Music Trade Review

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THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
Conducted and Edited by Wm. B. White.
THE TONE QUALITY OF PIANOS; ITS NA-
TURE, CREATION AND REFINEMENT.
Article 6.
We are now prepared to consider the various
influences exerted on tone-quality by the resonance
?l paratus of the piano. By the term resonance
apparatus it should be understood that we refer
to the sound-board and its bridges, and also to
the iron plate with its bars. The term "resonance
apparatus" is used legalise it alone accurately ex-
picsses the functions of the sound-board and other
constructions cognate thereto. Their duty is to
resonate; that is to say, "re-sound" or sound again,
tones of which the vibrations have been impressed
< n them. The duty of a sound-board is not to
"intensify" sounds; that is to say, it does not,
because it cannot, increase the amplitude of vibra-
tion pertaining to the sounding strings, but it can
?nd does vibrate in sympathy with such sounds,
v hen their vibrations are conducted to it through
suitable bridges, and thus, through the delicacy of
its construction repeat the original string sounds,
with a specific color and intensity, determined by
and corresponding to the specific sort of vibra-
tion and vibratory material proper to it.
Obviously, then, since the function of the sound-
board is to act as a true vibrator, and not as a
mere reflector or intensifier, we must study its
make-up and capacities if we are to understand
how it vibrates, and what sort of partial tone pro-
cession may be expected from it. But before we
do this, it will be necessary for a moment to con-
sider the prime cause of the resonating or re-
sounding qualities themselves.
This prime cause arises from the property which
vibratory bodies possess of impressing their vibra-
tions on other bodies suitably brought into com-
munication with them. We call this property, gen-
erally speaking, "sympathetic vibration." The ex-
istence of this property may be demonstrated in a
variety of ways. For instance, if we have a tun-
ing fork on a sound-box and another one not at-
tached to any resonator we can demonstrate the
existence of sympathetic vibration very easily.
The tuning fork which is connected with the sound-
box may be excited, and while it is sounding the
second fork is brought into contact with the sur-
face of the sound-box. Then the first tuning fork
may be damped with the fingers, and the second
one will be heard sounding, when it will be at
once evident that the second fork has been thrown
into vibration by the vibration of the first fork,
conveyed to the former through the agency of the
sound-box. Obviously the .sound-box itself has
been vibrating in precisely the same way as the
tuning fork originally did. Indeed, if the sound-
box attached to a tuning fork be well and truly
proportioned it will be found to have a natural
sound of its own which can be excited by blow-
ing into the orifice of the sound-box. Sometimes
this inherent sound is almost exactly that of the
tuning fork, sometimes considerably different. Of
course, when the tuning fork is thrown into vibra-
tion its weight and power over-balance any inher-
ent vibratory tendency possessed by the sound-
box.
In the same way the piano sound-board has a
note of its own, which may be discovered by
striking its surface, when it has been ribbed and
bridged and is ready for the strings to be put in
place. But in the same way as before its natural
sound is over-blanced by the heavy vibrations of
the piano strings.
Plainly the piano sound-board is a true vibrator.
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The strings impress upon it their own vibrations
and it repeats these throughout the whole extent
of its surface with an intensity corresponding to
the intensity of the original vibratory amplitude of
the former.
]f a string, after being sounded, be damped,
while the rest of the strings are allowed to re-
main free, the. sound-board, which originally took
up the vibrations of the one string, will continue
for some time to repeat these, in spite of the fact
that their original cause no longer exists. There
is a reason for this to be found in the fact that the
sound-board is connected with all the strings
through the bridges, and whatever vibrations it
received must naturally be transmitted to any
other vibratory bodies in contact with it. 1 f these
latter be free they will in turn accept such com-
ponents of the original compound sonorous wave
generated by the first string and re-sounded by the
sound-board as correspond with any inherent fre-
quencies of their own. If any of these latter
strings has a natural partial tone corresponding to
the fundamental or a partial of the original string
the correspondence of frequency will result in an
agitation of the secondarily agitated string as far as
regards such partial or partials. Hence the whole
set of strings will, each in its own manner, con-
tribute something to the general body of re-sounded
tone, and will produce that extraordinarily rich and
highly colored effect which we are accustomed tn
associate with skilful use of the damper pedal in
piano playing.
