take the trouble to understand the requirements of Key and Muscle, and will take the trouble to form these into physical and mental habits will

be able to acquire the language of Expression. Everyone may thus be enabled to gain power of Agility and Colouring and even the musically endowed, may, by directly acquiring a tone-palette (or Touch-palette) thus save years of time, which;

X

PREFACE.

,

would otherwise be wasted ing bad habits.

in futile experiments,

and in form-

for a great number of years applied such and Synthesis of Touch in my daily work of teaching, Analysis doing so always with increasing directness, and mainly ascribe such success as I have had as a teacher -(and my pupils,

As I have now

also, as teachers) to the resulting ability to

point out

J/ie

im-

mediate causes of the observed faults, and indirect means of their correction to the ability to show explicity HOW to command the

physical fulfilment of each interpretative and technical detail, I have long been urged to render this knowledge more widelyaccessible,

and the present

little

work

is

the result.

In endeavouring to place the many unfamiliar facts and new ideas before the reader, there was however this dilemmathat innumerable prejudices and fallacies would have be combated, and that to do this would render the treatise too elaborate for the Schoolroom whereas, to limit" it to direct information in its concisest form (as required' for the Schoolto face:

to

;

room) might render

its teachings 'liable to misconception, and unacceptable to the prejudiced.To- overcome this difficulty, the work has been laid out in>. .

Part I, is purely introductory, and four Parts, as follows to show the relation the study of Touch bears to the purposes:

general problems of Pianoforte-education. This is followed " Part II, The instruby the practical Parts, II to IV.

mental aspect of Key-treatment," demonstrates the nature of the mechanical difficulties to be overcome, what are the requirements of the key, and' how the key must be treated for " each kind of effect Part III, The muscular-aspect of Keytreatment," exhibits the nflisciilar difficulties of the pt6blem,

and their solutionfil

the muscular

means we must adopt,

to ful-

the* key's

requirements/ Finally, /^art

IV

deals with the

PEEFAOE.positional aspect of the subject

XI

the postures and movements

which

must,, or

may, accompany correct key-treatment.

Each

of these practical Parts consists first of a Preamble, giving a

general idea of the matter to be dealt with, followed by a number of chapters, providing explanatory details ; each of these chapters being followed by a BECAPETIILATIOK, and each of theParts again by a SUMMABY; the concluding chapter of the work, moreover, giving a Glossary of the whole. system of

A

Notes accompanies the

text,

and Appendices, which follow each

Part, give further opportunity for detailed instruction.

In this way, the close enquirer

may

obtain full information

in the chapters, while the less advanced student can

be

re*

ferred to these Recapitulatories and Summaries. These, in a digest or extract, defact, form a work complete in itself,

This Digest or Extract, is insigned for school use. tended for publication in a separate form later on, to render it more easily available for such purpose.

The work,

it

will

be seen,

is entirely

explanatory.

It has

nothing to do with any particular system of exercises or studThe Student can apply its teachings at any ies, etc. stage of his progress, since it applies in all cases, whateverthe system of teaching or exercises adopted in other respects. The Artist can learn from it the reason of his greateror lesser success technically,of Expression.;

powers

and how further to improve his The Teacher will find it useful

at every step

and

finally the Critic can find in it a basis for

his technical opinions.

presently be followed by an extra Part Part Y, giving certain exercises for acquiring Muscular-dis-

This work

may

crimination, which have been found useful in direct teaching.

Coming now

this little volume, the

to the end of the years of labour expended on late Professor TYNDALL'S words recur

3JB

PREFACE.:

to

ease with, which an essay is read, is often a meas" ure of the laboriousness with which it has been written ;

me "The

and iners

concluding-, I can only express the liope that

may

find

some measure

of correspondence!

my readbetween my

labour in this instance, and its result

I must also here take the opportunity of thanking the many kind friends who have encouraged me in my self-imthe revision of the proofs,

posed task, and to acknowledge the valuable help given me in etc., by Mrs. Kennedy-Fraser, ofEdinburgh, and others.TOBIAS MATTHAT.

REOOMMENDA TION.In studying- this work, each of the fonr Parts should be taken in the following- order I. The Preamble to each Part. II. The Contents of each chapter.:

The Summary of each chapter. IV. The Text of each chapter, with re-studyIII.

of the Eeca-

pitulatories.

