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talent is required, still extemporizing may be studied and practised according to certain principles; and I am convinced that any body, who has attained to more than a moderate skill in playing, is also capable, at least to a certain degree, of acquiring the art of playing extemporaneously. But for this purpose it is requisite to commence this sort of practice at an early period (which, alas! most players neglect); and that we should learn to indefatigably apply the experience which we have gained by studying the compositions of others, to our own extemporaneous performances.
At present, as your execution is so considerably formed, and as you are beginning to make a progress in thorough-bass, you should attempt, sometimes when alone, sometimes in the presence of your teacher, to connect together easy chords, short melodies, passages, scales, arpeggioed chords; or, which is much better, leave it to your fingers to effect this connection, according to their will and pleasure. For extemporizing possesses this singular and puzzling property, that reflection and attention are of scarcely any service in the matter. We must leave nearly every thing to the fingers and to chance.
At first, this will appear difficult to you; what you play will seem unconnected, or even incorrect; you will lose that courage and con-
