ADVICE TO PIANO PLAYERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2505, 26 March 1902, Page 63

ADVICE TO PIANO PLAYERS.

For one's music to be of any value at all it is necessary to be able to play readily under any circumstances, ai;d without mistake. It* will not do. when ca'led upon, to say, "I am so much out of practice that I * really cannot play anything without blundering"; or to attempt a piece and make a botch of it on the second page. It is well to have, say. half a dozen short pieces thoroughly mastered and at the finger ends. Be sure they are' short, for there are few people who cave to sit in private, silent listeners, for more than two or three minutes at a time. For choice, the pieces we like best we play best : after that the character and musical taste of our listeners aie to be considered ; .so that our six pieces must be a mixture of grave and gay They must be changed or added to from time" to time ; and whatever fresh piece we learn must be well within our .powers, and thoroughly mastered. I know girls who have learned numc for nine or ten years, and, after a few years of home life, "they cannot play two pages correctly, or a single page from memory. 'For all pi actical purposes those nine years of music lessons represent so much wasted time and money. It is not necessary to be highly accomplished to please, nor to spend an hour daily at the piano, but to bs ;ible whan asked— or without being asked — to play a simple piece with ease, correctness, and expression. Anyone who cannot do this, or who will not 'take the trouble, had better say at once. " I do not play," and let that be the end of it. Let me emphasise the point mentioned above — " well within our poweis." Those who have learned to sing know that, in order to be able to take the upper G easily in a song, one must be able to take C above in exercises. It is never safe, in company, to attempt your highest note If you reach it .-it all. it will be with obvious effoit. and will strike unpleasantly on the ears of the listeners. In the same way you may play ,-is difficult things as you like when alone. but do not attempt them before company till they have become easy to your.sslf and will flow fioni your liugers even when you are nervous. It is well to be always in fair practice ho that one may be able to play agreeably at all times ; but for special occasions it is" worth while devoting an houi or half an hour to definite preparation. I know an accomplished piani.-te w ho refuses to play at any httle private gathering unless she has prepared herself the previous day. Of course, "she plays high-class muMt that demands a good condition of the lingers; but all the urne, this always appeais to me a defect 111 her as «i musician One cannot get over the feeling that it is a serious effort for her to play, even at a small tea paity. That js all vciy v. ell for a piofessionul nniMCidn, but in private wrought not to take muMc quite :»<> seriously But we will suppose you ;ue lnvfud out one evening to a hoii'-e a here- you are pretty te'tain you will be expected to play at imei\als. Run over in youi mind a few piece — short — that you judge will be relished by the others, and play them all over to be'ceitain that you have them quite off by heart ; then give 10 minutes to your five-finger exercises, and you can face the piano and i room, full of people with easy a 1 - "nuance.