V. The [Recapitulatory or Summary of each Part, to concentrate the knowledge acquired. VI. The student should afterwards constantly refer to theRecapitulatories, whenever he perceives technical difficulties between himself and his interpretative intentions.

against a mistake often the assumption, that an author must needs be in made, the wrong, because a reader fails to understand the facts dealt withviz.:

The reader may here be warned

!

Granted;, that

it is

wrong

to accept any teachings unless

one's reason is convinced of their truth, nevertheless it is still more deeply wrong, to be convinced that such teachings are

untrue, because they happen, perhaps, to be in complete opOnly position to doctrines faithfully clung to for years!

by a rigid analysis of facts can we hope to eliminate untruth, and the author begs for such test, convinced as he is that the facts here stated become only the clearer, the more they aresubjected to examination.

OOITTEBTTS.

PART L INTRODUCTORY.CHAPTERPREA.MBLE.PA.GEI.

rhe absurdity of attempting to teach Pianoforte Playing, without teaching the Elements of Touch ". Comparison of Empiric with RatipnaF, or Direct, methods of teaching. Practice unprofitable, unless it tendsl '

towards the acquisition of Varietycorrect habits.

in-

Touch) through the formation ofpractical understanding of

Only by a preliminary

of Tone-production can this be ensured. Such understanding insufficient by itself, the rules of procedure must be fixed into Mental-Muscular Habit. The form of Attention a fully-trained Artist

the

Laws

gives during the act of performance, must hence widely differ from that required from a Learner. Comparison of the Accidental with the Rational methods of attaining Touch. The Highly-talented may

happen

to discover correctfail.

will probably

forgotten

;

forms of tone-production, the Less-talented Tone-production discovered by accident is easily whereas, this is not likely, once the facts are understood.

of acquiring Tone-production premises knowledge of the laws that govern it. The formation of correct habits of Touch is ensured, when we understand what Treatment the Key requires for each different kind of sound, and the nature of the Mus-

The 'rational method

cular-Conditionsfulfilled.

by means of which such Key-treatment can be

Three' stages of acquaintanceship are possible with regard to Tone-production, viz.: (a) Ability to obtain the effects from the instfiirnent, while ignorant of the processes adopted (b) Understanding the nature of these processes, how key and limb have to be treated for each effect ; (c) Perception of the reason for such,;, '

ment

.

.

,

,

.

.

.

.

,'

,

.

*

XVi

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER

IL

THE PBOBLEM OF PIANOFOKTE TRAINING.PAGSSuccessful Performance consists in the combination of two distinct processes : the mental act of Musical Perception, and the physical act leading to its Execution. The first process implies Musicianship the is forthcomsecond, Executantship. Neither avails, unless Attention;

ing from both sides during the act of performance. Musicianship has a dual aspect the Emotional, and the Intellectual both sides must be trained. Emotional training permits us to feel Music Intellectual training permits us to see the Musical Shapes through which Feeling is expressed. Executantship similarly has a dual aspect one, implying Artistic Judgment, and the other, implying Command over the Art of Tone-Production. Artistic- judgment comprises (a) Famili: ; ; : :

arity with the possible Instrumental effects ; (b) Judgment, as to their appropriate Application ; and (c) Keenness of Pulsational-Sense,

of perception of Time-lapse. Command over Tone-Production involves special training for the particular instrument it implies Abil;

ity to draw from our Artistic-sense

it

every effect dictated by our Musicianship, and.

9

CHAPTERTHE PKOBLEM OF EDUCATIONThe ArtIN

III.

THE ABT OF TONE-PRODUCTION.

of Tone-production comprises the production of all possible Sound-effects from the instrument : those of Tone-Quantity; those of;

Tone-Qualityof Agility.

those of Continuance

;

it

includes also the attainment

of Tone-Production apply equally to everyone, gifted and non-gifted. Certain endowments render easier the acquisition of Agility ; these are distinct from those which constitute a large

The laws

Even the smallest natural Piano-voice, when propcapable of far larger volume of tone, and its mod"tifE " fingers and ifications, than is generally supposed possible. wrists also indicate faulty habits, rather than natural incapacity. Facility in Tone-production rests on knowledge and physical attainPianoforte- Voice,erly produced,is

ments, in two distinct directions Instrumental education and Muscular Education. The Key-treatment required for each kind of sound must be understood and the muscular Conditions consummating each shade of treatment must be forthcoming: ;

CONTENTS.

