Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
that the white keys (diatonic scale of C) are not
all evenly separated by black keys. The key im-
mediately below (to the left of) C is a white key,
called B. The next white key but one above (to
the right of) C is called E and the next above that
is also a white key called F. So we observe that
B and C form a closely connected pair and so do
E and F. The individuals of the two pairs B-C
and E-F are, in fact, only a half step apart, just
as far apart as a white key and its adjacent black
key. So we now see that the complete scale, which
we call the "diatonic-chromatic" scale, consists of
twelve equi-distant half steps, the series forming
an octave so-called. At the thirteenth tone a new
series begins, and we observe that this thirteenth
tone is identical with the first, but an octave higher
or lower, as the case may be. There are seven of
these octaves on a piano, with a fraction of an
octave additional at the very lowest bass end.
These tones all have names. Beginning at any
C key, as described above, and proceeding to the
right (upwards) we obtain the following:
1.
C
White.
2.
C-sharp D-flat
Black.
3.
D
White.
4.
D-sharp E-flat
Black.
5.
E
White.
6.
F
White.
7.
F-sharp G-flat
Black.
8.
G
White.
9.
G-sharp A-flat
Black.
10.
A
White.
11.
A-sharp B-flat
Black.
12.
B
White.
13.
C
White.
Next octave, and so on.
Thus we see that each black key represents a
sound which is the sharp of the white key to its
left (below) and the flat of the white key to its
right (above). Also the sound E is the flat of F,
while F is the sharp of E. Likewise the sound B
is the flat of C, while C is the sharp of B.
Note.—It must here be added that the division
of the scale into twelve equi-distant half-stops is
not in accordance with the strictly correct rela-
tions of musical theory. In order, however, to
compromise with the mechanical limitations of
musical keyboard instruments, a system of tuning
is always used which produces the uniformity
aforesaid by slightly throwing out of accord nearly
all the relations, though not enough to be noticed.
(To be continued.)
A HEART TO HEART TALK
To the trained music lover nothing seems more
absurd than the difficulty which the layman experi-
ences in framing a systematic conception of the
manner in which a piece of music should be audibly
set forth. Everybody knows that even the most
superficial attention to the expression markings
stamped on music rolls produces a sensible change
in musical result. It is equally obvious that the
average "operator" of the player-piano little un-
derstands th- rationale of such expressive changes.
Still they are entirely necessary, and as such must
be brought as close as possible to the conscious-
ness of those who produce music with the aid of
the player-piano. In point of fact, it is qvite es-
sential that anyone who desires to play the player-
piano with any sort of intelligent pleasure and in-
telligible result must have some knowledge which
will enable him to group the various elements of a
musical composition in such a way as to produce
a generally pleasurable, agreeable and appropriate
result. Without such knowledge the player-piano
lapses into a mere grinder out of mechanical tunes.
With it, and in its intelligent application, one finds
the player-piano assuming its rightful place as a
genuine musical instrument, capable of artistic
control and enabling the impress of personality
upon the music it evokes.
The two most difficult elements to govern in the
playing of music—in its audible setting forth—are
phrasing and accent. By phrasing we mean musi-
cally just what we mean when we speak of the
same term in connection with literature. When
we read a paragraph from a book, or a stanza
from a poem, we unconsciously arrange the words
into groups, lingering on this one, slurring that
one, settling these into one group and those into
another; governing our entire arrangement by the
apparent necessities of the case. What we are
really trying to do, in point of fact, is to make
our reading more intelligible to ourselves, to ex-
tract from the printed page all the meaning it pos-
sesses, and likewise to convey sensibly and intel-
ligibly the full meaning to others who may hear
us. Hence we judge our phrasing entirely by the
general sense of what is written, and the same
consideration governs our conception of accentua-
tion or emphasis. We lay stress on this word or on
that, according to the relative importance of each
in the general scheme of the written thought. In
just the same way, by taking advantage of the
punctuation marks and signs we are able to ar-
range our reading of prose or poetry so as to re-
produce in some sense the emotional state which
the author may have intended to convey.
