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28
The Music Trade Review
JUNE 5, 1926
The Technical and Supply Department—(Continued from page 27)
facts have been overlooked or suffered to pass try has neglected them, so that they remain nov-
Music Patents
without criticism.
elties and untried. What I do say, moreover, is
Facing Facts
If we are going to have better pianos in the
future, then plainly we must take advantage of
the modern state of acoustical science. The
piano industry is making a great deal of noise
just now about its merchandising problems, and
it would be as wise to take thought of its tech-
nical problems, for the first involve the second.
A great improvement in tone production, in
action, or in dynamic control, would boost the
stock of the piano industry as nothing else in
creation could boost it. Upon the day when
this fact has been thoroughly recognized and
faced, the piano industry will begin again to go
forward.
Please do not suppose that this is the talk of
an alarmist. I am not afraid for the piano,
simply because I am not afraid for the future
of music. Until some other basic instrument
which will do all that the piano now does, and
do it better, comes to take the place of the
piano our industry is safe enough; that is, so
far as mere existence is concerned. But is mere
existence enough? An industry which has not
enough vitality to grow, to look constantly for-
ward to improvements, has very nearly forfeited
its own right to continued existence. It is not
existence but growth that interests me.
Now, what are the more recently ascertained
acoustic facts upon which the modern concep-
tion of piano tone production may, and in my
opinion should, be based? They may be stated
briefly.
Outlines of a New Basis
1. Amplitude has an effect upon tone quality.
Consequently there is room for the development
of an action intended more especially to take
advantage of this fact.
2. Tone quality is a function of all the fac-
tors of string design, not alone of length, but of
density, tension and weight.
Consequently,
string design is a matter of mathematical calcu-
lation, and a scale designed according to some
definite mathematical relation to the equal tem-
perament system of tuning (itself purely mathe-
matical) is the sine qua non of sound construc-
tion.
3. Resonance is distinguished from ampli-
fication; resonance being, in fact, a quality to be
avoided and amplification one to be encour-
aged. Amplification also has an effect more
or less calculable upon tone quality, whereas
resonance affects tone quality only in so far as
the responding pitch is concerned.
Conse-
quently sound-board design is here provided
with the beginnings at least of a scientific basis.
4. The ascertained effect of the partial tone
sequence upon tone quality can no longer be
considered to be the simple thing it was in the
days of Helmholtz. The modern piano ham-
mer, working upon the modern piano string,
produces effects of partial tone sequence in
many ways markedly different from those which
were discovered by means of thin wires and
rigid knife-edge strikers. Consequently the
effect of hammer design and construction re-
mains to be investigated anew, with the prob-
ability of very fruitful results.
Such in outline are some of the now ascer-
tained acoustical facts which may be applied in
considering the design of the modern piano.
I do not say that all these facts are in so simple
a shape as to make their application merely a
matter of a little mathematics and mechanics.
What I do say, however, is that the piano indus-
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that the piano industry has no right to consider
its work of improvement and betterment to be
in good condition until it has faced facts like
these and matie at least some attempt to grapple
with them.
The Day Comes
Now the day is coming when the facts I have
elicited and the deductions I have drawn from
them will be known and applied more or less
consciously by all piano makers. The day for
these things is approaching, simply because the
piano cannot continue to flourish if they are
neglected, which is to say if piano makers con-
tinue to ignore the plain teachings of acoustical
science. It is all very well to say that good
pianos have been made already and that good
pianos may still be made by men who have
ignored these facts; but that is merely to evade,
not to face, the question. The point is that the
piano industry at this present time greatly needs
definite technical improvements. Given a better,
a much better, piano and there will follow a
better, a much better, piano business. These are
the facts, and they cannot be disposed of by the
process of ignoring them.
Correspondence
is solicited and should be addressed to William
Braid White, 5149 Agatite avenue, Chicago.
Death of W. R. Smith
KANKAKEE, I I I . , May 31.—W. R. Smith, super-
intendent of the Price & Teeple piano factory,
died recently at his home at 490 South Green-
wood avenue, as a result of septic poisoning,
resulting from a cut finger. Mr. Smith had
resided in Kankakee for fourteen years and
had been connected with the Price & Teeple
Co. during that time. He is survived by his
widow and two daughters.
WASHINGTON, D. C, May 31.—Herbert S. Mills,
Oak Park, 111., was last week granted Patent
No. 1,586,260 for a hammer-rail control, which
he has assigned to the Mills Novelty Co., Chi-
cago, 111. This invention relates to a hammer-
rail control and the like for use; in pianos and
particularly in such devices operated by elec-
trical current and controlled by perforated note
sheets or by manually operated keys, as desired.
Patent No. 1,586,258 for an electrical musical
instrument was last week granted to Herbert
S. Mills, Oak Park, 111., which he has assigned
to the Mills Novelty Co., Chicago, 111. This
invention relates particularly to key-controlled
means for controlling the playing circuit and
the tremolo circuit of electrically played
stringed musical instruments of the viol class.
The primary object is to provide simple, im-
proved means, whereby, in the normal action
of the keys of the key manual with which the
machine is equipped, the various notes corre-
sponding to the several keys will be sounded
in the normal playing of the instrument; and,
when it is desired to operate the tremolo, this
can be accomplished by additional movement
of the key beyond the normal movement re-
quired for playing.
Isabelle McKee Bloch, Chicago, 111., was re-
cently granted Patent No. 1,584,073 for an In-
struction roll, which she has assigned to the
Q R S Music Co., same place.
The purpose of this invention is to provide
an improved form of perforated note sheet or
music roll, so-called, for automatic players,
adapted to be utilized in connection with the
player mechanism for giving musical instruc-
tion. It consists in superficial elements and
features, consisting in markings of staff nota-
tion printed upon and with relation to the per-
forated areas.
TUNERS
AND
REPAIRERS
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New York, Since 1848
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