SVU

CHAPTER

IT.

THE PROBLEM OP MUSCULAR EDUCATION.PAGE

Consists of two steps. "We must learn to discriminate the right muscular-conditions from the wrong ones ; we must then learn to apply these correctly-discriminated Conditions to the Keyboard, both as

regards amount and duration. The First step in Muscular-education can be carried out apart from the Pianoforte keyboard. It is a process of Elimination of not-required activities. The result is Freedomof action.

The needful muscular;

activities

and

inactivities

produce

two

Visible effects, in the shape of movements, and Invisible effects in the shape of stresses and tensions.The mode of imparting the Visible actions ; also, the Invisible actions. Warning not to overlook ultimate Object, Sound excitadistinct classes of effects

during such process of Muscular-education. The Second step in muscular-education demands a keyboard, and that of a goodtion>

instrument.

We must here learnof

to time the muscular-act both to

commence and

to cease at the right

moment.

We

must learn

to

gauge the intensity

the Muscular-act in obedience to the needs of . . , the Key^ before, during, and after its descent

,25

CHAPTERTHE FINAL PROBLEMI

V.

THE UNION OF EXECUTION WITH CONCEPTION.

The completion

of the act of Tone-production arises at a definite point in Key-descent, and at a definite moment of Time ; herein lies the means of Union. This Union is accomplished, by timing a muscular*

culminate the mechanical operation upon the key in absolute correspondence with the degree and time which our conception of the Music demands for each note. Execution fulfils Conception, when Key-arrival "at Sound" corresponds with the musiOnly through the Ear can cally -intended moment of tone-excitation. we be promptly enough notified of the moment when the act ofact, of requisite intensity, to

to Sound.

consummated the moment of transition from Silence Alertness of Ear, hence, the final and most important problem of Executive-education. Final definition of the Four Elements which together constitute the Act of Attention required in pernot to forget the ultimate Object in endeavourformance.*'

Touch

"

is

:

Warning

its

Even Attention itself must not be given for In performance, our consciousness must always be a supreme desire to perceive Music, for the sake of communicating it . bing tofulfil

the Means.

own

sake.

30

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER

V,LPAGE,

CONCLUSION, AND SUMMARY.Realization of the components of Pianoforte Education will enable us to This will enable us to correct each fault separately, locate each fault.tise, Criticise,

the quickest and surest way.i It will enable us the better to Prac. , Play, and Teach..

.

*

Summary, a Table, giving the relationship of the various components of 1 Pianoforte Education

..'...I..

.

37

40

APPENDIX TO PARTNOTE I. On Listening NOTE II. Onfihythm NOTE III. As to Gymnastics NOTE IV. Piano-talent NOTE V. As to SeHf-consciousness and NOTE VI. Musical Feeling.. ..

.

.

.

-

,

.4041

..........

.

.

.

.

.

.424243

Nervousness

.

.

.

.43

PART

IL

KEY-TREATMENT FROM ITS INSTRUMENTAL ASPECT.CHAPTERPREAMBLE:

VII.PACTS.

THE MAIN INSTRUMENTAL

The Pianoforte

two distinct portions, the instrument proper, and the set of machines provided to excite it into sound. The Sounding-board with its strings forms the instrument proper, The Key with all its appurtenances forms the exciting Tool. This only serves to transmit Speed to the string. Sound can only be excited by giving Motion to the Key, nothing else forma Tone-production. The application of Energy must be so Timed during key-descent, as toconsists of

t

culminate coincidently with the moment that tone begins to appear. Hitting or Striking the key is as fallacious as Pressing it upon its bed. We must realise the key's weight and resistance through thefinger-

aim the hammer-end of the key against the string. Thus used, the key forms bui} a mechanical elongation of the finger. The act of aiming involved jn creating String-speed, by means of the hammer-end, inpludes three points (a) the full key-speed intended must be reached as the soun4 arises (b) the Energy .applied must cease at that moment (cj thetip,:

and must overcome

this resistance so as to

f

:

;

;

COKTEFTS.of its application must be determined suddenly applied " fs energy creates brilliant tone, harsh" and non-carrying; gradually " " applied energy creates sympathetic tone, singing and carrying.

