FROM BRAIN TO FINGERS

BY LEROY B. CAMPBELL

"TECHNICAL training is the development of nerve lines between nerve centers."

We are told of the story of the stuttering blacksmith who employed an apprentice who was similarly afflicted. One day the apprentice heated an iron to a white heat and placed it upon the anvil ready for work. The blacksmith discovered that the apprentice was waiting for the stroke and said: "G-g-g-g-g-g-go on and ss-ss-ss-ss-s-s-s-st-strike." The bewildered apprentice replied, "W-w-w-w-w-w-h-where s-s-s-sh-sh-s-shall I s-s-s-s-s-s-st-st-strike?" The irate blacksmith replied with all the resignation he could muster: "N-n-n-ne-ne-nev-never rn-m-mind n-n-now-it's c-c-c-c-cold." So it is with a vast number of students. They stutter around through the period when they should do their best work, apparently having no definite idea where to strike. The only remedy for teachers and students thus situated is: "First plan your work thoroughly and then work your plan thoroughly."

Let us explore for a few moments, and see if we cannot find "where to strike," or, in other words, find a correct and definite idea which will serve as the basis of the "plan" of our work.

The problem which confronts us is this: Given a page of printed piano music from some one of the masters which when translated into music by means of the eye, brain, nerves and muscles of a virtuoso becomes the perfection of music to the ear, what then are the means available for the best possible translation of the printed page, when the eyes, brain, nerves and muscles are not those of a Liszt, but those of the average individual.

As we look at a page of music and think of all the complex mental and physical processes involved in translating it into tone, we are bound to consider the task a complicated one. It is one in which difficulties and complexities must be carefully analyzed, if we are to arrive at anything tangible. Science always aims at reducing complexity to simplicity and our problem, though its final object be art, must be treated scientifically.

NERVE TRACKS.

In the first place, let us note that we have to do with three special nerve tracks; viz., the nerves from eye to brain, the nerves from ear to brain, and the nerves from brain to the fingers. Any person who expects to become a musician should be carefully trained along each one of these lines so as to warrant an easy and rapid transit of musical impressions.

It is, therefore, essential to train the track from ear to brain to the recognition of different chords, the track from eye to brain to their recognition on paper, from brain to spinal cord to the proper registration of groups of nervous connections corresponding to the muscular movements desired, and the track from spinal cord to finger to the rapid execution of the same.

These main tracks-ear to brain-eye to brain-brain to finger-should be considered as forming the foundation of the three great departments of teaching; one including thorough training in intervals, melody, harmony and rhythm; another in musical notation and sight reading; and the third in all points of technic. Through the study of ear training, sight singing and reading, the correct study of Harmony and Public School music, we can find material for the development of the tracks from ear to brain and eye to brain, but the third track from brain to finger seems to offer considerable ground for discussion.

Many teachers know nothing of the importance which should attach to the deep and careful study of this track. Let us imagine ourselves beside a pupil at the piano keyboard ready to take a lesson. Let us furthermore suppose that the pupil has had instruction of a kind, but like the vast majority of piano students has had no real basic training of pedagogical value. One of the most necessary assets the pupil can possess is independence of the fingers. The pupil, upon being questioned, often claims to possess this qualification. After an examination, however, we note that the fingers are far from being independent, but are really rigid, and we also notice much rigidity at the wrist joint.

Further interrogation reveals the fact that the pupil has assiduously practiced exercises for independence of the fingers, has given the allotted ten or fifteen-minutes of each hour to this very work. Nevertheless, when called upon to execute the simplest movement, the unemployed fingers are either tense or else are drawn into sympathy with the other finger or fingers employed. In other words, this phase of the pupil's preparation has received ample practice time each day over an extended period, but with slight attendant results.

There has evidently been a discrepancy somewhere, and we proceed to diagnose the case more thoroughly. The pupil is asked to place the five fingers of the right hand, for example, on F, G, A, B, C. These notes are fingered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and arc to be found in the scale of C major. (The notes C, D, E, F, G, as usually employed in teaching the C scale, develop a habit of incorrect fingering.) The pupil is then asked to relax the second and fourth fingers, allowing them to rest on the surface of the keys (not held down) while playing with freedom a figure 1-5-3-5 several times slowly.

The fingers of the pupil are found upon investigation to be in good condition. We ask the pupil if she understands the task and she proves that she understands perfectly by repeating the proposition : viz., to let 2d and 4th fingers remain relaxed on the keys G-B while the 1st, 3d and 5th play in the order 1-5-3-5.

