The cultivation of the ear is of the greatest importance.Endeaver,in good time,to distinguish tones and keys. the bell,the window pane,the cuckoo--seek to discover what tones they produce.
You must practice scales and other finger exercises industriously. However, there are people who think they may achieve great ends by doing this alone;up to an advanced age, they practice mechanical exercises for many hours daily. That is as reasonable as trying to recite the alphabet faster and faster every day. Find a better use for your time.
"Dumb keyboards"have been invented;practice on them for a while in order to see they are worthless. Dumb people cannot teach us to speak.
It is not enough that your fingers know your pieces; you should be able to hum them to yourself, away from the pianoforte. Sharpen your powers of imagination so that you may be able to remember correctly not only the melody fo the composition, but its proper harmonies as well.
As you grow older, converse more frequently with scores than with virtuosi.
Robert Schumann
Topic: Rules and Maxims for Young Musicians(1848)