ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION, $2.00 p mi mm THE ETUDE MAY, 1920 Single Copies 25 Cents VOL. XXXVIII , No. 5 Can You Play These Scales? HAV E you ever thought that there are scales of expres-sion which every student should master quite as well as the scales of notes? Expression in music depends upon three means— — the intelligent use of accents — the scale of quantity—(from softest to loudest) — the scale of tempo—(from slowest to fastest). Just as the painter must have his (scale of color from deep violet to the brightest red, so the artist-pianist must have under his control every shade of tonal quantity from pianis-simo to fortissimo. In like manner must he have control over all degrees of speed from lentissimo to prestissimo. The best way to master the scales of tonal quantity and tempo is in the regular daily scale drill practice. Your hands, for instance, should be so trained that you can start an ascend-ing scale with the left hand playing pianissimo and the right hand playing fortissimo, and then descend with the right hand pianissimo and the left hand fortissimo. This, with long con-tinued drill in crescendos and decrescendos in opposing hands, in parallel motion, contrary motion, thirds, sixths, double thirds, octaves, etc., will make the hands wonderfully respon-sive. There are hundreds of students who can play all scales faultlessly except these—the most important of all scales. Such pupils are like the painter who has only one or two colors on his palette. Practice the scales of expression, and then study the application in connection with your pieces. Your playing will become ten times as interesting to you as well as to others. The Greatest Happiness in Music MILLION S of people have found new and entrancing delight in music which has come to them through the sound-reproducing machines and the player-pianos. Short-sighted teachers, who were not able to discern how the splendid mis-sionary work which these instruments have done for the cause of music could be directed to help them in their musical edu-cational work, may have lost a few pupils ; but the tendency of these instruments is to provide a vastly extended field for the music teacher who does appreciate their portent. Now let us leap from 1920, with its talking machines, player-pianos and countless other triumphs of the inventor over the "impossible," and spend a few moments listening to the wisdom of Aristotle, most famous of Greek philosophers, born at Stagira in 884 B. C.—died at Chalcis 322 B. C.— pupil of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. In his Nicliomachean Ethics Aristotle sets out to deter-mine the reason for happiness. Wisely he concludes that "happiness does not consist in amusement, for it is absurd that the end should be amusement and that men should toil and suffer inconvenience their life long for the sake of amusement." * * * # "But to amuse ourselves, in order that we may be serious, as Anacharsis said, seems to be right, for amusement resembles relaxation. Relaxation is therefore not the end, for we have recourse to it for the sake of energy." Thus Aristotle reasons that relaxation and amusement are valuable, because they lead to the energy which enables one to do more serious work. In the end, however, happiness is result of serious, virtuous accomplishment—the satisfaction that comes from real achievement, moral, intellectual and spiritual. Any man or woman of experience will instantly confirm Aristotle's conclusions. The great joys of life are not those of idle pleasure, but the delights that come with the attain-ment of some worthy, righteous object. Thus in music the greatest jo y never comes to those who look upon music merely as an entertainment, a pastime, an amusement, but goes to those who make a serious, earnest study of the art, and really accomplish something. Listening to a Chopin Polonaise played by a piano-player or by a sound-reproducing machine is one kind of a delight, but accomplish-ing the ability to play such a piece gives an infinitely greater pleasure. It should be the right of every child to have the opportunity of learning to play an instrument. With most normal people this becomes one of the greatest joys and solaces in life. The instrument fast develops into an intimate friend whom you, and you only, can coax to speak in response to your mood. The bond is one which he who has never learned to play cannot begin to understand. If you have never played, and if you think that any mechanical instrument will ever equal hand-playing in its delights you are grievously mistaken—don't convey that mistake to any child who may come under your direction. The real happiness in music comes not merely through hearing music, but by studying music, finding out about it and its masters. Indeed, the educational work, such as Mrs. Frances E. Clarke has done in connecting the records of great artists made for the Victor Talking Machine Company, with the musical work of clubs, schools and colleges, in itself enhances the pleasure which may come from a talking machine many, many times. The Columbia Graphaphone Company has also conducted a well-organized educational department for years. Finally, remember Aristotle's wisdom in the matter of happiness. Have all the amusement to which you feel yourself entitled, but if you would be happy, remember that the greatest happiness comes from serious* earnest work, well done and suc-cessfully done. Auto-Motive Music Students THE "auto-motive" person is usually the only kind of person who ever reaches the journey's end. Are you "auto-motive"? Don't look for the word in the dictionary—it is not there. It was made especially for this editorial. But it does not need any definition. If you are not auto-motive in music there will be small chance for you. If you depend upon your teacher, your parents, your friends to drag you to success you are simply not going to succeed. Even if you are auto-motive (if you have the power of moving by yourself without being pushed or pulled), you must choose the right road, and you must go at a swift, steady rate, so that you will pass enough others on the road to arrive at your goal in time to be among the winners. The teacher, the mentor, can in many cases point out the right road. But teachers are human beings just as you are, and it is possible for them to make mistakes—serious mistakes. Let us suppose that you are an auto-motive music student, that you have your own self-starter, your own engine, your own transmission and all that goes with speed, strength and safety in the race. Sup-pose you use your energy in traveling along the wrong road? 293
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