BY WALDEMAR MALMENE.
Mistakes of wrong notes and incorrect fingering are unquestionably the result of careless preparation, young pupils and even older ones not being as careful as they should be in these respects. To practice each hand alone, the exercise to be played to the teacher in moderately slow time, ought to constitute the first lesson of all new works. It is often more difficult to secure a correct fingering than correct notes; therefore the pupil’s attention should be specially drawn to it when a new piece or exercise is given, and special attention directed to such passages as are intricate and more difficult than others.
To correct mistakes it is advisable not only to mark the places, whether wrong notes or fingers have been used, and also to make a mark on the margin, requesting the pupil to practice such passages or phrases until they are faultless before taking up the study of the whole piece or exercise. To learn whether the faulty portions have been carefully studied, the teacher may question the pupil, without letting him open the music, what the faulty parts were, and wherein he had failed.
A pupil who is carefully watched by the teacher will certainly be more circumspect in the future, and be more cautious in the preparation of his lessons.
