Can somebody explain to the technique of finger-tapping which Glenn Gould employed?

Finger-tapping or finger-taping?

Ah yes!! I know all about this "the art of finger tapping!"

Here is what a book about my lovely Glenn says about this subject:

Finger tapping is a lowly, obsessive and cultish excersise for acquiring absolute eveness and ease in tricky passage work.
It eliminates excess motion in the hand and ensures intimate tactile connection with the pattern in question. I will explain the practice in its simplest application. Take the notes D, E, F sharp , G and A, for which the right hand fingering is thumb, 2, 3, 4 5. The hand position is the natural one assumed when the arm and hand hang relaxed from the shoulder. Rest the fingers on those notes. The left hand then tapes the fingers successively to the bottom of the keys. The right fingers are boneless; they reflex from keybed and then return to original position. The motion should also be as fast as possible. The second stage is to play the notes with a quick staccato motion. This is a slow practice with each note being seperated by two seconds of silence.


from Glenn's greatest admirer
Zeldah

Ps.) I have a picture of Glenn doing this. If you would like to see just ask me, and I'll post it.

please post it, Zelda. i am having trouble picturing what gould described.

I'm not sure if this will help, but here is an image.
http://www.hanson.net/users/zeldah/GlennGould49.gif

And while I'm at it, I'll give another beautiful picture of Glenn.
http://www.hanson.net/users/zeldah/Image20.jpg

tap, tape, schmape... After seeing the picture it's become clearer that the method involves tapping the right fingers with the left. Tapping ... The left hand then taps the fingers ...

Although taping the fingers sounds a bit far fetched, I remember reading that Schuman once rigged his fingers up to the hammers with string. Unfortunately, it did some real damage to his hand.

Ha! Geniuses are awesomely psycho.