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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
6
THE ART OF THE PLAYER=PIANIST
(Continued from page 5)
piano be a very fine one, the E a third above
the second octave C. In other words, whether
we hear it or not, the fact remains that when
we sounded the string which corresponds to C
we actually released the sounds C (strong), C2
G2, C3, E3, etc.
Now three of these weak sounds (C, E, G)
form an extended common chord of C. And so
it is that in each string on the piano there is
the entire common chord of the principal sound,
coloring and greatly influencing it in respect
of its quality and the effect it produces on the
senses.
"Tone-color"
The lovely tonal colors which a fine pianist
obtains from even an ordinary instrument, and
the ravishing effects which a master coaxes
from a concert grand piano of the finest qual-
ity, are to be traced to the well-known acous-
tical facts which I have described. The ability
to make use of this fact constitutes one of the
principal weapons in the armory of the artist-
pianist.
Sympathetic Vibration
Now let us go a step further. If we lift away
from the strings all the dampers which are
pressing down against them, and at the same
time press one single key, we shall obtain not
only the complex tone which comes from the
one string-unison struck by the hammer, but
a reinforcement of each element in that tone
from every string which 'corresponds with it.
But since the strings are all connected through
the great bridges which span the soundboard
of the piano it follows that when, say, we
sound C we not only get the higher C, E, G
and other sounds in the complex, but we also
get a reinforcement of the C by all the other
C strings of the piano, a reinforcement of the
E by all the other E's and of the G by all the
other G's. Now, each one of these reinforcing
strings, which is thrown into sympathetic vi-
bration when the damper is lifted from it by
the action of the damper-pedal operated by the
pianist's foot or the player-pianist's finger, has,
"The Player They Want
to Play Well"
That is how the right kind of a player-piano ought to*
appeal to the prospective customer; if the salesman
knows the A. B. C. of his business.
If You Have Any Doubts as to This, Acquaint
Yourself Speedily With the Wonderful
M. Schulz Co.
Player-Piano
which for eleven years has been steadily developed, in
our own factories, by our own experts, along original
JUNE 25, 1921
of course, its own complex of sounds; and so
the total effect, although the sympathetic vi-
bration is neither loud nor powerful, becomes
surpassingly beautiful. That is the principal
foundation for the tone-color beauties of fine
piano-playing.
Of course, I have given but the barest out-
line of the facts. The skilled pianist sways this
great weapon of sympathetic vibration which the
damper-control gives him with almost the same
mastery as the violinist has over his bow.
Perhaps he lifts the dampers so as just barely
to escape the vibration of the strings. In-
stantly the sympathetic tones flood the room.
He drops the dampers ever so lightly on the
strings and instantly raises them again. The
tone color has now changed entirely. The
momentary re-pressure of dampers on strings,
as light as a feather, has smothered the higher
elements in the tone-complex and left the mid-
dle tones, sounding. The act is repeated and
now only the lower tones are sounding. In
just such ways as these the skilled pianist, prac-
ticing to obtain a complete touch mastery over
the footwork on the pedal, can color the tones
produced from the unyielding hammer and the
stiff string till they have almost the softly
rounded beauty of violin tones. Pedal mastery
is a great art and few attain to it.
As a matter of fact, a great deal of what
the ordinary pianist calls "touch" and mis-
takenly attributes to digital manipulation of the
key is really to be found in an unconsciously
developed mastery of pedal work. I can im-
agine hardly any test more instructive than to
insist upon a pianist playing a piece without
pedal and then allow him all the time he may
desire to try to produce the nuances which he
believes come from his manipulation of the key
only. He would find that a very great deal of
what he had been getting in the way of color
control of tone was quite impossible without
the pedal. In fact, he would most certainly
find that most of his favorite "touch" effects,
like the tricks of an amateur magician, would
refuse to "come off." This is something which
can be proved. When a pianist becomes unu-
sually "cocky" over the "touch defects" of the
player-piano I sometimes try this game on him,
with illuminating results.
But now the question is: how can the player-
pianist make use of all this to aid the tone
control which he seeks? The answer must be
reserved till next time.
(To be continued)
MISS SWEAF GOES "UP IN THE AIR"
and exclusive lines, which have made it pre-eminently
Q R S Co. Office Manageress in New York En-
joys Experience of Flying in Hydroplane
Easiest to Play
Simplest
Most Responsive to Sympathetic Handling
Most Reliable
Tightest
Least "Mechanical"
Miss Jane Sweaf, the genial office manageress
of the Q R S New York division, was literally
"up in the air" last week, but not over credits
or collections. In company with Mr. and Mrs.
Max Kortlander and Leland Roberts, Jr., she ex-
perienced her first aerial trip, and for fifteen
or twenty minutes had the satisfaction of "look-
ing down" on the inhabitants of New London,
Conn., from the lofty seat of a hydroplane in
flight. Miss Sweaf insists that she felt no fear
nor was she squeamish at any stage of the pro-
ceedings. After the first thousand feet mundane
matters lost all significance or importance, and
the sensation of flying through space, declared
Miss Sweaf, had no relation to anything she
had ever known or done. Nevertheless, she ad-
mitted, there was an element of satisfaction in
the ability to place one foot after the other on
solid terra firma, where there is always a place
to step, minus air pockets and other aerial things
to be dodged and shunned by the careful pilot
of the sky.
Live dealers, in this new time when player merchan-
dising is recognized as based on the musical value of
the instrument, are invited to gain a better knowledge
of one whose merits are extolled by an army of loyal
representatives.
Just Write to
M. SCHULZ COMPANY
Founded 1869
General Offices
Schulz Building
Southern Wholesale Branch
1530 Candler Bid*.
ATLANTA, GA.
711 Milwaukee Are.
CHICAGO
More than 175.000 of our pianos and player-pianos have been made and sold.
CHANGES NAME
The Capital Piano & Organ Corp., of North
Tonawanda, has changed its name to the Capital
Piano & Organ Co., Inc. Benjamin L. Rand is
president and the secretary is Benjamin G. Rand,