ttle has been attempted
in the way of alteration or improvement, and it is still more so that
of that little such a small proportion is worthy of a second thought.
As Bach stands in relation to the fugue, as Beethoven to the symphony
and Stradivari to the violin, so is Tourte to the bow. Superior alike
to his predecessors and successors, he stands high poised upon the
pedestal of his incomparable genius.

PART III.
THE ART OF BOWING.

CHAPTER XIV.

THE UNDECIDED ASPECT OF TECHNIQUE--IMPORTANCE OF A KNOWLEDGE OF THE
ANATOMY OF THE HAND--THE FUNCTION OF THE THUMB--INDIVIDUALITY IN
TECHNIQUE.

In treating of the somewhat complex and, in many details,
highly-disputed subject of the functions of the bow, I shall prefer
to handle the question in the abstract rather than to launch myself
on the choppy sea of "technique"; a sea abounding in shoals, reefs,
undercurrents and whirlpools; extremely difficult to navigate
inasmuch as that no two charts agree. Consequently when the mariner
launches his boat the danger to himself and his passengers is
considerable. In plain English the difficulty of explaining all the
well-nigh imperceptible differences of movement in bone and muscle
required for the various styles of bowing is so enormous that he who
attempts to do so on paper lies under the grave danger of being
misunderstood, and the student under the scarcely less grave one of
misunderstanding. The danger is reciprocative, just as, to return to
my nautical simile, the peril of the helmsman is shared by each
passenger if he by mischance steers upon a submerged rock.

Therefore, dear reader, I will survey the whole prospect from a
secure coign of vantage upon the mainland, and trust my impressions
thereof may prove of some slight service to you. As I have disclaimed
all intention of making this portion of my work a handbook of bowing
technique it seems superfluous to add that my observations are
addressed more to the teacher than the student. I use these words in
their accepted and arbitrary meanings for the sake of distinguishing
between two separate classes. Of course, from the higher standpoint,
a good teacher is always a student. If it were not so the following
pages would be written to no purpose.

Some years ago a certain eminent M.D. collaborated with a more or
less well known singing master in a work on the Larynx. The musical
world talked of little else but vocal chords and soft palates for
many month