Further Tests

Test also for mobility at the wrist-joint. There must never be any so-called (and mis-called) fixing. Such "fixing" should instead imply the sufficient exertion only of the folding-in muscles of the fingers, during the moment of key-descent, in conjunction with a down-exertion of the hand when required, and should never be allowed to degenerate into

1. a general stiffening or
2. fixing of the whole limb

A fixation of the entire forearm occurs when simultaneously contracting the antagonistic muscles of the forearm, which inevitably destroys all technique. In my "Relaxation Studies" are described many other tests and exercises to assist the player in the acquisition of the requisite skill in this particular respect.

These forward-and-backward tests of the arm and up-and-down swayings of the wrist-joint, which I there recommend (in my Relaxation Studies) solely as tests are no doubt akin to the puerile^[1] andundulatory^[2] "Theories of Touch" of some recent writers. On the other hand, I put these (and rotational movements) forward in 1911 as occasional "Theories of Tests for Freedom at the knuckles" and wrist-joint. These "undulatory theories" have been seriously proposed as an integral part (and explanation) of the processes of touch in general.

As indicated elsewhere, these undulatory theories are obviously again the result of trying to analyze touch from outside observation, which are from the movements exhibited by successful players. Almost every artist develops certain gracious anomalies of movement (which are unessential), but which he has accidentally associated with the sense of freedom in certain passages. Such harmless movements are of course actually of the same nature as the tests which have been discussed in this module.
They are adopted by such artists simply as tests for freedom at the knuckle and wrist and for rotation, and which are therefore movements quite extraneous to the Act of Touch itself. The incapable analyst, however, comes on the scene (himself probably quite incapable of playing rightly) and imagines that these quite unessential movements form "The Great Secret" of the witnessed artist's success.
And the poor student is then instructed when playing certain rising successions of notes (such as the ascending five-finger exercise) that he must wave his arms forwards, upwards, and roundwise (rotationally), and must, for the descending succession of notes, reverse these wriggles, and unwind himself.

Even Ludwig von Deppe (born 1828), who was valiantly trying to break away from the horribly stiff pedagogy then in vogue, is found still using such empirical "Suggestion-devices" in his "Kurven" Theories curvilinear (or "undulatory") up-and-down and rotational swayings, which he imagined to be a necessary part of the process of playing Arpeggios, etc. While such movements might optionally accompany passages successfully played, imitation of such (sometimes amiable) fads will certainly not necessarily conduce to the acquisition of correct habits of Key-treatment, nor do they give any inkling of the things that matter. Moreover, the fact is, that the public does not enjoy them, and is apt to become restless under the infliction

[1]puerile: childishly silly and trivial.

[2]undulatory: or relating to undulation : moving in or resembling waves : undulating.