It is clear that the practical conditions of sound-
hoard building, if the result is to achieve in the
highest degree the resonating powers here de-
scribed, must be founded upon a thorough know'
edge of the facts noted above, and of the acoust-
ical laws which govern these. The ideal sound-
board must be constructed of a material which
will vibrate freely. It must be capable of trans-
mitting sonorous pulses with great rapidity, and
uniformly throughout its entire structure. At the
same time it must possess sufficient strength to
preserve its originally given capacities throughout
a considerable period of time against the very
great strains imposed on it by the stretched
strings.
Although many experiments have been made
from time to time with other materials, it has been
conceded finally that a suitable wood provides the
very best and most efficient resonating apparatus.
Wood is not so elastic as metal, and therefore does
not re-sound so easily the higher and more feeble
partials of a compound string tone. But its flexi-
bility and capacity for being more profoundly af-
fected gives it a greater susceptibility to the im-
pressions of fundamental vibrations upon its sur-
face and their subsequent re-translation into audi-
ble sounds. Hence the wooden sound-board is a
necessity for a piano, where the compound tones
of strings are so rich in dissonant partials, any
undue prominence of which would render piano
tone-quality intolerably harsh and biting.
Long experiment has proved beyond doubt the
superior qualities of spruce for resonating pur-
poses. Both in America and Europe some kind
of spruce or fir has always been used. Exam-
ination of ancient key-board instruments shows
that the old masters had also discovered the same
secret by purely empirical methods, while the same
fact is noticeable in the manufacture of bowed in-
struments like the violin and the various members
of that family.
Unfortunately, however, flexibility and high sus-
ceptibility to vibratory impression cannot well be
found in the same material as is required to have
great resisting power against torsional and vertical
strain, with high natural tension. The spruce wood 1
is well suited for the reception and reproduction
of vibrations, since it is a fibrous wood, consist-
ing in its structure of long fibrous strips separated
by soft, resinous, sappy, material. But the very
softness which gives it this desirable susceptibility
to vibrational impression, also renders it incapable
of sustaining such impressions and reproducing
them with any strength. Rigidity of construction
and considerable resistant power of the material to
tension are needed. These requisites are obtained
through the well known process of ribbing, where-
by strips of the same material are glued across the
back of the spruce sheet. These ribs are slightly
curved on the surface which is to come into con-
tact with the main sheet, so that when fastened
down by gluing they draw up the sheet, as it were,
to themselves and impart to it a curvature similar
to that which was effected on their own surfaces.
By such curvature the surface of the sound-board
is rendered more rigid and a tension is imparted
to it which is highly desirable for the purposes out-
lined above.
(To be continued.)
An
Occasion
of Great
Import.
As these lines are being written, the member?
of the American Guild of Piano Timers are gath-
ering together in New York for their first anrma'
convention. A report of the opening proceedings
appears in another part of this paper, and will be
supplemented by a more detailed account next
week. My present purpose is to bespeak the best
wishes of all readers for the success of the Guild's
deliberations and for their achievement of useful
results from their important business.
Communications for the department should I.e
addressed to the Editor Technical Department.
The Music Trade Review.
PUSHING THE MASON & HAMLIN.
Cable Piano Co. Carrying on Live Campaign
jn Birmingham, Ala.
The Cable Piano Co., Birmingham, Ala., <>f
which B. li. Burton is the manager, have been
featuring the Mason & Hamlin piano in the strong-
est possible manner in their newspaper announce-
ments recently, dwelling particularly upon the high
favor in which that instrument is regarded by
many of the greatest American and foreign artists
and referring to a number of local musicians of
recognized ability who pin their faith to the Mason
& Hamlin. As a result of the campaign, it is
stated, the sales of Mason & Hamlin pianos in
Birmingham and vicinity have steadily increased in
volume even during the summer months.
BIG ORDER FOR HALLET & DAVIS CO.
Yeager
Piano Co. of Hartford, Conn., Place
Order for 350 Pianos.
The Hallet & Davis Piano Co., Boston, Mass..
through C. C. Conway, recently secured an order
from the Yeager Piano Co., Hartford, Conn., for
350 pianos, to be delivered before Dec. 15, 1010, at
regular intervals and in carload lots. This is the
largest single order ever placed by the Yeager
Piano Co.. who operate eleven branches in the
State of Connecticut; and the fact that the order
was placed with the noted Boston house may
be accepted as a high tribute to the product of that
Hammer Head
and
Butt Borer
Send for descriptive
catalog Frttt.
TUNERS SUPPLY CO.
Winter Hill District
BOSTON