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FEBRUARY 28,
THE MUSIC TRADE
1920
REVIEW
The Present-day Arrangement of Expression Control Devices Used by Player-
Piano Manufacturers Could Be Greatly Simplified and Improved, With Little
Trouble to the Makers and With Great Resulting Benefit to the Owners
One of the difficulties most frequently en-
countered in the conduct of the player section
of this paper is that of classifying the various
topics which come up for discussion each mouth.
Such a difficulty now presents itself. One might
well ask whether the remarks which are to fol-
low should be placed under the heading "Pneu-
matics" or be handled as a branch of the musical
side of the player. In case any reader finds
fault with the choice here made we apologize to
him in advance.
The layout of the expression devices in the
player-piano has long been a subject of con-
troversy among those who deal in the design
and construction of player actions. Within
the last few years, however, some sort of agree-
ment has apparently been reached, or at least
the layout of the expression devices has now
become substantially uniform among all the
manufacturers. It might be supposed, therefore,
that there is no more to be said, but this would
be a great mistake. There is a great deal more
to be said.
An Inconvenient System
The fact is that the present substantially uni-
form design of expression layout is distin-
guished as much for its thorough inconvenience
as for anything else. The work is very badly
divided between the hands and in consequence
the delicacy of manipulation which is necessary
to get good results is almost entirely absent.
It may be argued that after all the present
arrangement does satisfy the public, but this is
a very poor argument. Improvement is cer-
tainly the life of industry, especially of industry
which fills a demand more or less artificially
created. Let us then consider some of the
specific facts.
The Neglected Dexter
The most striking defect in the present
methods is found in the neglect of the right
hand and the overloading of the left. The right
hand of the player-pianist, in the vast majority
of cases, has nothing to do save to manipulate
the tempo-lever. This is not a very difficult mat-
ter in the present state of public taste in music.
Contrariwise, the whole burden of manipulating
the sustaining pedal lever or button and the
softening devices is thrown on to the left hand.
The stronger member has less to do than the
weaker. This would seem to be rather a fool-
ish division of labor.
The Function of the Expression Devices
What is required of the expression devices?
It is plain that these must provide for operating
the sustaining pedal apparatus, changing the
speed of the music roll and throwing on or off
whatever arrangement is used for the purpose
of softening any one portion of the scale at
any time in distinction from the rest. The ac-
cepted arrangement consists of a divided ham-
mer-lifting device operated by levers or but-
tons, a tempo lever, and a lever or button for
the damper-lifting mechanism. The usual ar-
rangement is to give all these but the tempo to
the left hand.
The Tempo Lever
Now the tempo lever is distinguished from all
the others by the fact that it has to be moved
back and forth. If, indeed, it be manipulated
skilfully so as to get really artistic results it
must be moved around quite freely. For this
reason the hand which manipulates the tempo
lever cannot at the same time manipulate any
lever or button situated at a fixed distance from
the tempo device. At the same time, any one
can see that the sustaining device and the tempo
control ought logically to be worked together.
The two are naturally associated. Each refers
to a branch of the department of phrasing and
nothing is more natural than that they should
be affected by each other in the influence each
has on the general musical result. But it would
be necessary in that case to combine the two.
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There are several ways in which this might
be done. Two may be mentioned.
Alternate Solutions
If the pneumatic system of controlling the
sustaining device is used then the controlling
button can very easily be placed on the tempo
lever. This must be done, of course, in such a
way that the player-pianist in operating the
lever can also just as easily with one finger of
the same hand operate the button. A little
thought is needed to make the two motions
go together, but there is no real mechanical diffi-
culty.
In the other arrangement, where a hand lever
is used to raise the dampers by direct mechani-
cal action, the problem is to combine two mo-
tions on one lever. This can be done best, prob-
ably, by putting the tempo' control onto the
sustaining lever. In such a case the lever must
be handled with the palm of the hand, leaving
the fingers free to operate the tempo as desired.
There is no great difficulty in combining the
two operations. The connection between tempo
control and tempo valve must be flexible or else
the latter must be placed right on the same struc-
ture with the rest of the outfit and move with
it In either case the gain in convenience and
ease of operation is tremendous, as anyone
knows who has ever tried it.
The Other Hand
The left hand would then be left with nothing
to handle but the divided softening buttons.
This would mean that the buttons in ques-
tion need no longer be just the usual two, but
the scale could be divided into three, or even
four, parts without difficulty, thus greatly in-
creasing the general flexibility of the entire
apparatus.
These considerations are submitted in the
hope that they may produce some further
thought on a subject which has been unduly
neglected. If it be argued that there is no
demand for change the answer is simply, "How
could there be?" The public does not know what
it want.
there has never been any successful attempt yet
made to educate the public. But if the industry
is to continue to prosper there must be improve-
ment. When one sees an unimproved and
wholly illogical arrangement continued in use
one can only suppose that those who are re-
sponsible for its continuance are not well in-
formed as to the necessity for constant im-
provement. As fast as we make due improve-
ments the public will grow up to them, and as
fast as this goes on the industry will prosper.
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February
24.—Romaine
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Patent No. 1,329,286 for a music sheet, which
he has assigned to the Aeolian Co., New York.
The present invention relates to an improved
music sheet for automatic musical instruments,
one of the claims of which is as follows: "A
perforated music sheet for an automatic musical
instrument having a line running lengthwise of
the sheet provided with laterally extending dis-
tinguishing points severally located at the be-
ginnings of the component passages of- the
musical composition represented by the perfora-
tions in the music sheet, said line further hav-
ing interruptions therein severally located at the
pauses in said musical composition, and numbers
on the music sheet at said interruptions indi-
cating the respective time-lengths of the pauses."