everywhere. There are never meaningless tones allowed. Every sound
says something and is needed. It is curious that in our playing the
moment we put our thoughts upon any tone or voice part with the desire
to hear it, it comes out at once as plainly as if it was the highest
melody. That illustrates the power of thought concentrated upon even a
hidden thing. You know how in Bach even the piano works move as if all
parts were to be sung by voices. It reminds one of conversation; of
the story, of the question and answer, of the merry chat in a pleasant
company. Some bits of sentence are tripping and full of laughter,[17]
others grave and majestic,[18] others have wonderful dignity of heart
and mind.[19]

Such qualities give music interest and meaning in every part. It will
not take you long to discover that it is just the absence of these
qualities that makes other music common.

The melody is not sustained by anything particularly well worth
listening to. One might say that good music is like the foliage of the
garden, every leaf and petal variously yet finely formed, and all
combined to make a beautiful whole.

When you have learned carefully to follow the accompaniment of a
melody, try to follow the single voice parts in the chorus,
particularly the Bass, Tenor, and Alto. And when you go to orchestral
concerts learn early to follow special instruments like the clarinet,
the oboe, the drum.

Especially try to follow the lower strings, the viola, the 'cello, and
the bass. They are strongly characteristic. You will learn their
peculiar qualities only by giving them special and concentrated