XIXPAG3

manner

The first lesson of key-treatment is, that every note must be musically intended as to Time and Tone the second lesson is, that the culmination of each key-descent must be made to coincide with such intention

...........CHAPTERVIII.

;

.

47

THE INSTRUMENT.

The outer Case

contains the sounding-board, the strings and frame and the Mechanism, or " action." Description of the Sounding-board. The Strings and Frame. Description of the components of the Mechanism Firstly : A compound Lever, to facilitate the transmission of speed to the string its resemblance to a see-saw, since all speed transmission-power vanishes with the key's full depression Secondly : The Escapement, to allow the hammer to fall away from the string the

The Repetition contrivThirdly; The Check, to prevent rebound of the hammer Fourthly ; The Damper, to stop the sound when the key is released fifthly: The Damper-Pedal, which raises all the dampers simultaneanceously

moment that tone- production is completed.

Correct Pedallingits

The Sostenente pedalRecapitulation.

Sixthly :.

The Una.

Corda pedal and

substitutes.

.52

CHAPTERThe physical natureof Sound.

IX.

ON SOUND.areas of alternate compression

and rarefaction.

Concussions travel through the air as We are unable to iden-

tify air-concussions individually

when

repeated more frequently than

about sixteen per second.

Beyond

from a regThe Pitch of a note depends on the comular sequence of impacts. ponent number of impacts that form such ear-impression; the ear counts these component impacts and delivers the result as a musicalsensation the higher the number, the higher the note. Loudness depends on the intensity, of the individual air-disturbances, the more A sound wave reaching violent the vibrations the louder is the sound. us may be simple in its structure, or compound. Thence arises the sensation of difference in the Quality of the sound, a powerful means;

uous ear-impression. The pression is derived from an irregular sequence of impacts. Musical-note when the continuous ear-impression arises

that speed they blur into a continsensation of Noise arises when the ear-im-

We hear a

a>f

expressjqn

.

,

.

,.

,:.

,.

,,,

,

,

*

,

,

..,,

., ;

64

XX

CONTENTS.

CHAFTEBTHESTRIN0, ITS BEHAVIOUR DURING

X.

THE VARIOUS FORMS OF TONE-PROPAGE.

DUCTION.

We create sound from the Pianoforte by causing a String or set of stringsto

move.

The

string, in

moving, beats the

air,

and

is

said to vibrate.

determines how oflength, tension and thickness of the string ten per second it will be compelled to complete its vibration. The actual Speed with which the string moves must not be confused with

The

The sounding-board, owing to its large surface, magnifies the effect of the string-movements for our ear. The string is set in motion by the hammer reaching it, and slightly driving it out of its place of rest. The hammer shares its speed and momentum with the string during this moment of contact. The string is then left freethis rate of vibration.to continue in gradually decreasing movement, unless checked by the damper's descent. The act of tone-production ceases with the first

outward swing of the

string.

Each

act of tone-production is therefore

of exceedingly short duration, never taking longer than it does in the It is quite distinct from the act of retaining the* shortest Staccato.

Loudness depends upon the extent of ground covered by the string during each vibraThe string's vibrations are necessarily completed during the tion. same period of time, whether these vibrations are ample or small in extent the string must hence be made to move faster for a loud note than for a soft note. The Quality of the sound depends upon the manner in which the string is reached. Sudden application of energy causes the harsher harmonics of the string to appear, whereas gradual application of energy causes the string movements to be simpler in character, and therefore more beautiful, pleasant, and carrying in bone-

Key depressed, whence arises Tenuto and Legato.

;

result

69

CHAPTER XITHE KEYTHE STRING-MOVING IMPLEMENT ITS BEHAVIOUR AND REQUIREMENTS DURING THE ACT OF TONE -PRODUCTION,

The key enables us to propel the String into great speed. It is a machine complete for each note. The term Key here includes the whole leverage-system, with all its attached contrivances. Weight and muscularenergy have to be brought to bear upon our end of this lever ; theyare translated byit into Speed at the hammer-end. ered as a mechanical continuation of our finger.

The key consid>A11

application