About Runs

How often do pupils complain, "I cannot play a fast run!" Groups of short values, and especially runs, mean something as a whole, in their totality; the short values have little quality, and must not be singled out by high finger action or special pressure, unless, indeed, for some distinct purpose. A good way of practicing scales is, with both hands, at the distance of one octave apart, playing four octaves, up and down; at first slowly, softly, evenly, slightly accenting the first tone of each four, and resting awhile on the last or highest, and repeating this before descending; the fingers, well curved, ought to play on the cushion or fleshy tip of the finger, not the nail, rising little, but evenly and entirely of their own effort, or without help from the hand or arm, with a quiet, passive and slightly elevated wrist, low elbows, arms moving freely and loosely in the shoulder, without the upper part of the body, well balanced and ever moving in the direction of the run. H. H. Haas.