Musical Embellishments

by Ira M. Brown

Many teachers do not understand the principles which govern ordinary embellishments well enough to explain them satisfactorily to their own pupils. In similar manner there are many, many things which can be mastered quietly at home by the teacher at the sacrifice of a little time and the purchase of an inexpensive book. Make a plan to buy at least one authoritative book once every three months or every six months, and devote a little time every day to special study which, with the assistance of papers like The Etude, will keep you "up-to-date." The teacher's commodity is information. His shelves must be filled with the latest and most authoritative information. To do this he must restock constantly, precisely as the merchant restocks. If the merchant fails to restock he fails. If the teacher fails to keep up-to-date he may fail. Therefore, he must either receive fresh instruction from a living teacher or he must refresh himself constantly from books. Here are four books that the teacher will find most useful in restocking. Try them on some such yearly plan as this: January, February, March, L. A. Russell's Musical Embellishments; April, May, June, Great Pianists on Piano Playing; July, August, September, Harmony for Beginners, by Orem; October, November, December, Principles of Expression for Pianoforte Players, by Christianni. Such investments always pay.