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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
AUGUST 27, 1921
The Art of the Player-Pianist
The following is the tenth in a series of articles by Wil-
liam Braid White. The aim of the series is to teach the
salesman and the music lover the secret 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.
THE CHOICE OF SUITABLE MUSIC
The elders of the Kirk who, in Barrie's "Little
Minister," decided that Wishart was writing
poetry because he began each line with a capital
letter were not much less inaccurate in their
critical methods than the generality of men and
women are with regard to music. It does not
follow, indeed, from this statement that any hard
and fast rule can be laid down with respect to
what does or does not constitute good music;
but the fact remains that it is impossible to make
much progress as a player-pianist until one has
made up one's mind to take some one direction
of investigation and study in the art. Each man
or woman has his or her own individual ideas
about what is pleasant or unpleasant in a tonal
way. Each, sooner or later, will find the particular
style which is most agreeable with those ideas.
Yet it is equally true that, if only one can start
aright, all roads will lead to the same goal, to
the great works of tone art composed by the
immortals whose names are forever emblazoned
on the banners of fame. In a word, if so be it
one can be started aright, one is certain to land
sooner or later of one's own volition in the coun-
try of Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn, Men-
delssohn, Wagner, Schumann, Brahms, Debussy
and El gar.
Good Taste Is Not Abnormal
Some will feel inclined to contest this state-
ment, saying that the American spirit is not
satisfied with any of the music which has been
composed in other countries or in other times.
A great deal is said about certain kinds of popu-
lar music being the best representations of
American life. Much is said even about such
music penetrating European cities which have
been the homes of high classical art. All these
statements may be, and doubtless are, true; but
they are nothing to the point. It is just as ab-
surd to suppose that everybody in Europe likes
the Ninth Symphony as to suppose that every-
body in America likes Barking Dog Blues. The
truth is that, always and everywhere, high
thought in art is reserved for, and the posses-
sion of, the few. Nevertheless, there is such a
thing as good taste. There is, in other words,
in every decent normal man or woman, an in-
stinctive feeling for beauty and purity. That
feeling is, however, not always active. It is
usually latent, because it has usually not been
stirred up into activity during the early years
of life and education. Therefore, when the pres-
sure of commercialized bad taste in literature, in
music, and in all the arts, is brought to bear with
increasing intensity, the ordinary man or woman
submits, the finer thought is suppressed un-
uttered, and another potential lover of the beauti-
ful has been crushed.
On Starting Aright
But this must not be taken for a pessimistic
statement. Personally, I care very little what
direction is taken by any person, so long as that
person was started right. If we could start
everybody in musical thought something like
aright no one could justly complain if the present
prevailing taste in music turned up at the end
on top of everything else. But the fact is that
our young folks are not started aright. They
never attain to any power of discrimination and
therefore they are unable to distinguish between
good and bad. Naturally, their tendency is down-
ward to the easy, the sloppy, the mushy, the
vulgar and the blaring. Why should it be other-
wise?
1 do not intend to suggest for a moment that
the country would be better off if all our music
were serious and formal. That would mean
deadly dullness and is, besides, happily quite im-
possible. What I mean is simply that if there
were only some slight ability to discriminate in
musical ideas, to know instinctively what is good
music and why, there would be less of the cheap,
noisy and vulgar which blares away year after
year and gets nowhere. There would be some
standard of taste; and if there were a standard
of taste music would be judged on its merits
and we should have a more serene, a happier and
a far more agreeable engine of social relation
and personal pleasure.
Perhaps those who read these pages are not
interested in any such idea; but it is certain that
it every beginner player-pianist were to have
some right idea as to choice of music and could
be introduced pleasantly to the highways and
byways of fine tonal art, there would be given
to the player-piano business an impetus quite
irresistible, for there would be founded a place
for this instrument in the hearts of the people.
This place it has not so far been able to acquire.
Of course, in any case, it may fairly be as-
sumed that any man or woman who has taken
the trouble to read the preceding articles in this
series really wants to know how to play the
player-piano artistically. No such person will,
therefore, I suppose, shrink from the task of
learning something about music from the point
of view of its value to himself or herself.
How to Start
For certainly the process of learning is about
as pleasant as can be imagined. The music is
given to one, and from the very start one can
at least get its bare outlines correctly presented.
The paper roll makes no mistakes and the
player-piano faithfully obeys.
Some have thought that the player-pianist will
will be found to include territories in no w a y
t r e n c h i n g upon that marvelous repository of the
(Continued from page 3)
world's greatest piano playing, that m o n u m e n t
tially individual n a t u r e h a s been exposed by to American inventive genius a n d mechanical
Schaaf's researches every bit of music ever ar- skill, t h e r e p r o d u c i n g piano.
