Edwin Ward Jackson addresses a fundamental paradox in instrumental training: why mastering the piano or violin demands years of exhausting labor. Observing that everyday occupations leave the fingers and wrists relatively unexercised and therefore weak, the author traces technical difficulties to anatomical underdevelopment rather than musical comprehension.
The text outlines the anatomy of the hand, focusing on the twenty-seven bones, forty muscles, and particularly the transverse ligaments across the knuckles. Jackson demonstrates that these ligaments, when left unexercised, remain stiff and restrict muscular movement. He argues that traditional up-and-down finger exercises are insufficient and often injurious to health.
To remedy this, the author introduces a series of free and mechanical exercises using simple apparatus such as small cylinders and wooden staves. These movements are designed to stretch the transverse ligaments laterally and longitudinally, liberating the muscles and allowing them to act with greater freedom and independence.
Special attention is given to strengthening the fourth and fifth fingers, which are naturally the weakest, and developing flexibility in the right wrist for bowing stringed instruments. The system aims to shorten the period of study, ease the burden on teachers and students, and alleviate professional ailments such as writers cramp.
