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TECHNICAL^SUPPLY DEPARTMENT
William Br eadWhlte^ecAmcal Editor
Why Modern Advancements in Acoustical
Science Should Be More Widely Used
the technical interests then demand their men-
tion.
I have in mind pianos of two different makes.
I shall not mention names, but simply say that
each represents the highest attainments in piano
Piano Industry, in Its Technical Aspects, Has Neglected Work Which Has Been Done of Late
tone production. I do not say that no others
Years in the Development of Acoustical Science and Experimentation—Why These
attain to such levels, but simply that these two
Physical Advances Should Be Studied and Utilized by Piano Makers
do so attain.
Science and the Shop
F I were to say that only within the last ten
was by no means so wise. Yet precisely this
Now, when one examines a piano of either
years has any piano maker realized even the is what came to pass. Within a few years the make, one finds it possessed of an individual
possibility of scientific design, I should be
piano was brought out of the condition and and characteristic tone quality which in each
telling only the truth. On the other hand, it
sound of a hammer harpsichord to that of a case has been for many years the delight and
is equally true that the greatest pianos have
monster keyboard orchestra with powers and
the inspiration of musicians. When, however,
attained their present tonal and mechanical
beauties hitherto supposed to be unattainable. one comes to subject the scale of cither instru-
beauty through a process of gradual refinement
It was brought to that point by the labors of a ment to a careful technical analysis, one is sim-
upon ideas which originally were based, at least
few men of genius, such as Fowler Broadwood, ply astonished. For, although evidently each
to some extent, upon experimental investiga- Theodore Steinway, Carl Bechstein, Frank has been partly worked out from the basis of
tions undertaken by professed acousticians. Chickering, Hugo Sohtner. And at that point
ascertained acoustical fact, it is equally evident
Thus, the great achievements of C. F. Theodore
it stayed.
that acoustical fact has over and over again
Steinway, which shed glory upon what may be
Sixty Years Ago
been displaced in favor of shop experience. Now
termed the classical age of pianoforte design
Now, it must be remembered that the science shop experience is all right, but very often it is
and construction, were carried through in close
of musical acoustics was only in its youth sixty
merely another name for fear of innovation.
consultation with the eminent acoustician, years ago. The classical researches of Helm- In other words, when one sees a scale obviously
Hclmholtz. Messrs. Steinway and Helmholtz
holtz constituted, of course, only the fruition arrived at through a series of compromises with
were good friends and their friendship showed
and flowering of two hundred years of previous ascertained facts, then plainly enough one sees
itself in more than one of the technical features work by Mersenne, Sauver, Chladni and many a scale which is less accurate and less fruitful
incorporated in the Steinway piano.
others, but they were the first upon which could
of tonal possibilities than it might and should
This fact, however, cannot be set down to be be built a complete theory of pianoforte tone be.
It is simply impossible to overcome the
taken at its face value without also taking into production. On the other hand, being the first, fact that a great many things are being done,
account certain other equally important facts. they were also to that extent incomplete. Since even in pianos as fine as the two of which I
The first of these is that pianomaking, before
the time of which I speak, the work begun by have been speaking, which need not have been
the time of which I speak, was an extremely
Hclmholtz has been carried on by Koenig, done if the acoustical basis upon which they
feeble sort of thing, from the tonal standpoint
Mayer, Lord Rayleigh, Zahm and Dayton Mil- were founded had been preserved, instead of
at any rate. The study of tonal theory only
ler. A great deal now is known about such sub- being distorted. Or to put it in still another
really may be said to have been begun within
jects as the effect of percussion upon the partial
way, the pianos "would be still better pianos if
the last sixty years, and when it was at last
tone succession in a stretched string, the effect
their acoustical design had been carried out
seriously taken up, the first results arising from
of amplitude upon tone quality, the phenomena
consistently and not inconsistently.
its application to construction were so very
of resonance, and so on, which was not known
Not All
striking that they made of imitation a virtue. sixty years ago. Yet it is not untrue to say
But this is not all. The acoustical basis of
It became not only comparatively easy but ex- that piano makers have not availed themselves
piano design, which became known and partly
tremely safe to follow lines of which the laying
of this fund of knowledge. Why should this
applied some fifty or sixty years ago, no longer
down had been attended with such obvious suc- be so?
represents the ultimate achievements of acous-
cess. The policy which thus recommended itself
It ought not to be so, but it is so. Let us tical science. A great deal now is known about
to the rank and file of piano makers had its con- consider some definite facts. In considering musical sounds which was not known in the
siderable advantages without a doubt; but it
them let it be clearly understood that I am days of Helmholtz. All this new knowledge is
also had the extreme disadvantage of bringing neither attacking nor defending anybody, that being left out of account by piano makers.
independent investigation almost to a stop.
I have no favorites and that I am interested Wherefore pianos are less nearly perfect than
"Why go farther," seemed to be the ruling opin-
only in facts. If and when, even in these they might be, despite the many beautiful pianos
ion, "w+ien things are now in so satisfactory a
articles, I mention names, this is only because which exist. These many beautiful pianos are
state? It would be foolish to disturb them."
not so beautiful as they might be. That is the
Of course, until the public taste should have
point.
caught up with the new state of affairs it was
Now public taste is moving on steadily, so
doubtless prudent to take this • cautious tack;
that what for many years was extremely pleas-
Associate, Americas Society of Mechanical Engi-
but to continue in it year after year, while all
ing is now not so pleasing, or, at least, is ac-
neers; Chairman, Wood Industries Division, A. S.
the time what had been novel was becoming
cepted
as a matter of course and not of wonder.
M. E . ; Member, American Physical Society; Mem-
more and more a matter to be taken for granted,
For which reason it begins to seem as if the
ber, National Piano Technicians' Association.
modern piano makers, even those guardians of
sacred traditions who have upheld the torch of
fine craftsmanship so faithfully, have failed to
keep themselves up to the mark. It is only be
Tonally and Mechanically Correct Scales
cause the piano industry has been so backward
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