Of course, to realize this ideal, practical as it
ranged for it must sooner o r later be r e w r i t t e n
in a m a n n e r conformable to its genius. O r c h e s - is, for the player-piano, the trade m u s t take a
tral music will n o longer be a r r a n g e d from piano more intelligent interest in t h e musical aspects
transcriptions but from the orchestra scores with of t h e case. W e sorely need just n o w closer
due regard to t h e player-piano's a m a z i n g and co-operation between the m a k e r s of music rolls
powerful individuality.
T h e w o r k which M. and the manufacturers of player actions. W i t h -
Stravinsky is n o w b e g i n n i n g will be carried on out such co-operation t h e player-piano will n o t
by a whole a r m y of composers. T h e player- come into its o w n as soon as its merits demand
piano will then come into its own. A n d its own that it should.
SPECIAL COMPOSITIONS
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In-gin his or h e r library best by laying in a
stock of semi-classical ballads, songs, small piano
pieces, a n d so on. T h e r e is much t o be said for
this, but the process should be undertaken cau-
tiously. I think a still better plan is to modify
this idea slightly a n d begin a little less narrowly.
It is surprising how the average ear is taken
with certain very elaborate w o r k s of t h e m o s t
artistic kind, such a s the T a n n h a u s e r O v e r t u r e .
Every seller of music rolls k n o w s that this n u m -
ber is always in steady demand. Sousa once
r e m a r k e d t h a t in his experience with his band
he found t h e T a n n h a u s e r O v e r t u r e t o be a p -
parently the one perennial favorite of his au-
diences. 1 think that we had better put that
down immediately. I t will not be played well
at first, b u t let all such considerations pass for
the time. W e shall p u m p T a n n h a u s e r a n d rip 'er
off till we have learned h o w to do a first-class
job.
A n d w e shall have all kinds of fun in the
d o i n g of it, t o o . Incidentally, a dip into o n e of
the m a n y books on W a g n e r will tell in a m o -
m e n t the whole idea of the great overture (which
can be made to sound wonderful on a player-
piano) a n d turn the j o b of learning its inter-
pretation into one of great j o y .
Some Little Beauties
T h e n I should a d d some of Schuett's c h a r m -
ing little pieces like t h e C a r n a v a l Mignon series,
and Sinding's "Rustle of Spring." O n e o r t w o
oi* B r a h m s ' H u n g a r i a n Dances should be added,
with s o m e t h i n g light by Moskowszki, something
by M a c D o w e l l ( W i t c h e s ' Dance, Concert Study
or H u m o r e s q u e will d o ) , s o m e t h i n g by Grieg
( I n the Hall of .the Mountain King, from P e e r
G y n t ) and s o m e t h i n g b y Chaminade (Pierette,
Scarf D a n c e ) . T h e s e will do for a g r o u p of
lighter stuffs—easy t o u n d e r s t a n d , b u t good.
Nevertheless, do not fall into t h e e r r o r of s u p -
posing that a n y t h i n g by one of t h e men o r
women noted above will do equally well for a
starter. Y o u do not want MacDowell's Sonatas
or C o n c e r t o s y e t ; not yet.
Opera, Grand and Comic
To these should likewise be added some selec-
tions from one or two of the best-known operas.
My beginning choice would be Faust, Trova-
tore, Carmen and Bohemian Girl. Nothing more
startling than these at present. Then, in comic
opera, Mikado, Pirates of Penzance and Prince
of Pilsen would do nicely. Material is plentiful,
but one must limit.
Old Stuff, But Good
One or two good stirring military marches are
fine for learning rhythm and accent. Put down
Sousa's "El Capitan" (his very best, I think) and
"Washington Post."
Add Stephen Foster's
"Suwanee River," "Old Black Joe" and "My Old
Kentucky Home," but avoid as you would the
devil those awful variations which some musi-
cians have inflicted on these lovely old Uines.
You want to learn to play, not to grind out
scales and runs.
The First Hash
These will do for a starter. Get them, and fire
away. You will make a dreadful hash of every-
thing at first. But never mind that. There is no
sense in trying to.be formal and serious and
ciassical and earnest at the very beginning, when
all those fascinating rolls are there beside the
new player-piano. You will want to pump them
all through in a night. Well, do so. Do it till
you are sick to death of pumping through.
Then go back to the earlier articles in this series
and begin to study the ways and means of inter-
pretation. Thus your true joys will begin.
(To be continued)