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THE
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
A PLEA FOR SOME NEEDED MUSIC ROLL REFORMS.
Some Important Matters in Connection with the Development and Standardization of the Music
Roll That Were Overlooked at the Convention of Player Manufacturers in Chicago Last
Year—Some Faults That Might Be Remedied—Advance of the Player Greater Than That
of the Roll—Reasons Why This Condition Exists—Weaknesses That Could Be Eliminated.
11
to the roll indications if only because it is nat-
ural to do so. And when such a person finds that
a piece which he or she knows sounds perfectly
ridiculous through being delivered at an absurd
tempo, then the blame straightaway is laid on the
instrument and not on the roll. All of which goes
to the further creation of prejudice against the
player proposition as a whole.
The music roll is to the player-piano what sheet
music is to the manual pianist. Just so long as this
Expressive Indications.
is the case it must also be equally true that upon
Another thing: Why cannot we have some sort
the music roll must the player pianist absolutely of a reform in the present method of marking the
depend. For whatever assistance he needs in bring- expressive indications? The dotted line is all right
ing about a decent interpretation of the music set and need not be disturbed. Rut there is no sense
before him he must look to the music roll and to whatever in confusing the average person with a
the indications set down upon it. The roll itself
whole list of Italian names, most of which are un-
must be arranged in faithful repetition of the familiar and have to be learned. Why not, after
score, and the indications for expression must be suggesting the tempo by means of the numeral
as simple and yet as comprehensive as are the stamped at the beginning of the roll, add from time
corresponding indications on the printed sheet of
to time such indications as "retard speed," "faster,"
music. Let us discuss these various matters with "slower," "pause a moment," or something like
some care.
these? Would not all this be more intelligible? And
With regard to the actual arranging itself. If
why wsste time on signs like F, FF, P, PP, when
what has been said above has any value at all it the dotted line can take care of all that?
is plain that the arranging of perforations should
Sustaining Pedal Markings.
be considered primarily as a translation of the And, lastly, why on earth are not the sustaining
printed notes. Every effort should be made so to pedal markings carefully inserted? Not everybody
arrange the perforations that the plain intent of
has a player with the automatic sustaining pedal
the composer may be most easily materialized by device, and for that matter the artistic utility of this
the player pianist. And if this implies anything at latter is exceedingly doubtful. Of course, when
all it does imply faithful translation without omis- one has rolls with automatic sustaining perfora-
sion or emendation.
tions these can be used as indications. But it
One is compelled to allege many instances where would be a great deal better to insert the necessary
glaring violations of these simple rules take place. signs everywhere, so that the performer could use
There is still altogether too much tendency to "en- the pedal according to some sensible plan. Why
rich," "embellish," "improve." We have been told not use the word "sustain" when the sustaining
that the player-piano requires embellishment of the lever or button is to be used, and have a line run-
music, apparently on the theory that melodies can- ning at the side of the roll between this and the
not any other way be made to sound out. The point where lever or button is to be released? There
Some of the Faults Defined.
What then are the faults of the music roll in notion seems to have been that the player-piano is could be a star or asterisk at the point where the
particular? In the first place it is not a good so defective that-every melody must be doubled in sustaining is to be shut off. Surely this would be
mechanical proposition. . Take, for instance, the octaves at least because it will not stand out other- sensible and intelligible.
flanges which protect the ends of the roll. These wise. And, of course, when once this sort of thing
Player-Piano Blamed for Roll Defects.
are charged with a double duty. They must pro- is permitted the door is opened to a thousand and
Of course, anyone can make a lot of suggestions.
tect, as remarked, and also must fit closely the one excesses. So we often find music distorted out
chucks in the tracker board which suspend the roll of all nature, surrounded with impossible trills, It is not always easy to suggest anything valuable,
in its proper playing position. Now, it is a com- . roulades and ornamentations, doubled and tripled however. Yet in the present article we have
mon complaint, and one not without foundation, from end to end. What is the result? Simply that tried to point out what seem actually bad condi-
that the construction of these flanges is often bad. the music becomes something that never before was tions, nor have the suggested remedies anything of
One finds that they frequently are not properly heard on sea or land, and that we piously hope will the impractiable or visionary about them. Certain-
slotted so that the chucks do not fit rightly into never be heard again. Unnatural, brassy, hard, glit- ly it will be admitted that player manufacturers are
them. Here is a case where standardization is tering and maddeningly monotonous; that is all much more dependent upon the music roll than
they sometimes believe. Anyting that is wrong in
we can call it.
greatly needed.
the arrangement, marking or construction of music
Time to Recognize State of Roll and Player.
