Piano Majestry

"The most vital thing in piano playing is to learn to think. Has it ever occurred to
you what infinite pains people will take to avoid thinking? They will repeat a
technical illustration hundreds of times it may be, but with little or no thought
directed to the performance. Such work is absolutely useless. Perhaps that is a little
too strong. With countless repetitions there may at last come to be a little
improvement, but it will be very small.
"There is quite a variety of views as to what the essentials of piano technic are; this
is a subject on which teachers, unluckily, do not agree. For instance, on the point of
finger lifting there is great diversity of opinion. Some believe in raising the fingers
very high, others do not. Lifting the fingers high is not good for the tone, though it
may be used for velocity playing. I use quite the reverse where I wish beautiful,
singing, tone quality. The young pupil, at the beginning, must of course learn to
raise fingers and make precise movements; when greater proficiency is reached,
many modifications of touch are used. That the best results are not more often
obtained in piano teaching and study, is as much the fault of the teacher as the pupil.
The latter is usually willing to be shown and anxious to learn. It is for the teacher to
correctly diagnose the case and administer the most efficient remedy.