PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.


I here present to the musical public a book written in a style of my
own, not a scientific and systematically well-arranged treatise. This no
reasonable man would expect of an old music-master, who, in his long
practice in the realm of tones, could not arrive at learned and too
often fruitless deductions. Nature made me susceptible to that which is
good and beautiful; a correct instinct and a tolerable understanding
have taught me to avoid the false and the vicious; a desire for
increased knowledge has led me to observe carefully whatever I met with
in my path in life; and I may say, without hesitation, that I have
endeavored, according to my ability, to fill the position to which I
have been called. This is no vain boast, but only the justifiable
assertion of a good conscience; and this no man needs to withhold. For
these reasons, I have been unwilling to refrain from giving to the world
a true expression of my opinions and feelings. I trust they will meet
with a few sympathizing spirits who are willing to understand my aims;
but I shall be still more happy if, here and there, a music-teacher will
adopt the views here set forth, at the same time carefully and
thoughtfully supplying many things which it did not enter into my plan
to explain more in detail. Abundant material lay spread out before me,
and even increased upon my hands while I was writing. Art is indeed so
comprehensive, and every thing in life is so closely connected with it,
that whoever loves and fosters it will daily find in it new sources of
enjoyment and new incitements to study. The most experienced teacher of
art must be a constant learner.