DEVELOPING THE NERVE LINE.

Therefore her brain, or mind, grasped the situation, and our diagnosis thus far reveals the? fact that the nerve line from the nerve center in the brain to the nerve center in the muscle was the cause of the pupil's previous failure to perform the simple task set. This conclusion is substantially corroborated by Psychology, which in speaking of piano playing says, ''Technical training is the developing of nerve lines between nerve centers."

Now we have arrived definitely at the cause, how-are we to remove it? Why, simply by developing the nerve line. If we wish to develop a muscle we exercise it, thereby bringing blood charged with nutriment into the capillaries of the muscle concerned. Anything grows when properly used or exercised, and atrophies when neglected. So in developing a nerve line we must exercise it by making it transmit thought accurately.

READING WHILE PLAYING.

One of our great etude writers advocated reading some valuable book while developing five-linger technic, but how absurd the idea seems when we note Prof. James' statement regarding such processes; viz., "The clearness, permanence and quickness with which we gain nerve line development is in direct proportion to the amount of attention we bring to bear on our work." Let us note a few psychological phenomena relative to attention and nerve lines:

(1.) The attention in the ordinary individual is very capricious, i. e. - it cannot be held steadily for any great length of time upon a given object. It has that peculiar characteristic of coming and going-wave-like. It remains on the object but a few seconds and it must be pulled back. and this process must go on continually.

(2.) The attention is strongest on a given object during the first two or three minutes, and during each succeeding minute the power of attention becomes weaker and weaker.

(3.) We must also note that ordinary movements are quite liable to become automatic in a very few seconds, as, for instance, in the action of the fingers during scale practice, or five-finger exercises. In these cases the nerve line is only used consciously for a short period.

Therefore, in order to cope with the first two of these peculiarities of attention it would be the best plan to arrange our technical practice in three or four divisions ; then practice with concentration on the first for three or four minutes, while the power of attention is most acute. Then pass on to the second exercise, which, being new, would receive fresh attention ; use this the same length of time and take up the third exercise, and treat that in a similar manner. Now return to the first exercise and go over all of them in the same order. Every exercise will now receive periods of practice, with comparatively fresh attention, and, as you will readily sec, will yield much more nerve line developing power than can be gained by practicing one exercise continually for ten or fifteen minutes.

The process is quite analogous to two tug-of-war teams of equal weight. One settles down to a steady, prolonged pull, while the other pulls by several jerks, in which case the latter team would pull the first team right off the cleats before they could realize what was taking place.

Regarding the third phenomenon, relative to the ordinary or usual movements for five-finger exercises, let us note that such movements would not be as conducive to development as unusual or out-of-the-ordinary movements. Ordinary movements, as we have said before, become automatic or reflex very easily, while the unusual movements more readily hold the conscious attention right on the nerve line. In other words, by such an exercise as raising and dropping the fingers quickly in regular succession the movements become automatic almost at once. Better results may be obtained by raising the fingers one at a time, each four times, in the following manner: Raise each one as slowly as possible, and when it is not quite as high as you can raise it, bring all your power of concentration on it and allow it to relax completely, letting -it fall as a dead weight on the key. This would develop the nerve line leading to the muscle on the upper side of the arm. The effect of the exercise would be to bring conscious attention upon the nerve line by use of out-of-the-ordinary movements.

THE STRIKING MUSCLES.

The nerve line leading to the striking muscles, or muscles on the lower side of the arm, can be treated in a similar manner by striking the key with the finger and relaxing the linger immediately after the stroke. It is also excellent practice to strike the piano keys with two lingers together, relaxing one after the stroke and leaving the other firm and contracted. It is always good to use exercises which are unusual, rather than those which are over-familiar, in order to gain control of the nerve line.

Just a few minutes a day will, in this manner, give one the required up and down five-finger independence. This up and down motion is, however, only one-half of five-linger training, the other half being the control of the muscles which move the lingers sidewise. While the up and down movements are most important, the spacing exercises are also important, but are overlooked by many teachers.

Do not be afraid to use the band, finger and arm together in much of the five-finger work, i. e., use many exercises where you make firm, say, the second and ' fourth fingers, relaxing the remaining three, then bring the tone by rocking the forearm just as in winding a clock. You must use arm. . linger and hand when playing, so why not practice an exercise with arm. finger and band all together?

The idea of using only the linger motion day after day. not daring to move another part of the mechanism is ridiculous. One might as well try to teach a baby to walk by teaching him to wiggle his toes.