There are several so-called rules about piano playing that, although formulated long ago, may still haunt us today. In the previous issue, I centred on the myth of the perpetual finger legato in melodic lines and concluded that it is best practice to aim for this when it is comfortable to do so, because it is easier to control our sound. However, when hand connections are tight or awkward, we release the key and allow the pedal to make the join. Another rule, one that I shall be exploring in this article, concerns the use of the thumb on black keys in scales and passagework, often problematic when
