A pianoforte hammer may strike a string ten times per second, and our ear will still easily perceive the ten attacks, the sound immediately decreasing in intensity; with the organ, that we may clearly hear the repetitions of a note in a quick movement, or even in moderate tempo, there must intervene between the repetitions periods of silence equal to the duration of the sound; from which we may formulate this law: _every repeated note loses one-half of its value_. Example: [Music] Execution: [Music] The periods of silence have a time-value exactly equal to that of the sixteenth-notes. With regard to notes of larger value, in slow movements, it is clear that the spirit rather than the letter of our law is to be regarded. In the following example: [Music] it would obviously be absurd to shorten the first dotted note by one-half; this rendering seems to me the proper one: [Music] taking great pains to allow to rests of equal value uniform duration. The free staccato is not admissible upon the organ. Here every detached note becomes a staccato one, as in the case of instruments played with a bow; that is to say, a series of equal tones separated from each other by rests of like duration. The staccato is executed by holding the fingers as near as possible to the keys, the wrist slightly depressed. Example: [Music] Execution: [Music] When one part succeeds another upon the same note, the note is held and not repeated. Example: [Music] Execution: [Music] A moment ago, in my category of crimes against Art, I included that of indifference to rhythm. What is rhythm? _The constant manifestation of determination, or will, upon the periodical recurrence of the accented beats._ It is only by rhythm that one wins attention. Particularly with the organ, all accents, all effects are dependent upon it. You may bear upon the keyboard with the weight of pounds, with all the strength of your shoulders--you will gain nothing by it. But delay by a tenth of a second the attack of a chord, or prolong this same chord the very least, and judge of the effect produced! Upon a manual not provided with a swell-box one may obtain a crescendo without the aid of a mechanism of any kind: by the simple augmentation of the duration allowed successive chords or detached phrases. To play upon an organ is to deal with chronometric values. Woe be unto you if your tempo is not absolutely regular, if your will does not manifest itself at every breathing-point of the phrase, at every "lift"; if you unconsciously permit yourself to "hurry"! Would you like a lesson in rhythm? Listen to those immense locomotives dragging behind them tons of merchandise; admire the formidable piston stroke which marks every recurrence of the accent, slowly but relentlessly; well may you believe that you hear the march of Fate itself. It causes one to shudder.