Positives And Pitfalls Of Guitar Études

The following article, “On the Use of Piano Studies (Études),” appears in the December 1883 edition of The Etude Vol. 1, No. 3 magazine. The author of this article on piano etudes is not listed in the magazine as far as I can tell. There are so many great parts to this article that I hope you read it whether you are a pianist, guitarist, or any other instrumentalist that studies études of any kind. The wisdom of these writers stands as a firm foundation for student and teacher alike; especially in studying guitar études.

On an editorial note, I have only made small changes to the text where words are spelled differently today than in 1883. Also, I have broken up the sections somewhat due to the lengthy verse in some sections. In the same vein, I have added headings for sections to make them easier to organize. The punctuation remains true to the original.

On The Use Of Piano Studies

In no department of piano teaching do teachers more differ than on the use of études. These differences resolve themselves mainly into four distinct systems of teaching.

Études to Excess

First, those that teach études to excess; they know nothing else than technique, they treat music as a trade, as something purely mechanical, their sole aim is to overcome difficulties, somewhat as one would delight to climb the dizzy heights of a mountain with no object in view whatever than simply performing the physical feat, whilst the pleasure or grandeur of the scenery is something never thought of.

Études Given Indiscriminately

Second, those who teach études promiscuously; to those the études have become a fixed institution, a habit. They find that others use them, so they drop blindly into the custom and ask no questions; the pupil’s need is not consulted in their selection, anything will answer, only so as it is an étude.

They give any étude that happens to be conveniently at hand, whether it be difficult or easy, or whether the pupil is advanced or beginning. This class of teachers know not what they are about. They have a deplorable lack of judgement as to the object of étude study. They only succeed in making the pupil despise one of the most important parts of piano study.

I know of a teacher who is so indiscriminate in the use of études, that if he happens to start a pupil with the set of 160 eight measure études by Czerny, he knows no stopping until the whole 160 are gone through with, and just as likely as not he will give next the set of “100 Novelle Études,” in 10 books, by the same composer. The same with pieces; when Mozart’s Sonatas are once begun the whole of them must be studied so with Clemnti, Haydn, etc. Two or three years of hard study can pass this way without much technical or artistic progress being made. The time devoted to this promiscuous use of the études is a comparative waste.

Études? Who Needs Them?

Third, those who do not teach études at all. Where there is an absence of attention to technical study you will find an absence of other important things. A teacher of this kind can not have much interest in his pupils or his profession; you will find him among the lower ranks of his profession or driven from it altogether; without some technical work in teaching it is like salt without savor.

Well Rounded Use Of Études

Under the 4th class will come all I have to say on piano études. I will only have in view in this article those études that are intended to hasten the command over the keyboard and the control of the muscles used in playing. Études for rhythm of Liszt, Chopin, Rubenstein, and others come more properly under some other head.

Why study études? Are they necessary? In answer to this I will say that it is necessary for a perfect performance on the piano, that every joint, tendon and muscle with their various combinations from the top of the shoulders to the tips of the fingers must be subdued and fitted for the keys of the piano; this should be the aim of every pianist. Our arms and hands were never intended by nature to manipulate the keys of the piano; they have, so to speak, to be remade, fitted and moulded to do their work. If our fingers were all of equal length and of like movement, if they possessed equal strength of muscles, if they could spread out like a fan, conveniently, or if we had as many fingers as keys to be manipulated, were the hands as easily opened as closed, or did not piano playing require the use of so many joints, then special technical study would not be so necessary.

To overcome these natural difficulties of the hand is the work of études; they seek out the weaknesses and defects of the natural hand and offer remedies, hence from natural construction of the hand études are necessary. They are, as we all know, the staunch support of the virtuoso when he reaches the dizzy heights of mechanical proficiency and they are the power that raises the amateur to distinction.

A Teacher’s Role In Selection

The selection of études should require the teacher’s closest judgement; as a physician prescribes a particular medicine for a particular disease, so a teacher should give études to remedy a particular defect in playing, or to strengthen some weaknesses, or to advance some peculiarity in technique. In other words, there should be a direct aim in every étude given. For a teacher to give all his pupils the same étude, is somewhat as some physicians do, they prescribe one and the same medicines to all patients.

This mode of teaching involves a close study of the pupil. No two hands will be found alike; some will be found long and tapering, when passages require long stretches or extended groups of notes, will be done with little practice and require no special attention. Others again, you have observed, have such a peculiar formation of wrist that octaves are quite natural, and a melody is as easy taken in octave as single. Some have naturally a perfectly formed trill and can produce a charmingly rounded trill, while the rest of their playing is scarcely worthy to be heard.

The composer and pianist, Field, worked for years to produce a satisfactory trill. He became disgusted, however, when one day while in a music store he heard a rough-looking lad producing an exquisite trill far surpassing any effort of his. It had such an effect upon him that he gave up the trill altogether, and that is why in his nocturnes and other compositions the trill is conspicuous for its absence.

It is true that for some reason of temperament or construction of hand, certain things are natural to some pupils while others are secured through a severe course of technical training. A conscientious teacher finds what is troublesome to a pupil and deals only with those things until the difficulty is overcome. But the tendency of many teachers is to leave the beautifully untouched that which is difficult, and make a show with that which the pupil has already. It is always the best plan to impress the pupil with the object of the étude given, so that his mind can be directed solely on the difficulty it is intended to overcome.

Mastery At The Core

It is related of pianist Anna Krebs, that when she discovers any fault or defect in her playing, it is henceforth wrestled with until it is entirely overcome. One thing that most of us are guilty of, and that is, we change the étude just when the pupil is beginning to be benefitted by it. A few good études thoroughly mastered will do more good for technical development than whole books only half studied.

I know of a music school that sends forth some very fine players, and they use only one étude for each division of technique, one for scales, one for arpeggios, and one for octaves, etc. Every étude should be played until perfect ease and fluency are attained. The committing of it to memory should be one of the earliest processes. The study of mechanical proficiency should not be hampered by anything like notes. Entire freedom from printed page cannot be too highly recommended. The frequent change of étude with the difficulties only half mastered will often do more harm than good; it will enhance carelessness and create bad habits of study.

How often is it that mistakes and faults are only noticed after weeks of practice. That the more we practice the more the weak places are brought out, false notes, wrong fingers, indistinctness, wrong time, etc., seem only to rightly show themselves after considerable command of a composition is acquired that we conclude that our playing is growing worse and worse, when the truth is, we are beginning to rightly comprehend the composition. The mistakes were there all the time, but in our effort to play in time and strike all the notes we blundered over any mistakes which are doubly difficult to correct than at the beginning of the study.

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Chadwick Becks

I have two degrees in guitar performance and was privileged to study under Aaron Shearer, Tom Kikta, David Skantar, Ken Karsh, Tim Bedner, and currently Christopher Berg. Outside my editorial work on this blog, I teach full-time across many genres including classical, jazz, blues, rock, funk, and metal.