Do not stretch the fingers away from one another, but hold them firmly and close together, as this produces the effect particularly desired. Bend the two first finger-joints of the four fingers closely together; move them vigorously up and down, and press them on firmly, without, however, moving the large joints. Repeat this movement until you are tired, which will not be long, thus affording another practical proof how weak the untrained finger-joints are. This is also an excellent exercise for the thumb, provided it is made slowly and vigorously. It may also be made with outstretched fingers.
I again repeat that no one who has not already tried the above or similar exercises of the fingers, will be able vigorously to continue them for even so short a time as three minutes without experiencing painful fatigue. And why? Because, as I have demonstrated before, the joints of the fingers and wrists are, in the ordinary occupations of life, the least of all exercised, and consequently the weakest, in comparison with what they have afterwards to perform.
After this experience people will, in future, hardly venture to teach and to continue the exercise of an art like music (which, from a muscular point of view, is the most difficult of all), with muscles the weakest and least trained, without having previously prepared them by proper gymnastic exercises.
Fourth movement.
Fig. 11.
Fig. 12.
The last free exercise for the finger-joints, which I will recommend here (11 and 12), consists in moving all the fingers and the thumb simultaneously together, that is to say, in stretching them far away from one another, like claws, and making all sorts of eccentric movements in whatever direction you please, and as long as you like or are able, but always vigorously.