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THE
SEPTEMBER 27, 1919
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
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| The Fundamental Principles Involved
I
in the Composing and Arranging of
1 BY DR. EDWARD SCHAAF
Music for the Player-Piano
(Editor's Note. Doctor Schaaf is a musician who has
given much attention to the problem of arranging music
for the player-piano in, such a way as to bring out the
instrument's true voice and real musical value.
As he
says, "there is only one way to unlock the magic of the
player-piano keyboard and that is to treat the instrument
as a new voice in music." Doctor Schaaf has self-sac-
rificingly devoted much of his time, without thought of
material reward, to the rewriting of music for the spe-
cial purpose of making it truly suitable for the player-
piano and has achieved some astounding results. He has
also composed a number of special pieces for the player-
piano only, conceived in the most modern style of what
he calls "plastic music"; and altogether wonderful. Doc-
tor Schaaf has already published in The Music Trade Re-
view the results of some earlier researches into this sub-
ject, and the present series of extremely interesting and
fascinating articles, of which this is the fifth, represents
the latest fruit of his studies.)
tails of musical structure will entirely over-
come any difficulty thus brought about. Indeed,
many passages will actually phrase themselves
automatically if the master roll has been prop-
erly made. For instance, the passage shown
by figure 31 will produce a very poor effect.
the entrance of other voices, as for instance the
melody; (d) elim-inates abruptness; (f) permits
sympathetic vibration in high registers from the
sounding of tones in the lower registers.
A few additional illustrations will be useful.
For instance, the application of the principle of
overlapping, as shown in figure 33, contributes
Sia-
Fig. 31
Rewritten and placed upon the perforated roll
Fig. 33
The arranger who expects to obtain results to read as in figure 32 it will at once be seen body to the ascending passage besides rounding
from his work corresponding with the prin- that in sounding certain of the tones beyond it out.
ciples which have been set forth in the pre- their conventional value the arranger is here
It will be noticed that this arrangement elimi-
vious articles must avail himself of several
nates the thinness which otherwise would ac-
additional technical devices. The first of these
company the playing of a passage like this on the
is the device of overlapping.
player-piano.
Overlapping
In rapidly played descending passages the up-
This means that tVie first few notes of any
per tones should likewise be made to overlap
arpeggio, scale or extended passage may be
and this will prevent a hard and snappy effect.
lengthened beyond their proper time value. This
Again, the first of a group of tones marks al-j
Fig. 32
overlapping of the sounds to a certain extent
ways the strong point of the group, or its posi- 1
takes the place of the wrist action of the pian- governed entirely by the laws of partial tones. tive accent, and the tones here should be length-
ist. Of course, such a device can very easily This illustration shows an example of over- ened. When several tones in a more or less
be abused and the arranger must be familiar lapping which is very illuminating.
rapid rhythmical figure are all of the same
with all the inner beauties of musical phrasing
Rules for Overlapping
time value the first should be accentuated by
before he can correctly discriminate in this re-
It is unmusical to prolong arbitrarily each and lengthening, while the last, which have negative
spect.
every tone with the hope of securing smooth-
dynamic rank only, may be slightly curtailed.
The passage shown by figure 30 illustrates ness. Blurred tones and half-tones result from
Rut in the case shown by figure 34, where the
the orchestral rule that the last note of a slurred carelessness in this respect, but still
a certain amount of blurring some-
times is desirable All arpeggios in (p**
the higher register of the player- \^ I L
piano may be overlapped with good / y —\-f
effect, although in the middle and
lower registers only such tones
Fig. 34
should be overlapped as will bring out
the natural partial tones of the strings in a natural rhythmical elements have little importance, the
Fig. 30
group should be made to overlap. The inten- way. From this idea of overlapping tones there melody will flow more gracefully if the notes of
tion is to insure smoothness, also to terminate emerges the following rule:
the accompaniment (middle line of bar 2) be
the passage without a noticeable break.
If the first few notes of a scale, arpeggio or given only their allotted time value.
The trills which will be noticed in the sec- parallel passage are lengthened a legato ef-
There is a quite prevalent notion that the high
ond measure of this example perpetuate and fect is obtained which provides a good substi- treble tones of the piano have no carrying power.
preserve unhampered the animated spirit shown tute for the dynamical shading which an indi- However true this may be of unaccompanied
in the first measure and also aid in preventing vidual performer would impart to such a pas- tones, it is not true when the upper partial tones
any breakup of the melodic line.
sage. Strength or force goes with lengthening of an accompaniment in the lower registers are
Orchestral ideas of this kind can be repro- tones and this principle can be seen in almost permitted to strengthen the upper tones. There-
duced on the player-piano in a way quite im- perfect application through the medium of well- fore, these upper tones should be left open long
possible to the ordinary manually played in- arranged music rolls. Although there have been enough to allow for the play of sympathetic
strument. This capacity puts the player-piano enormous improvements in the design and the vibration, which is to say, they should be
in a class by itself.
construction of player-pianos during the past lengthened.
Dynamic Shading
Speed in Connection With Phrasing
few years it is still largely true that a single
A piece seldom calls for the same dynamic tone cannot be struck with the same force
In passing let it be noted that the question
shading throughout, but where it does great through the pneumatic mechanism as it can be of whether a piece will sound lively and bright
importance must be given to studying the un- struck by the hand. Consequently the practice or the opposite is often largely a matter of
accented tones. The supreme test of an ar- of lengthening the first few tones of a more or speed. Unless the speed be adequate the rhyth-
rangement is made when it is run through the less rapid scale or passage and of overlapping mic effect cannot be bright and lively. In some
player-piano without the use of any expression the remaining tones according to the acoustic passages too slow speed invariably means heavi-
devices. If it sounds flexible and plastic in laws of tone production in strings should con- ness and sometimes even cacophony.
these conditions it is a thoroughly good ar- stitute a fundamental principle in arranging for
Smoothness of delivery is a natural charac-
rangement.
teristic of the player-piano, which should be at
the player-piano.
Although distinctly pianistic effects often
It may be said therefore that the practice of all costs preserved, and this smoothness is very ,
lose their significance when translated to the overlapping (a) imparts smoothness; (b) in- much a matter of speed.
;
perforated roll, more exact attention to the de- directly imparts dynamic force; (c) conceals
(To be continued)
\
FURTHER THOUGHTS ON PHRASING
Greatest ^Annual Output"
3ANDARD PLAYER ACTION
^Standard thoTWbrld Over