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Matthay 

The act of touch In all its 

diversity 




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SIP I' 7 1979 
NOV S 1 1979 



PIANOFORTE 
TONE-PRODUCTION 



BY TOBIAS MATTHAY 



THE ACT OF TOUCH IN ALL 
ITS DIVERSITY. An analysis and 
synthesis of Pianoforte Tone-Production. 

15s. Od. 

THE FIRST PRINCIPLES 0* 
PIANOFORTE PLAYING. Being 
an extract from the author's " THE ACT OF 
TOUCH." Designed for school use, and in- 
cluding two new chapters, DIRECTIONS FOR 

LEARNERS AND ADVICE TO TEACHERS. 6s. Od. 

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

ACT OF TOUCH " and " FIRST PRINCIPLES." 

3s. Od 



THE ACT OF 

TOUCH 

IN ALL ITS DIVERSITY 

AN ANALYSIS AND SYNTHESIS OF 

PIANOFORTE TONE-PRODUCTION 



BY 

TOBIAS MATTHAY 



BOSWORTH & CO. LTD., 

14/18 HEDDON STREET, 

REGENT STREET, 

LONDON, W.I 



COPYRIGHT, 1903 BY, 

LONGMANS, GREEN AND CO. 



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 
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Printed in Great Britain 



Cfo 

MY BLIX>W WORKERS AT THE 
PIANOFORTE 

STUDENTS, ARTISTS, AND TEACHERS 



" Tnere can be no effect without a cause" 



PREFACE. 

ABILITY to understand and feel Music, and ability to com- 
municate such perceptions to otters by means of an instru- 
ment, are twq totally distinct accomplishments. They have 
often been confused, owing- to the fact, that it is impossible 
to achieve a really satisfactory musical performance without 
their 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 Jeey- 
depression* 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 
(staccato and legato), as well as all the contrasts of Tone-in- 
flection depend solely and directly on the nature of this act ; 
and it is therefore upon our expertness in the AKT of Touch 
that the whole superstructure of Pianoforte-playing rests. 
The Art of Touch may indeed be concisely defined as : com- 
mand over the Means of Expression. 

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 average 
Intelligence. Its precise place in the scheme of Piano- 

forte Education need not here be further dilated upon, since 

vii 



PBEFACE. 

Part I. is devoted to that purpose ; and the reader is referred 
to the Summary of this Part, on page 40. 

A performer can indeed prove himself to be musical only 
to the extent of his command over touch variety. It is the 
constant flow of note to note touch-inflections that forces one 
to 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 
by human fingers, immeasurably superior to the most com- 
plex one obtained by mechanical agency, however perfect the 
machine. 

Although it is only thus, by perfecting himself in the Art of 
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 direct 
instruction in it. True, it was recognised that the 

musically endowed evinced a " finer touch " than did others less 
endowed ; but this, it was assumed, was owing solely to some 
occult influence over the keyboard, the possession of which 
enabled the favoured ones to produce tone of a better quality 
and of finer gradations ; and there is some half-truth in this, 
for it is 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, moreover, that the necessity of ra- 

tionally studying this problem has lately made itself keenly 
felt, 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 faulty 
habits (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 ration- 
ally 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 position 
directly 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 under- 
stand 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 in futile experiments, and in form- 
ing bad habits. 

As I have now for a great number of years applied such 
Analysis and Synthesis of Touch in my daily work of teaching, 
doing so always with increasing directness, and mainly as- 
cribe such success as I have had as a teacher -(and my pupils, 
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 widely 
accessible, 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 dilemma 
to face : that innumerable prejudices and fallacies would have 
to 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 School- 
room) might render its teachings 'liable to misconception, and 
unacceptable to the prejudiced.- > . 

. To- overcome this difficulty, the work has been laid out in 
four Parts, as follows : Part I, is purely introductory, and 
purposes to show the relation the study of Touch bears to the 
general problems of Pianoforte-education. This is followed 
by the practical Parts, II to IV. Part II, " The instru- 

mental aspect of Key-treatment," demonstrates the nature of 
the mechanical difficulties to be overcome, what are the re- 
quirements of the key, and' how the key must be treated for 
each kind of effect Part III, " The muscular-aspect of Key- 
treatment," exhibits the nflisciilar difficulties of the pt6blem, 
and their solution the muscular means we must adopt, to ful- 
fil the* key's requirements/ Finally, /^art IV deals with the 



PEEFAOE. XI 

positional aspect of the subject 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 num- 
ber of chapters, providing explanatory details ; each of these 
chapters being followed by a BECAPETIILATIOK, and each of the 
Parts again by a SUMMABY; the concluding chapter of the 
work, moreover, giving a Glossary of the whole. A system of 
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 
fact, form a work complete in itself, a digest or extract, de- 
signed for school use. This Digest or Extract, is in- 
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 stud- 
ies, etc. The Student can apply its teachings at any 
stage of his progress, since it applies in all cases, whatever 
the system of teaching or exercises adopted in other respects. 
The Artist can learn from it the reason of his greater 
or lesser success technically, and how further to improve his 
powers of Expression. The Teacher will find it useful 
at every step ; and finally the Critic can find in it a basis for 
his technical opinions. 