It must also be noted that the cores on which
Now it seems to the observer that the player rolls is commonly charged against the player-piano.
music rolls are wound are often of apparently
flimsy construction. One might suggest that some- manufacturer ought to make it clear that his in- For the customer does not usually reason from
thing better could be found as a material for these struments no longer need these adventitious aids. cause to effect. When the defects of a roll, no
The player-piano of to-day has moved ahead, while matter what these may be, make the music sound
cores than the cardboard so often used.
The quality of paper used for music rolls has the music roll has very largely stood still. No bad naturally the player mechanism is blamed. This
undoubtedly been improved year by year. As things longer are player-piano mechanisms so imperfect as is a state of affairs at once unfortunate and dan-
stand to-day the best rolls give hardly any trouble to require that their music be specially distorted out gerous.
Why These Facts Are Presented.
ih the way of refusing to track. Indeed, it is hard- of all semblance to nature simply to act as a kind
In saying these things we are interested in the
ly necessary any longer to bother with tracking of indirect remedy for their defects. And to con-
devices, since the rolls themselves usually take care tinue making music on that basis is simply to assert future of the player trade and in that alone. Facts
that the improvements claimed for the player do are facts, and we cannot afford to slight or ignore
of all such matters perfectly.
not, in fact, exist.
them. The music roll greatly needs improvement.
,..*
Musical Qualities of the Roll.
Another point to be noted is that the 1 relation be- A fundamental re-arrangement of methods in the
* With these suggestions as to the good and bad
things that one finds in the mechanical construc- tween the tempo indications placed on a roll and light of present accomplishment throughout the
tion of music rolls one can take another step and the basis on which the roll is cut very often is en- field of player mechanism is something which must
consider what, in the end, is of equal or greater tirely wrong. We have frequently observed pieces be brought about. Every day that it is postponed is
importance; namely, their musical qualities. The which arc to be played very slowly arranged on a a day lost to the progress of the player.
After all, it is foolish to be contented with any-
subject is difficult of discussion in a manner equally short-cut basis and then marked for tempo at
something approaching to half speed. Particularly thing. Contentment may be a very pretty virtue,
plain and accurate. But discussed it must be.
We trench here upon ground that for long has there comes to mind an arrangement recently seen but it does not get us very far. What we need
been considered peculiarly sacrosanct. Just why of a Chopin Etude, which if played at the tempo rather in this world is a very active discontent;
this should be so is as mysterious as it is un- indicated would, on account of the very short cut- with ourselves, with our work and with our pres-
fortunate. For no one can deny that the fullest ting, sound prestissimo instead of lento, which lat- ent grasp on the ever-shifting conditions of our
,^rrd freest understanding of the facts regarding the ter is correct. All this is very careless and very business.
All of which, with the greatest respect, is laid
ffrusical make-up of rolls is desirable; in fact, es- had. For it must never be forgotten that the
sential, if certain grave evils at present existing average person, whether musician or not, who un- before the manufacturers of music rolls for their
dertakes to play the player-piano will at first trust consideration.
are ever to be reformed.
A year ago there was a conference in Chicago of
persons connected with the manufacture of music
rolls. The ostensible object of this conference was
to discuss and promote standardization in certain
vital features of roll making. A number of reso-
lutions were drawn up and adopted, all with a view
to putting the manufacture of rolls upon a more
stable and systematic basis.
It was, however, unfortunate that the conference
confined itself to adopting resolutions having ref-
erence almost exclusively to the smaller mechanical
uniformities. Such matters as length of bridge
between succeeding notes, width of margins, etc.,
were not without their own importance. But the
conference failed to consider something even more
important, namely, whether the music roll in itself
is or is not a worthy specimen of what it claims
to be, and whether, if it be not so, it can be im-
proved.
That is a question which to-day needs an im-
mediate and accurate answer. The music roll is
not entirely a satisfactory thing either mechanical-
ly or musically; something which it is distinctly
the duty of the trade to know. For it may be
shown without much difficulty that a good deal of
the dissatisfaction at present expressed towards
the player-piano as a producer of music is actually
chargeable to the music roll and to nothing else.
The indictment is serious, but the evidence in its
favor is overwhelming.
PIANO
NATIONAL
Tlie "No Trouble" Player
IMickel-in-tne-Slot
NEW ART STYLES
Continuous Roll, and Automatic
Rewind Styles—Also 88 Note Pedal
and Combination Pedal and Elec-
tric Styles.
MANDOLIN, a n d t h e N e w VIOLIN-FLUTE
ATTACHMENT
NATIONAL PIANO PLAYER CO.
OREGON-ILLINOIS
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