The Tool Chest of Piano Technique

In the old days, a workman applying for a job showed the foreman his tool chest, and the foreman judged the quality of his work by the quality and condition of his tools and the chest itself. Perhaps the most famous tool chest in U.S. history is that of 19th-century master carpenter H. O. Studley, who made pianos. Each tool is held in its unique holder, ready for use.

Like Mr. Studley, we pianists have our own tools: the piano techniques we’ve mastered and that our practicing keeps in perfect condition, ready for use on demand.