This work may presently be followed by an extra Part 
Part Y, giving certain exercises for acquiring Muscular-dis- 
crimination, which have been found useful in direct teaching. 

Coming now to the end of the years of labour expended on 
this little volume, the late Professor TYNDALL'S words recur 



3JB PREFACE. 

to me : "The ease with, which an essay is read, is often a meas- 
ure of the laboriousness with which it has been written ; " 
and in concluding-, I can only express the liope that my read- 
ers may find some measure of correspondence between 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-im- 
posed task, and to acknowledge the valuable help given me in 
the revision of the proofs, etc., by Mrs. Kennedy-Fraser, of 
Edinburgh, 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. 

III. The Summary of each chapter. 

IV. The Text of each chapter, with re-study of the Eeca- 
pitulatories. 

V. The [Recapitulatory or Summary of each Part, to con- 
centrate the knowledge acquired. 

VI. The student should afterwards constantly refer to the 
Recapitulatories, whenever he perceives technical difficulties 
between himself and his interpretative intentions. 



The reader may here be warned against a mistake often 
made, viz. : the assumption, that an author must needs be in 
the wrong, because a reader fails to understand the facts dealt 
with ! 

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 op- 
position to doctrines faithfully clung to for years ! Only 
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 are 
subjected to examination. 



OOITTEBTTS. 



PART L INTRODUCTORY. 
CHAPTER I. 

PREA.MBLE. 

PA.GE 

rhe absurdity of attempting to teach Pianoforte Playing, without teaching 
the Elements of l ' Touch ". Comparison of Empiric with RatipnaF, 
or Direct, methods of teaching. Practice unprofitable, unless it tends 
towards the acquisition of Variety in- Touch) through the formation of 
correct habits. Only by a preliminary practical understanding of 
the Laws of Tone-production can this be ensured. Such understand- 
ing insufficient by itself, the rules of procedure must be fixed into 
Mental-Muscular Habit. The form of Attention a fully-trained Artist 
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 correct forms of tone-production, the Less-talented 
will probably fail. Tone-production discovered by accident is easily 
forgotten ; whereas, this is not likely, once the facts are understood. 
The 'rational method of acquiring Tone-production premises know- 
ledge of the laws that govern it. The formation of correct habits of 
Touch is ensured, when we understand what Treatment the Key re- 
quires for each different kind of sound, and the nature of the Mus- 
cular-Conditions by means of which such Key-treatment can be 
fulfilled. Three' stages of acquaintanceship are possible with regard 
to Tone-production, viz.: (a) Ability to obtain the effects from the in- 
stfiirnent, while ignorant of the processes adopted ; (b) Understand- 
ing 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. 

PAGS 

Successful Performance consists in the combination of two distinct proc- 
esses : the mental act of Musical Perception, and the physical act 
leading to its Execution. The first process implies Musicianship ; the 
second, Executantship. Neither avails, unless Attention is forthcom- 
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, imply- 
ing 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 in- 
volves special training for the particular instrument ; it implies Abil- 
ity to draw from it every effect dictated by our Musicianship, and 
our Artistic-sense . 9 



CHAPTER III. 

THE PKOBLEM OF EDUCATION IN THE ABT OF TONE-PRODUCTION. 

The Art of Tone-production comprises the production of all possible 
Sound-effects from the instrument : those of Tone-Quantity; those of 
Tone-Quality ; those of Continuance ; it includes also the attainment 
of Agility. The laws of Tone-Production apply equally to everyone, 
gifted and non-gifted. Certain endowments render easier the acquisi- 
tion of Agility ; these are distinct from those which constitute a large 
Pianoforte- Voice, Even the smallest natural Piano-voice, when prop- 
erly produced, is capable of far larger volume of tone, and its mod- 
ifications, than is generally supposed possible. "tifE " fingers and 
wrists also indicate faulty habits, rather than natural incapacity. 
Facility in Tone-production rests on knowledge and physical attain- 
ments, in two distinct directions : Instrumental education and Muscu- 
lar 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 muscu- 
lar-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 pro- 
cess of Elimination of not-required activities. The result is Freedom 
of action. The needful muscular activities and inactivities produce 
two distinct classes of effects ; Visible effects, in the shape of move- 
ments, 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 excita- 
tion> during such process of Muscular-education. The Second step 
in muscular-education demands a keyboard, and that of a good 
instrument. We must here learn to time the muscular-act both to 
commence and to cease at the right moment. We must learn to 
gauge the intensity of the Muscular-act in obedience to the needs of 
the Key^ before, during, and after its descent . . , ,25 



CHAPTER V. 

