Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
NOVEMBER 27, 1920
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
MIMIM^^
The A rt of the Player-Pianist
Ill
and in such order of simultaneity or succession
as the composer of the music may have indi-
cated. The player-piano therefore consists of
two elements above all others, namely, of pneu-
matics for physically producing the sound
through the- piano action, and of a motor for
moving the perforated music sheet at any re-
quired speed over the operating line of the
-PRELIMINARY IDEAS
tracker-ban These two elements, pneumatics
.The player-piano is a true musical instrument. and motor, must be kept in mind as separate,
It is not a mere music-box. On the other hand, and the fact that both are alike supplied with
it is not merely a "self-playing" piano; not mere- needed power by the same bellows must be re-
ly a piano plus an automatic machine. The garded as an-unfortunate limitation upon the ef-
addition of this mechanism does not merely ficiency of the player-piano, a limitation dic-
make it possible for one to obtain some kind of tated by mechanical and commercial considera-
music without manipulating the keyboard by tions only.
hand.
It does far more than this. It
The Mechanical Elements
puts into the hands of the music lover
Just
as,
in the ordinary performance of all
an interpretative weapon capable of giv-
music
by
any
instrument or group of instru-
ing a true reproduction of the largest
orchestral works. To the composer it gives, ments, the element of tone-production and the
as Doctor Schaaf has so brilliantly shown element of time are really separate, so also in
in these columns, an equally extraordinary and the performance of music by the player-piano,
powerful new musical voice which is neither this distinction is observed throughout. The
piano nor organ nor orchestra, but is something bellows system which supplies power to both
of each and of all. The player-piano, in a word, these elements is so devised that the necessary
is a musical instrument whose possibilities have variations in power which the actual tone-mak-
hardly yet been envisaged by the public or the ing requires may be had without disturbing the
musical profession and of which the playing has power requirements of the roll-driving motor.
It is true, of course, that a division of duties like
been shamefully neglected.
this does actually have its effect and that the
The art of playing the player-piano may be bellows is not wholly perfect in respect of
grasped in its essentials without much difficulty giving entire freedom for tone-making varia-
by any person who is really in ldve with music. tions. But the defects are very small and for
It is the desire to produce music which governs practical purposes may almost be disregarded.
and controls the entire method and opens up We shall certainly follow general practice in
all its possibilities. If the owner or possessor disregarding them.
of a player-piano, in a word, really loves music
When one has. as in the player-piano, mechani-
and wishes to produce it personally in such a
manner as to satisfy his or her finest ideals, this cal means for producing the tone of a piece of
desire may be compassed within a short time by music and other means for regulating the re-
a process which in itself will be a joy and in quired succession of these in time, the remain-
which progress will be noticeable from the very ing elements of musical performance are - rela-
tively simple. They include (1) the regulation
start.
and control of dynamic effects, (2) the ability
The Ground " Facts
to use any special feature of the piano itself,
•In order that any sort of systematic progress
such as the damper pedal action. The element
may be made it is necessary to beerin by finding
of time is, of course, extremely important and
out exactly what the player-piano does and how.
it will appear in the sequel that the secret of
A great deal of ignorance seems to prevail about
good playing depends, to the greatest possible
the true functions of the player-piano even
extent, upon skill in regulating from moment to
amongst those who are professionally interested
moment, by means of the mechanical controls
in it. It is astonishing as well as somewhat sad-
attached to every player-piano, the speed of the
dening to meet many men who sell player-pianos
motor, and so of the perforations passing over
and yet confess openly that they do not really
the operating line of the tracker-bar. For the
understand how good musical effects are to be
moment, however, we shall be content to speak
obtained from it.
of the motor as existing and understopd to be
The performance of music requires us to think under personal control.
in two dimensions simultaneously; namely, in
Classifying the Means
space and in time. Tones are produced and suc-
ceed one another. To perform music we must
The art of playing the player-piano, then, is
not only have the tones, but a time-succession or to be comprehended under three heads, (1) the
order amongst them. They move in the dimen- control of speed through the motor, (2) the con-
sion called time and all performance of music trol of soft and loud through the bellows and
is predicated on this motion.
the expression device, (3) the control of tone-
Hence an instrument which actually is capa- color through the judicious use of the sustain-
ble of performing music by itself must possess ing pedal in connection with the other two ele-
means for sounding tones at the correct pitch. ments aforesaid. "Speed" includes in this sense,
Tlir following is the first in a series of articles by Wil-
liam Jtraid White. The aim of the scries is to teach the
salesman and the music lover the secrets of playing the
player-piano artistically, a secret apparently known to few,
but which can readily be imparted to anyone who is_ inter-
ested in music and is willing to give the player-piano a
fair trial. At the present time, when it is more than ever
necessary to attack the selling problem from the stand-
point of demonstration, this series should be extremely
valuable.
of course, all that is commonly meant by "phras-
ing" and "soft and loud" all that is commonly
meant by "touch." The equivalents are imper-
fect, but for simplicity we shall let them stand,
elaborating upon them as the case requires from
time to time.
The Lay-out
The devices or mechanisms which the player-
piano provides for the attainment of expression
in playing consist, generally speaking, of a sim-
ple lay-out of foot-treadles, which we shall h e r e -
after refer to as "the pedals," of a lever for con-
trolling the motor, hereafter known as the "tempo
lever" and of two levers or two buttons, here-
after known respectively as the bass (or treble)
softeners and corresponding to the soft pedal of
the regular piano as this would be if it were
divided into treble and bass halves, with finally
a lever or button for controlling the dampers of
the piano, corresponding to the right-hand pedal
of the ordinary piano action and hereafter known
as the "sustainer."
The entire technique of 'what may be called
the art of player-pianism is comprised in the
proper management of these devices. The mas-
ter of this art may rightly be called a player-
pianist, to use a term which was coined by the
writer more than ten years ago and which has
not yet been superseded, so far as can be seen,
by anything better. The player-pianist, then, is
he who best understands the use of the devices
which we have enumerated, and who combines
with his ability to handle them some aptitude
for thinking along musical lines. As will short-
ly appear, the basic ideas which constitute musi-
cal thinking are easily grasped by any one who
is musically inclined, and, as it will also appear,
the player-pianist stands in a uniquely advan-
tageous position with reference to gaining a
familiarity with the best music. He can be-
come a uniquely well-informed connoisseur in
musical literature and can put to shame the most
painstaking plodder of the old days in respect
of width of interest and catholicity of taste.
In the following articles both the technical
means of playing and the development of musi-
cal appreciation therefrom shall receive due
meed of attention.
(To be continued)
NEW HAVEN LIKES AMPICO
The Loomis Temple of Music, New Haven,
Conn., found business unusually good the past
two weeks, especially in the Ampico which is
featured attractively by this house in hand-
somely equipped display salons.
The piano department of Frederick Loeser Cz
Co., Brooklyn, N. Y., of which C. S! Hammond
is sales manager, has a consistent and effec-
tive way of getting in touch with piano pros-
pects. It is not uncommon to send out 200,000
circulars or letters to prospects taken from the
voting lists.
=*3>i?AUTOPIANO COMPANY =•
PAULB.KLUGH P r « i d « n t =
-ON THE HUDSON a t
^S1 s*. ?TRE ET • NEW VORK = =
BETTER MUSIC
AMERICAN
HOMES, 8