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10
THE
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
OuTTECHNICAL DEPARTMENT
CONDUCTED BY WILLIAM BRAID WHITE.
TUNERS AND PIANO^ CONSTRUCTION.
. I am indebted to an old friend and colleague,
W. G. Lewis, of Regina, Canada, for many sug-
gestions of value. But I can think of none that
surpasses, or even equals in suggestiveness, one
hint conveyed in a letter received from him some
months ago. I need not specifically reproduce
Mr. Lewis' words, but the nature of his hint to me
will immediately be apparent when I say that
what follows is simply my translation of his
illuminating thought.
The tuner is a person who usually considers
.himself as a rather better sort of toiler, above the
majority in intelligence perhaps, but with all the
workman idea of his unimportance and all the
workman spirit of diffidence and inarticulateness.
This workman spirit it is that is wrong with most
men who work. Work in itself, whether it be
painting a picture or laying brick, is fundamentally
fine when it is done joyously; but when it is done
because it is the thing one is brought up to do,
without any notion that it is either essential or
important, it becomes joyless toiling.
Now the piano tuner who goes about his work
in this modern grind-it-out spirit is the sort of
tuner who will listen with scant patience to the
words that follow. I am no preacher of peace
where there is no peace, of the dignity and nobility
of labor that is hurried and ignoble to so many.
But I am decidedly a preacher who sees that, in
our profession at least, there is altogether too
much thought about the matter of working and
getting work than of being and doing good.
When I speak of being and doing good, I refer
to no story book morality, but rather to the effi-
cient and enormously valuable influence that the
tuner can wield in one direction at least. This
direction is one where his influence will be wel-
comed, where without a doubt there is room for
it, where he is not butting in, where he is using
his accumulated knowledge to the best possible
advantage for the interests of the piano trade, of
the public and of himself. I refer to intelligent
and constructive criticism of piano construction
and design.
The piano and player-piano alike are peculiar in
that their good or bad features are not criticized
intelligently by those who use them. Far different
is the case with almost all machinery. A machine
tool, for instance, which is designed for the use
of some factory must stand the most rigid criti-
cism at the hands of men who are thoroughly
acquainted with the work it has to do and with
the general principles of mechanics. To a large,
though not to so great an extent, the same is true
of the automobile. In fact, almost all very elab-
orate machinery is destined to the use of those
who can criticize its construction understandingly.
Far otherwise is the case of the piano and the
piano player. Here we have the most delicate of
machinery imposed upon and intended to work in
harmony with a massive piece of engineering com T
parable with a bridge truss, intended to support
and actually supporting, compression and tension
strains of many tons. The necessities of the case
compel the use in this machine of materials never
otherwise used in such conditions; such materials
as wood and glue. The machinery itself is of the
utmost delicacy and should be of the utmost pre-
cision. The complete assemblage is placed in con-
ditions which make virtually certain the more or
less unfavorable action of climatic changes, to
which the main body is unusually susceptible. And
the whole is given into the care of careless women
and children capable neither of appreciating its
beauty nor of understanding its marvelous con-
struction.
I venture to say that this is a case almost with-
out parallel. It is to an extent imitated by the
condition in which the pipe organ is usually placed,
but even here the facts are hardly so, shall I say?
absurd. Now, I doubt whether in any other line
of industry we can find a parallel case.
Now, it is patent that in these circumstances that
real necessity of progress which is suggested by the
constant and constructive criticism of experts is
here wholly lacking. I know not whether the
notion has any value, but I have an idea that per-
haps it would have been a great deal better for
piano construction if things had been different
and if the vast majority of the owners had been
as well able to criticize this instrument as are the
users of delicate machinery generally. In such a
blessed condition, unhappily impossible now, we
might have seen the development of a piano far
beyond our present dreams of what is attainable
in this direction.
As things are, however, it is evident that the
tuner is the only person left who is competent to
criticize piano construction rightly. And it is
equally evident that he is, at the present time, most
shamefully neglecting his duties. And here let
me make some suggestions that might have a
value at some time and that at least will afford a
useful hint to those tuners whose minds are alert
to good ideas. Let us suppose that 100 tuners in
various parts of the country should get themselves
together and determine to keep an accurate record
of certain pertinent facts regarding every piano
upon which they had to work. Let us suppose
that this record was kept for, say, five years, and
that at the end of that time the results were
tabulated, digested into rational form and pub-
lished for the benefit of the trade at large. Then
suppose that annually thereafter a report was made
concerning the behavior of pianos under certain
conditions, backed up by all the evidence at com-
mand. Suppose such annual reports contained
facts regarding improvements in construction, the
behavior of these under use, recommendations as
to improvements and so on. Would not the result
be of immense advantage to the trade? Would
not many piano manufacturers be only too glad
to subscribe to the expenses of such a bureau and
to its work? One should surely imagine so.
