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66 KEY-TREATMENT ; MUSCULAR A8PECT.
i): There are therefore Three Muscular Components from which we can construct the Act of Touch, viz. •
i) Finger-exertion,
2) Hand-exertion,
3) Arm-weight, and its co-operatives.
j) : These three components divide, broadly, into two distinct kinds—Exertion and Weight. The two opposite elements
thus recognised, meet at the Wrist-joint. Exertion, there bearing upwards, meets the downward tendency of Weight.
k): The total quantity of tone (loudness) depends on the total amount of Energy used against the key during its descent, and obtained from these two sources.
I) : The quality of the tone mainly depends on how we start this combination of Exertion and Weight against the key, viz.:
i): If we want tone of a beautiful quality, we must start the combination by Weight {i.e., by Arm-release); for the key is then more gradually driven into Speed.
2): If we want a tone of a brilliant, aggressive, or sharp quality, we must start the combination by Exertion (of the finger and hand); for the key is then driven more suddenly into Speed.
We thus obtain two completely different genera of Touch— "Weight-touch" and "Muscular-touch."
m) : The Tone-quality is further influenced by which attitude we adopt of the Finger and Upper-arm conjointly. There are two opposite attitudes:
i) The Clinging, or flat-finger attitude. 2) The Thrusting, or bent-finger attitude.
The Clinging-attitude makes for beauty of the tone,—the singing-quality, with its carrying character; because the whole limb is here in its most elastic condition.
The Thrusting-attitude makes for brilliancy and aggressiveness, with its " short" Tone-character; because the whole limb is then in a more rigid condition.1
1 Vide Figs. 6 and 7 ; also Figs. 8 and 9; pages 63 and 74 of this work. |
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