Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 December 1900 — Not Easily Overcome. [ARTICLE]

Not Easily Overcome.

All piano players knew what a refractory member the third finger is. It is impossible to raise it as high as the others can be raised. This is not because the finger is weak. If the muscles of your hand were laid bare you would find two tendons running to the first finger, while but one goes to the middle and one to the ring finger; but the one connected with the ring finger semts 'off two short tendons, which' do not seem to be of any special use. and cause piano students a vast amount of trouble. Not only do they only hold down the third finger, but they abridge the span of the hand. A way to overcome the difficulty by some easier means than by tong and assiduous practice has often been sought. Robert Schumann once fastened a coni through a pulley attached to the ceiling. He could elevate his finger lay- this means at will while playing his pieces, and would hold it back for a long time. His device was-not only unsuccessful in permanently loosening the th.irxl finger, but caused premature injury to the hand ti such an extent that he was obliged to give up piano playing. That the difficulty caused by the sujrerfiuous tendons may be overcome by persistent practice there can lie no doubt. Liszt, Rubenstein, Bulow, Tausig and hundreds of others attested this truth in their works. As to the policy of having these tendons cut by the surgeon’s knife, and thereby escape much hard work, we find that it is a moot question among pliysiieians.