Gregg Speed Studies/Speed Study 15

by John Robert Gregg

Layout 2

SPEED STUDY XV
FIFTEENTH LESSON
The Law of Rhythm in Shorthand Writing
By John Robert Gregg in the GREGG WRITER

In the course of an informal talk to a " speed class" some time ago, we were asked by the teacher to express our views about the value of phrase-writing. The teacher seemed to be surprised, and perhaps disappointed, at the tenor of our remarks. We afterwards learned that he had devoted a great deal of time to the study of phrasing and had constantly impressed upon his students that a mastery of phrase-writing was the open sesame to verbatim reporting speed. There was a time when we held that view—before we had an understanding of what we might term the law of rhythm in shorthand writing. Before discussing that law, we wish to repeat the substance of what we said to the class:

1. That simple, natural phrasing is of immense value in the attainment of a high degree of stenographic skill.

2. That involved phrases, that is, phrases requiring much mental effort to recall, or much continuous manual effort to execute, are a hindrance instead of a help.

3. That under stress of rapid writing the reporter generally reverts to simple, natural forms, even if they are somewhat lengthy.

In support of our theories, we stated that an examination of the actual notes of skilled reporters of all systems—and this includes those who have distinguished themselves in the various speed contests—will show that when writing under pressure, or where the work is long sustained, they seldom use any but the simple and natural phrases. There are several reasons for this:

Long phrases impose on the reporter such a degree of concentration of mind and of precision in writing that they become irksome in a long siege of note-taking. It is true that there are exceptions to this in the case of some young reporters who take a peculiar delight in phrase-writing, and who have made that phase of shorthand writing a special hobby.

Another reason is that there is a law of rhythm in shorthand writing. Every writer of shorthand, for instance, spaces between forms with almost mechanical uniformity. The spacing may be close or wide according to the habit of the writer, but it will be uniform in width, and retain that uniformity even under extreme pressure.

In a similar way, the hand and mind become accustomed to making just about so many motions or efforts at a time, and when the writing goes much beyond the average, as in the case of a very long phrase, the rhythm is destroyed. When this happens a certain amount of time is lost before the momentum or fluency of motion is recovered. It is well to have this point fully understood, as it will explain why diligent practice on some fascinating phrase-forms does not seem to produce the expected result in the way of increased skill in writing.

Here is a shorthand illustration that may help to make this clear:

Key: Thanking you for your kind attention to this matter, and hoping to hear from you at an early date, I remain Yours very truly.

This phrase-form contains twenty-four words, and it is a common enough expression. Even with the ordinary variations of it—such as the omission of "kind," or the substitution of "again" for at an early date" the words can all be joined without any trouble. It is, too, a fluent, easy-running combination, as it is all along the line.

And yet it is not a good, practical phrase-form. Why? Simply because there are so many continuous movements in executing it that the hand is liable to get "blind staggers while writing it, especially under the pressure of actual work. This will be readily understood, but it is not so generally understood that the introduction of a phrase-form requiring sustained effort is followed by hesitancy or loss of momentum. The natural rhythm is broken, and the hand has to adjust itself to the usual average of effort. Let us split the foregoing phrase-form into what may be considered its natural divisions, and see the result:

Key: Thanking you for—kind attention—this matter and hoping —hear from you—at an early date— I remain Yours very truly.

Here you find that the balance or rhythm is preserved. There are a few easy movements (none of them over four pen motions), then a lift of the pen, and a fresh start. That is what we mean by rhythm in writing.

This illustration may possibly aid in conveying the idea we have in mind. We confess that we find it difficult to express it so that it will not be regarded as a condemnation of phrasing. We most emphatically believe in the value of phrase-writing of the right kind; but many writers waste a great deal of time and effort in the concoction of long phrase-forms that are an actual hindrance to the attainment of speed. If the time and effort so spent had been devoted to more intense practice on the simple, natural phrase-forms, their progress would have been much greater.

Nothing is gained, then, by striving after long and involved phrases, but a great deal is gained by persistent drill on the common, everyday phrases that occur in all kinds of matter. The trouble is that students, and even advanced writers, do not realize the necessity for practice on phrase-forms with which they are thoroughly familiar. "Familiarity breeds contempt," as it were. It is only when they see the wonderful celerity with which these phrases are written by the highly skilled writer that they are induced to give them the attention they deserve. The greatest reporters and the most expert writers, as a rule, have acquired an admirable command over all common phrases and wordforms, but they have not used the ingeniously brief contractions which have such a fascination for the amateur writer. Under pressure, the mind and hand revert to those forms which require very little effort to recall and which can be written with little regard to exactitude.

There are three definite steps to be taken in the acquirement of speed in shorthand: First, mastery of the alphabetic combinations; second, mastery of the simple words that constitute more than fifty per cent of all ordinary matter; third, mastery of the common phrases.

And by mastery we mean the ability to write combinations, common words, and common phrases with great rapidity while preserving proportion or accuracy of form. This ability can be attained only by much systematic, concentrated practice.

BUSINESS LETTERS

Overlooked, to-meet, welcome, item, drawn, First-National-Bank, of-this city, transit, we-wrote-you, to-furnish-us, issuance, this-delay, annoying, with-thanks, comply, we-take, similar, continually, to-confine, newspapers, of-large, circulation, include, Postal, Motor, Service, operating, trucks.

Day-and-night, transportation, of-mail, anticipates, that-there-may-be, occasional, breakdown, mechanics, appliances, misunderstandings, which-could-have-been, bank, hear-from-you, I-thank-you-for, I-understand, Camden, I-shall-be-able, I-shall-send.

Chair, since-you, we-will-furnish, for-the-last, as-low-as, elsewhere, continued, Edwin, McKenzie, twelve-per-cent, as-you-will-note, which-we-in-close, he-cannot-understand, excessive, do-anything, customer, for-many-years, and-it-is.

MODERN BANKS

Selected

Banks, absolute, transaction, borrowing, transferring, from-place-to-place, provide, accuracy, dispatch, benches, market-place, prevails, oriental, insolvent, broken, bankrupt, formerly, exclusively, corporations, wealthy, business-men, patrons, moderate, circumstances, convenient, courtesies.