You will see what I am driving at all this time.
The tuner has an immense power for good and for
evil in this industry. If all the complaints, all
the suggestions, all the ideas that come to the
pages of this department every year could be codi-
fied, rationalized, put into valuable shape, would
not the final result be of immense importance and
value? Surely it would.
I have sometimes thought that no matter how
cold and material minded piano manufacturers
may be as a body, there are nevertheless enough
of them engaged in making fine pianos to warrant
the proposal of creating a bureau of statistics
along the lines I have suggested, with the evidence
gathered by competent tuners in all parts of the
country. And what is true of pianos is even more
plainly true of piano players.
FAUST SCHOOL OF TUNING
Polk's Piano Trade School
Piano, Player-Piano, Pipe and Reed Organ Toning and Re-
pairing, also Regulating, Voicing, Varnishing and PolUhing
14th YEAR
Player-Piano and Organ Tuning,
Repairing and Regulating.
This formerly was the tuning department of the New Eng-
land Conservatory of Music, and Oliver C. Faust was head
of that department for 20 years previous to its discontinu-
ance.
Courses in mathematical piano scale construction and
drafting of same have been added.
Pupils have daily practise in Chickering & Sons' factory.
Year Book sent free upon request.
27-29 GAINSBOROUGH ST., BOSTON, MASS.
Piano,
All of this may sound very visionary, but then
it is the vision that someone holds in his mind
that must exist before anything can be done. I
have seen so many "impossible" things done that
I never quite can get myself to feeling that any-
thing is altogether visionary if it be founded on
Tightness and truth.
Even if all this does no more, it will at least
have the effect of doing one thing; namely, of
making some tuners realize that they ought to pay
closest attention to the intelligent criticism of
piano construction as revealed to them under use.
By doing this for a reasonable length of time a
mass of data may be gathered, the final codifica-
tion of which must result in the precipitation of a
body of technical knowledge never before avail-
able and most decidedly needed.
Communications for this department should be
addressed to the Editor, Technical Department,
The Music Trade Review.
THE MUSIC TRADE IN HUNGARY.
In an exhaustive article in the July 25 issue of
the Daily Consular and Trade Reports, Consul
General William Coffin, stationed at Budapest,
Hungary, gives an informative account of com-
mercial and industrial conditions in Hungary. The
figures submitted should prove of interest to man-
ufacturers of pianos and musical instruments.
Under the heading "Instruments, Scientific and
Musical," the imports to Hungary for 1913 are
given as $5,439,119, as compared with $6,337,686 in
the previous year. The exports under this same
heading for last year total $314,212, a substantial
decrease from 1912, which totaled $517,975. No.rth
and South America, however, have very small
shares in Hungary's foreign trade, the combined
imports totaling from these countries only 3.4 per
cent, of the whole and the exports 1 per cent.
As indicated by Consul General Coffin's figures,
the expo.rts of musical instruments from Hungary
to the United States in the year 1913 increased
several hundred per cent, over 1912, the official
figures for 1913 being $32,913, as compared with
only $9,816 in 1912.
SUES CITY FOR^ WATER DAMAGE.
The city of Lincoln, Neb., is being sued by the
Prescott Music Co. and W. H. Prescott, of that
city, for damages amounting to $890 owing to
the flooding of the basement of the Prescott store
by a bursted main. A number of stools, benches,
talking machines and repairing material, as well as
a lot of other valuable goods stored, were de-
stroyed.
J. J. Brewen now manages a piano store in Le-
land, 111.
'PHIJADl
;
(
"The Piano of the
Presidents," occupy-
ing the White Houie
for forty years.
SCHOMACKER PIANO CO.
1020 South 21st St.
PHILADELPHIA
Most thoroughly equipped Piano Trade School in
U. S. Private instruction; Factory experience if de-
sired. Students assisted. Diplomas awarded. School
entire year. Endorsed by leading piano manufacturers
and dealers. Free catalogue.
C. C. POLK
Box 293, Valparaiso, Ind.
corsovE
IrtNOS