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THE THREE SPECIES OF TOUCH-FORMATION. 81
being restricted by the limit beyond which we cannot give the
necessary repetitions of Arm-release.1
The Second Species permits far greater Agility, while------
The First Species offers no physical limit to speed, beyond the
mental difficulty of keeping the passage " in hand."
The contrasts of Tone-quantity available :
hj: The Third Species offers us the whole range of Tone, from the very softest to the loudest and fullest, owing to the presence of Arm-weight.
The Second Species cannot procure us so much Tone, as the Hand and Finger here have only the self-supported (or suspended) Arm as a Basis.
The First Species only renders a very small quantity of Tone available, since we here have only the slight weight of the loose-lying Hand as a Basis.
The contrasts of Tone-quality available :
i): The Third is the only Species, under which all varieties of Tone-quality are available. For it is owing to the inclusion of Arm-release, that we can under this Species start the act of Tone-production either by Weight-release or by Muscular-exertion.2
The Second and First Species only permit " Muscular-initiative." No "singing" tone can therefore be obtained through them.
j): All three Species can moreover be somewhat modified (either towards Beauty or towards Harshness) by selecting either the flat (or clinging) attitude, or the bent (or thrusting) attitude.
kj: To obtain fully "sympathetic" cantabile or cantando, we must combine the Clinging-attitude with the Third Species, in its Weight-initiative form.
1 Such alternations of Arm-release and renewed self-support, are, we must remember, not necessarily shown as arm-movements.
What may be considered a Variety of this Species, is, however, also available in full-speed passages, provided we do not attempt to obtain more tone than a piano—provided, therefore, that it takes the form of " transfer" (or " passing-on ") touch. In this form it is also available as a Glissando.
* We must remember that with " Weight-touch " the tendency is towards beauty of tone, while with "Muscular-touch" it is towards hardness, harshness (or asperity) of quality. |
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