are played successively, through their _difference of intensity_, which
gives variety. A straight, even tone is monotonous--a dead tone. Variety
is life. We see this fact exemplified even in the speaking voice; if one
speaks or reads in an even tone it is deadly monotonous.


VARIETY OF TONE

"Now the singer or the violinist can make a single tone on his
instrument beautiful through variety; for it is impossible for him to
make even _one_ tone which does not have shades of variation in it,
however slight they may be, which render it expressive. But you cannot
do this on the piano: you cannot color a single tone; but you can do
this with a succession of tones, through their difference, through their
relation to each other. On the other hand you may say any tone is
beautiful if in the right place, no matter how harsh it may be. The
singer's voice may break from emotion, or simulated emotion, in an
impassioned phrase. The exact note on which it breaks may not be a
beautiful one, it may even be very discordant, but we do not think of
that, for we are moved by the meaning back of the tones. So on the piano
there may be one note in a phrase which, if heard alone, would sound
harsh and unpleasant, but in its relation to other tones it sounds
beautiful, for it gives the right meaning and effect. Thus it is the
_relation of tones_ which results in a 'beautiful tone' on the piano.

"The frequent trouble is that piano teachers and players generally do
not understand their instrument. A singer understands his, a violinist,
flutist or drummer knows his, but not a pianist. As he only has keys to
put down and they are right under his hand, he does not bother himself
further. To obviate this difficulty, for those who come to me, I have