How to Think Music

IN music, as in other things, we have allowed ourselves to do a great deal of thoughtless, and therefore useless work. The object of this book is to arouse those who have only played music to think music before playing it. The thought must always be prior to the fact. The inward process of listening and hearing is not adequately expressed by the word think, but it seems to be the best term descriptive of the process that the English language affords.

I do not presume for a moment to address myself to the trained musician to whom this side of the question has become second nature, but rather to the lover of music who has played the piano or organ or any other musical instrument, and who has never really heard inwardly (or thought) the music he has played. Since so many persons of the latter class have enriched their lives already after the manner herein advocated, the temptation to write this book has proved irresistible.