9
poetry. In this sense, then, it is easy to under-
stand the art of phrasing and accentuation. In
fact, musical phrasing becomes more obvious than
the same process in literature, because the want
of articulate element simplifies the requirements.
Musical phrasing is really therefore quite a
simple matter. We must first recognize that a
complete tune consists of a number of separate
little tunes, which together make up the large tune.
Large tunes again are combined into larger ele-
ments which lose the character of mere tunes and
become sections of a complete work. Several ot
these sections combine to make a complete work.
All we have to do is first to recognize the broad
division of a piece into sections, then of the sec-
tions each into large tunes and of the large tunes
each into smaller tunes. Then when we observe
also that there are many repetitions among these,
and also that each element can be recognized by
itself as an individual while also in its combina-
tion form as part of the whole, we begin to see
that each complete tune is a complete thought, each
section a paragraph of such thoughts, and the
whole work a complete statement of the emotions
which prompted the composer's thought. Thus
we merely have to settle in our own minds the
relative importance of each of these elements to
be able to emphasize one here and suppress an-
other there, to group the elements of this thought
away from the elements of that, and so preserve a
systematic and sensible way of presenting the whole
work before ourselves. In short, we must have
formed a conception of the whole work in the way
outlined and then expression will be very simple.
In connection with all the above let us remark
that a very plain and complete exposition of all the
problems involved in the interpretation of musical
work through the medium of the player-piano is
to be found in The Player-Pianist, a volume pub-
lished by the proprietor of The Review, which may
be purchased from the office thereof for the sum
of one dollar. In this book the whole art of play-
ing the player-piano has been carefully, brightly
and non-technically discussed from every point of
view, in a manner calculated to make the facts set
" forth interesting and desirable to everybody. We
Now, precisely what is said above as to poetry strongly recommend this very valuable work.
or prose applies as to music. Music is the expres-
sion of emotion through sounds. So is speech.
NEW BUILDING FOR WURLITZER CO.
But spoken sounds are ideological, whereas musi-
Plant at Wurlitzer, N. Y., Being Enlarged—
cal tones are not. A word represents a concrete
New Building Will Be Used for Assembling.
state of consciousness. A tone can only repre-
sent the consciousness of itself. Yet a string of
(Special to The Review.)
tones bound together by a master will awaken
NORTH TONAWANDA, N. Y., July 21.—The in-
emotions of pity, or sorrow, joy, or peace. It is creased demand for organs and orchestrions made
perfectly obvious therefore that while a single tone by the Rudolph Wurlitzer Manufacturing Co., of
will not convey anything like the completeness of Wurlitzer, near here, has necessitated the enlarge-
idea that a single word may, still a number of
ment of the present plant, and therefore plans and
tones arranged according to some form may con- specifications have been prepared for a building
vey far deeper and subtler emotions than anj which will be three stories high, 60 by 80 feet in
words are capable of. Hence when we come to dimensions, and built of reinforced concrete. This
examine musical compositions we soon see that if
structure will be used as an assembling depart-
we disregard the one element of articulateness, we ment. With the completion of this building the
may consider a piece of music very much as we number of employes at the factory will be increased
should consider a piece of prose, or better still, of to 700.
UOESTEST"—a new word—the super-su-
-•-* perlative of good—for use in describing
the David H. Schmidt hammer.
The word—"bestest"—is easily said, and said quickly, but it
took years of successful hammer building to achieve the distinction.
The Schmidt has done its share in securing
opinions of " What a beautiful tone I " logic-
ally followed by the decision of purchase.
We help you help yours.
DAVID
H. SCHMIDT CO., Poughkeepsie, N. YJ
Western representatives: Widney & Widney,
5 South Wabash Avenue, Chicago, 111.