octaves. Another useful variety of the same thing is to practise
some succession of notes in which the bow requires to continually
pass from one string to the next, such as:

[Illustration: Musical notes, _D.C. ad infinitum_.]

These should be played as many times as possible in one bow. Here the
command of the bow on the string is not only greatly increased, but
the wrist is well exercised at the same time.

The same thing should be carried out on the third and fourth strings
thus:

[Illustration: Musical notes.]

It is a good thing to make the pupil (if endowed with sufficient
intelligence) work out a series of such mechanical exercises, he will
this way take a much greater interest in the work, a point to which I
attach great importance, for I consider physical exercises, however
conscientiously carried out, do little good if the mind is fatigued
or absent.

Of scarcely less importance is the study of rapid whole bows. The
pupil should be made to draw the bow from end to end as rapidly as he
can without _losing control of the bow_, and it must be seen that the
pressure does not vary in any way. The bow should be set on firmly at
the heel, held there for, say, a crotchet, then drawn, without any
swelling of the tone in the centre of the bow, smartly to the point
where it must stop suddenly without any change of pressure. This is
not found an easy thing to accomplish, but "perseverance overcometh
all difficulties." The teacher must not be satisfied until the pupil
can draw a rapid up or down stroke stopping so suddenly and firmly as
to make the note sound as though cut off. In practising this, the bow
should remain firmly on the string between each stroke; whether the
bow travels or is stationary the pressure must be unchanged.

Staccato bowing is a much misunderstood branch of technics; I do not
mean the detached staccato, but that form in which a series of notes
is played in one bow yet have a detached effect on the ear. It is a
pity that one word should have to stand for two totally different
forms of bowing. I have heard and read many varying descriptions of
the "bowed-staccato" and its method of production. Of course it is
highly probable that some players attain it differently to others,
but as I see no anatomical reason for such differences of action it
seems a waste of energy to mechanically produce what already exists
in nature. I have no doubt a great deal of this gratuitous
variegation of staccato t