THE FINAL PROBLEM I 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* 
act, of requisite intensity, to 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 musi- 
cally -intended moment of tone-excitation. Only through the Ear can 
we be promptly enough notified of the moment when the act of 
*' Touch " is consummated : the moment of transition from Silence 
to Sound. Alertness of Ear, hence, the final and most important 
problem of Executive-education. Final definition of the Four Ele- 
ments which together constitute the Act of Attention required in per- 
formance. Warning not to forget the ultimate Object in endeavour- 
ing to fulfil the Means. Even Attention itself must not be given for 
its own sake. In performance, our consciousness must always be a 
supreme desire to perceive Music, for the sake of communicating it . 30 
b 



CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER V,L 
CONCLUSION, AND SUMMARY. 

PAGE, 

Realization of the components of Pianoforte Education will enable us to 
locate each fault. This will enable us to correct each fault separately, 
the quickest and surest way.i It will enable us the better to Prac- 
tise, Criticise, Play, and Teach . . . . , * . 37 

Summary, a Table, giving the relationship of the various components of 
Pianoforte Education 1 ..'... 40 

APPENDIX TO PART I. 

NOTE I. On Listening . . . . . . . - , .40 

NOTE II. Onfihythm 41 

NOTE III. As to Gymnastics . . . . . . . .42 

NOTE IV. Piano-talent ......... 42 

NOTE V. As to SeHf-consciousness and Nervousness . . . .43 

NOTE VI. Musical Feeling 43 



PART IL KEY-TREATMENT FROM ITS INSTRU- 
MENTAL ASPECT. 

CHAPTER VII. 

PREAMBLE : THE MAIN INSTRUMENTAL PACTS. 

The Pianoforte consists of 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 to 
culminate coincidently with the moment that tone begins to appear. 
Hitting or Striking the key is as fallacious as Pressing it upon its bed. 
t We must realise the key's weight and resistance through the finger- 
tip, and must : overcome this resistance so as to aim the hammer-end 
of the key against the string. Thus used, the key forms bui} a me- 
chanical elongation of the finger. The act of f aiming involved jn cre- 
ating 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 the 



COKTEFTS. XIX 

PAG3 

manner of its application must be determined suddenly applied 
energy creates fs brilliant " tone, harsh" and non-carrying; gradually 
applied energy creates " sympathetic " tone, singing and carrying. 
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 culmina- 
tion of each key-descent must be made to coincide with such in- - . 
tention ........... 47 

CHAPTER VIII. 

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 Mech- 
anism Firstly : A compound Lever, to facilitate the transmission of 
speed to the string its resemblance to a see-saw, since all speed trans- 
mission-power vanishes with the key's full depression Secondly : The 
Escapement, to allow the hammer to fall away from the string the 
moment that tone- production is completed. The Repetition contriv- 
ance Thirdly; 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 simultane- 
ously Correct Pedalling The Sostenente pedal Sixthly : The Una 
Corda pedal and its substitutes. Recapitulation . . . .52 

CHAPTER IX. 

ON SOUND. 

The physical nature of Sound. Concussions travel through the air as 
areas of alternate compression and rarefaction. We are unable to iden- 
tify air-concussions individually when repeated more frequently than 
about sixteen per second. Beyond that speed they blur into a contin- 
uous ear-impression. The sensation of Noise arises when the ear-im- 
pression is derived from an irregular sequence of impacts. We hear a 
Musical-note when the continuous ear-impression arises from a reg- 
ular sequence of impacts. The Pitch of a note depends on the com- 
ponent number of impacts that form such ear-impression; the ear 
counts these component impacts and delivers the result as a musical- 
sensation ; the higher the number, the higher the note. Loudness de- 
pends on the intensity, of the individual air-disturbances, the more 
violent the vibrations the louder is the sound. A sound wave reaching 
us may be simple in its structure, or compound. Thence arises the 
sensation of difference in the Quality of the sound, a powerful means 
a>f expressjqn . , . ,. ,:. ,. ,,, , , * , , ..,, , ; . 64 



XX CONTENTS. 



CHAFTEB X. 

THE STRIN0, ITS BEHAVIOUR DURING THE VARIOUS FORMS OF TONE-PRO- 
DUCTION. 

PAGE. 

We create sound from the Pianoforte by causing a String or set of strings 
to move. The string, in moving, beats the air, and is said to vibrate. 
The length, tension and thickness of the string determines how of- 
ten per second it will be compelled to complete its vibration. The 
actual Speed with which the string moves must not be confused with 
this rate of vibration. 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 free 
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 
shortest Staccato. It is quite distinct from the act of retaining the* 
Key depressed, whence arises Tenuto and Legato. Loudness depends 
upon the extent of ground covered by the string during each vibra- 
tion. The string's vibrations are necessarily completed during the 
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 man- 
ner 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- 
result 69 



CHAPTER XI 

THE KEY THE STRING-MOVING IMPLEMENT ITS BEHAVIOUR AND REQUIRE- 
MENTS 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 lever- 
age-system, with all its attached contrivances. Weight and muscular- 
energy have to be brought to bear upon our end of this lever ; they 
are translated by it into Speed at the hammer-end. The key consid- 
ered as a mechanical continuation of our finger. >A11 application