des of Clementi, Cramer,
and Moscheles; otherwise, your playing will never amount to any thing."

Such advice has frequently been given by teachers like Mr. Buffalo, and
is still daily insisted on; but we will, for the present, set such
nonsense aside. I shall, in the first place, endeavor to improve your
touch, which is too thin, feeble, and incorrect; which makes too much
unnecessary movement, and tries to produce the tone in the air, instead
of drawing it out with the keys. This will not require a long time, for
I have well-formed, young hands to work upon, with skilful fingers in
good condition. I will employ, for this purpose, several of the short
exercises mentioned in my first chapter, and shall require them to be
transposed into various keys, and played without notes, in order that
you may give your whole attention to your hands and fingers. Above all
things, I wish you to observe how I try to bring out from the piano the
most beautiful possible tone, with a quiet movement of the fingers and a
correct position of the hand; without an uneasy jerking of the arm, and
with ease, lightness, and sureness. I shall certainly insist upon scales
also, for it is necessary to pay great care and attention to passing the
thumb under promptly and quietly, and to the correct, easy position of
the arm. But I shall be content with the practice of scales for a
quarter of an hour each day, which I require to be played, according to
my discretion, _staccato_, _legato_, fast, slow, _forte_, _piano_, with
one hand or with both hands, according to circumstances. This short time
daily for scale-practice is sufficient, provided, always, that I have no
stiff fingers, or unpractised or ruined structure of the hand to
educate. For very young beginners with weak fingers, the scales should
be practised only _piano_, until the fingers acquire strength.

I should continue in this way with you for two weeks, but every day with
some slight change. After a short time, I would combine with this
practice the study of two or three pieces, suitably arranged for the
piano; for example, Mozart's minuet in E flat, arranged by Schulhoff,
and his drinking-song, or similar pieces. We will, at present, have
nothing to do with Beethoven. You are, perhaps, afraid that all this
might be tedious; but I have never been considered tedious in my
lessons. I wish you, for the present, not to practise any pieces or
exercises except in my presence, until a better touch