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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
ADVERTI-SING
PLAYER-PIANOS SUCCESS-
FULLY.
(Continued from page 9.)
11
SOME REAL POSSIBILITIES OF CO-OPERATION.
Many Matters of Mutual Interest Between Player-Piano and Music Roll Manufacturers in Which
Co-operation Is Not Only Desirable, But Practically a Necessity—Questions That Might
are sure and quick. The window is already an
Be Threshed Out in Convention With Benefit to the Manufacturers, the Dealers and the
asset in their stores, as the rent is being paid
Public—Some Instances Where Individuality Should Make Way for a Recognized Standard.
just the same whether the window is used or not.
The arrangement of a storeroom too often makes
The player-piano has ceased to be a curiosity, a at present, not everybody divides the hammer-rail
or unmakes a sale.
Some dealers apparently do not realize the im- toy, a fad. It has emerged from infancy and looks ac that particular point. Hence the music is use-
confidently to a period of prosperous maturity. Its less with that line for some of the player-pianos.
portance of keeping their salesrooms attractive.
parents, the player manufacturers and the piano Why is this? And what objection is there to
Some neglect their windows; the walls are often
soiled and are decorated in atrocious color schemes. makers, should now also begin to emerge from an having uniformity in this matter? Clearly there can
attitude of parochial narrowness and place them- be none. This recommendation equally applies to
Many a player-piano sale is lost because of poor
selves more squarely in line with the facts of the player mechanisms in which a pneumatic choker is
demonstration. The fault cannot always be laid
used in place of the lifting device.
to the instrument. More often it is due to improper present situation.
Whatever else may be true, this much is certainly
Take another matter. Surely it would do no
handling and poor sales judgment.
It is probably unnecessary to point out to most true: that the player-piano is very much the same harm if some agreement were reached with regard
salesmen the necessity of having the player-piano in essentials everywhere. All player mechanisms, to the marking of the tempo indicator. The use
whatever be their name, their style or their sys- of words instead of numbers is decidedly confusing.
in first-class condition. It must be as clean and
tem, are all intended for precisely the same object.
Moreover, words such as allegro, adagio, etc., are
attractive as possible. Dirty and poorly regulated
Their purpose is to play the piano. Plainly there intended to express manner as much as speed. A
players do not make a sales impression.
simple system of numbering is much the best.
A long demonstration is not essential. Usually must be many things about a type of mechanism
Again, is it not time that we finally made up our
two or three pieces are sufficient for the average like this which necessarily will be common to all
varieties. Necessarily again, therefore, it must be minds what to do about the sustaining pedal de-
sincere prospect.
The salesman should talk to his prospect in a to the advantage of all concerned to seek for these vice? The musical truth of the matter is that the
sustaining or damper pedal of the piano is its soul.
quiet room where they will not be disturbed. A inevitably common features with a view to stand-
Without it the piano would be as little satisfactory
selection should be chosen that will demonstrate ardizing them permanently.
No one can doubt the advantage and value of a as a harpsichord. And inasmuch as the player-
all the good qualities of the player-piano.
The Watkin Go. believes in having the buyer's closer co-operation between piano, player and mu- piano is also a piano, it seems clear that the device
for operating the damper-lifter should be as simple
undivided attention. All persons are not ob- sic-roll makers with regard to certain fundamental
servers. Most of us see only those things to which and universally underlying features of construction. —and for that matter as standardized and perma-
Let us consider some of these more or less in
nent in design—when fitted to the player, as it has
our attention is called.
come to be with the straight instrument.
In the demonstration attention is therefore di- detail.
It is much to be feared that some of the very
From every musical point of view the direct
rected to the tone of the instrument, the comfort
excellent and admirable recommendations made by
mechanical lever connection is much better than
of playing, etc.
the pneumatic and button. The former can be used
The buyer is invited to become the performer. the conference of 1911 with regard to the making
of music rolls, have not been followed with entire with as much delicacy as the foot pedal, while the
This is always a creator of enthusiasm.
fidelity by everybody. One hears complaints of
latter can only have two possible positions—on and
Conditions under which the demonstration is
Moreover, the pneumatic button does
conducted are made as agreeable as possible. Noth- tracker-bars made to one scale of width and rolls off.
not work
well under very
light
pres-
ing is permitted to happen that will in the least made to another. Again, there is no doubt whatever
sure, since the operating pneumatic is heavy
annoy or disconcert the customer. If it is hot tliat the music-roll itself would be much better off
if there were some reasonable basis of under- and power-consuming.
