Second Step in Muscular Education:

We shall moreover realize, that it is in such timing that immediately lies the link that unites the purely mental act of musical-determination with the physical act of tone-production. For we shall see that it is on the ground of rhythm that they coalesce.

As regards Education in this second step the application of the results of muscular-condition to Key-necessities, manifestly, a Key-board is here absolutely essential. It is true, a dumb key-board may quite well serve to teach us, and to enable us to retain, those particular muscular-gaugings that enable us to find the right notes. This being a matter that depends merely on our muscularly gauging with accuracy the distances to be traversed on the key-board through side-to-side movements of Finger, Hand, and Arm. But beyond that point, a speaking key-board becomes imperatively necessary, by which to teach ourselves the habit of accurately timing and accurately gauging the degree of those other muscnlar acts, those that directly make tone.

The reason why this can best be accomplished at the pianoforte key-board itself is clear enough. Since both time and degree of the muscular-conditions are determined by, and must hence be gauged by the particular resistance offered by each individual key. As this resistance differs not only in different instruments, but differs indeed with different keys of the same instrument. Moreover, as such resistance differs with the speed at which we endeavour to impel each particular key's descent during a musical performance. It follows, that unless we acquire this habit of attention (and of eventual unconscious obedience) to the varying necessities of key-resistance, we shall remain mechanical performers.