The Act of Touch in All Its Diversity " is a guide to playing the piano or pianoforte by English pianist Tobias Matthay. It aims to provide the reader with a full understanding of the foundations of playing the instrument, explaining each step with simple instructions and expert tips. This classic guide is recommended for novices and new players, as well as those with an interest in early pianos and their operation. Contents include: "Preamble", "The Problem of Pianoforte Training", "The Problem of Education in the Art of Tone-Production", "The Problem of Muscular Education", "The Final Problem: The Union of Execution with Conception", and "Conclusion, and Summary". Tobias Augustus Matthay (1858 - 1945) was an English pianist, composer, and teacher. He was taught composition while at the Royal Academy of Music by Arthur Sullivan and Sir William Sterndale Bennett, and he was instructed in the piano by William Dorrell and Walter Macfarren. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially-commissioned new biography of the author.