This is a mechani-
the fan is going; if dark the lights are turned on.
If the salesman hasn't sold his customer by the standing concerning its expression markings. Here cal defect inherent in the device and is suf-
is one possibility of advantage arising from co- ficient to warrant the suggestion that a simpler
way the player-piano sounds and plays the oppor-
tunity it affords him to make his most convincing operation of which the importance to the trade and more efficient mechanical movement is needed.
It would be much better if all player manufacturers
claims, an advantage is lost that is hard to regain. cannot be overestimated.
would agree to use the direct lever, and it would
Another matter which bears on the same subject
WEATHER AND BUSINESS.
is also of interest and importance. The music roll is be even better if they would all consent to place
an integral and necessary part of the player-piano. that lever in contact with the left thumb. Neither
W. H. Bodine Reports an Excellent Welte Trade
It should actually be regarded as this and not at dealers nor any one else should be permitted to
in South and West Despite Most Unusual
dictate in a matter of this importance. It is not
all as merely similar to a piece of shest music on
Conditions Owing to Severe Rains and Floods.
a straight piano. The latter can be played whether what a few individuals want, but what is best for
W. H. Bodine, secretary and New York man- the sheet music is there or not. But the player-
the future interests of the player-piano. This is
ager for the Welte Artistic Player-Piano Co., with piano is absolutely dependent upon the music-roll. the standpoint that should be taken.
warerooms at 273 Fifth avenue, is back at his desk
I* is to the interest of player manufacturers to
Individuality Need Not Disappear.
after a visit to the Welte agencies in the Middle pay the closest attention to music-roll manufacture.
Fugitive suggestions such as the above may be of
West and South. In speaking to a Review repre-
They should insist upon those things which are but slight practical value—except in one sense.
sentative Mr. Bodine said: "Business as a rule necessary, and should see that they are done. Every
In that sense they are immensely valuable. They
is a little quiet in the territory I have covered. music-roll should be of standard scale and width.
are valuable in the sense that they exhibit clearly,
The South is in much worse condition than the The expression markings should be reduced—as by the very fact that they so easily can be made,
Middle West. The season down there is at least
may easily be done—to a definite common basis. the existence of a confused state of affairs. No-
forty days bem'nd owing to the severe rains and
And, lastly, cataloging and titling should also be body would be less willing than ourselves to
floods. Farmers are unable to work their land. worked out on a foundation of common sense and see individuality disappear from the manufacture of
Crops are the main standby, of course, in the South, co-operative agreement.
player mechanisms. Only by giving full play to
and when anything occurs to hold them back it
How Co-operation Would Benefit.
the individual imaginings of clever men can we
immediately has a bad effect on general business.
A conference of manufacturers and music-roll
expect to produce final perfection. But individuality
Considering the weather and crop conditions our
men can always find plenty to do, and indeed it
in matters of fundamental design is one thing; in
business in the South and Western sections has is a pity that such a conference is not a permanent
accessories quite another. It is one thing to de-
been fully as good as could be expected. Sales of
body, meeting at regular intervals and secure
velop an improved method for producing the pneu-
Welte orchestrions have been particularly brisk." of authority and power to enforce its de- matic power or for conveying it to the piano action.
Mr. Bodine reported retail business at the New cisions on all the trade. This would be another
For these be matters concerning which neither
York warerooms as picking up rapidly and show- advantage of co-operation.
agreement nor relative perfection have been at-
ing encouraging signs for the balance of the spring
tained. But it is quite another, and far less ad-
At present there are a hundred and one direc-
season.
mirable, thing to insist upon small personal ideas
tions in which agreement might be reached between
with reference to the purely musical control of the
manufacturers of players, but which would not
BARKER BROS. BUY OUT STOCK.
involve sacrifice of individuality in any manner. instrument. Such matters as the sustaining pedal,
for instance, are not subjects for discussion. There
For instance, what is the sense of having more
Barker Bros., the prominent furniture dealers of
than one method of dividing the hammer rail? can be only one sane manner of dealing with them.
Los Angeles, Cal.. have taken over the entire retail
For they are intimately bound up in the piano itself.
One large music-roll concern puts forth a roll
piano business of Frank B. Long, who will in the
To change them is to change the nature of the
future devote himself to the wholesale exploitation bearing a center line to show the dividing point of
piano. Similarly, though in different degree, indi-
the hammer-rail, so that the hammer-lifting devices
of the Melodigrand and other lines of pianos and
vidual eccentricity should be barred forever from
for bass and treble may be us:d judiciously. But
player-pianos.
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