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TEOMCAI/NDSUPPLY
DEPARTMENT
William Bra\dWh\te,rec/imcal Editor
teachers, a considerable number of young chil-
dren. I find that on nearly all makes of grand
pianos, and on modern uprights too, the music
desk is placed too high for children. The stylo
of fall-board used on many uprights of thirty
Some of the Difficulties the Piano Tech- years or more ago, in which the music rack
consisted of a strip hinged to the fall-board,
of His Daily Labors in the Field
was not only better for children but more con-
venient
for an adult as well, especially when
"I am not at this moment referring to loose
playing
at
sight. No matter how good a sight
tuning pins, the existence and cause of which
player
one
may be, one is obliged now and then
have been discussed ably in previous articles
to
glance
at the keys, when there are wide
by yourself and other contributors. The pres-
skips.
ent growl is directed against the exact oppo-
On a Grand
site, namely, against tuning pins that arc too
"On a grand piano the trouble is even more
tight. It seems that some piano manufacturers,
having had trouble with loose pins, have now pronounced, and in fact there seems to be no
resorted to the practice of forcing too large a remedy here. In my own teaching I use a de-
pin into too small a hole, hoping thereby, to tachable rack, which I made myself, and which
remedy their troubles. This of course (the consists of a piece of three-ply veneer stained
looseness) is thus remedied but the remedy and varnished the color of my Steinway grand,
only introduces another trouble, namely, that with an arrangement whereby it bears on the
the pins now turn so hard that they are sub- regular rack as well as on the ledge and fall-
jected to considerable torsion, making- tuning board. The bottom of the music is thus brought
extremely difficult. I have come across pianos within six inches of the keys, which permits a
built in recent years, in which the pins are so youngster to read the music without having to
tight that the tuning hammer has to form a cock the head upwards at an angle of forty-five
very noticeable arc before they will budge; and degrees or more, at the same time allowing
when they do budge, the strings go, sometimes sufficient space for all necessary movements of
with a screech, in some cases as much as a quar- the hands.
"A decided improvement is called for, how-
ter of a tone too high or low, as the case may
be. And we all know what that means to tun- ever, in the construction of the lower part of
the music rack on many makes of grand pianos.
ing.
"I think that piano manufacturers should I refer to the strip on which the music sheet
realize that over-tight pins are not an efficient is supposed to rest. I say 'supposed' because
substitute for well-seasoned wood. One must in many cases it will not rest there. I know
admire the material and workmanship of most that I, and many others, too, have been an-
of the old pianos built from twenty to forty noyed times without number, by music slipping
years ago, yes, even of old squares built in the off the rack when a page was turned, and glid-
seventies; at least as regards their wrest plans. ing to the floor. One of the most idiotic of con-
Their tuning pins still turn smoothly and fairly structions is that in which the rack has a smooth
easily and yet have ample friction to stay where bottom with a ledge in front about one-half
put. This remark applies not only to the high- inch high. In turning the music quickly one in-
priced makes of those days, but to the medium variably either tears the page or knocks the
and low-priced ones as well. I still have to whole thing off". The annoyance can be im-
tune occasionally some of the latter class which agined, especially when one is accompanying
retailed at prices from $175 to $225 when new, in public. Another fool feature is a high
which for easy smooth turning of the pins in shoulder in the angle where tne bottom part
the wrest plank, while giving ample gripping joins the upright part. This causes the sheets
power, can give cards and spades to most of to curve at that point and adds to the difficulty
the high-priced pianos of recent and present- of turning. In my estimation the proper way
would seem to be to have a clear angle, and a
day build.
Musicians' Attitude to the Piano and
Music Desk Sins and Tight Tuning Pins
Massachusetts Tuner Relieves His Mind of
nician Encounters in the Course
HAT follows is good, real good. I
think that we are all indebted, very
much indebted in fact, to Mr. Schmitt
for his sincere and witty handling of some
tough subjects. At any rate, the real question
is, what are we going to do about these things?
"I wish to say Amen to the tale of woe re-
cited by E. U. Will in the February 5 issue
of the Music Trade Review, regarding the in-
difference of piano owners, including piano
teachers, to having their pianos tuned often
enough.
"That trouble is not confined to rural com-
munities by any means. I live within six miles
of the city, which considers itself to be the
Athens of America, and the Hub of the Uni-
verse, namely, Boston. As a tuner for some
well-known piano teachers in that city and its
suburbs, I have often been astonished at the
extent to which most of them allow their pianos
to get out of tune and below pitch. And since
this is true of so many teachers, evidently con-
ditions must be worse among the majority of
the pupils.
Those Musicians
"The joke of the matter is that the majority
of teachers and students even seem to be un-
able to distinguish the difference between a
straight and a 'wiggly' unison, unless this
amounts to something like a half-tone. I have
tuned for some fine concert pianists and even
among them have found cases of inability to
hear fine shades of difference. More than once
I have been disgusted, after doing a careful and
artistic piece of work for a teacher, to be told
that he or she 'did think it sounded a bit better. 1
Often only after I have not only tuned but
re-voiced, some old tin-panny rattletrap does
there come the admission that 'it really does
sound very much better.' And there are ac-
tually those who prefer a beating or 'wiggly'
unison to a straight one, saying that the piano
then has such a lovely vibrato!
"Just as the rooster in 'Chanticleer' thought
that he was causing the sun to rise by his
crowing at dawn, so some of these 'vibrato'
people imagine that when they wiggle their fin-
gers on a piano key after it has been depressed,
they can cause a vibrato sound. The ignorance
of the mechanism of the piano thus indicated
is very common.
"Again, if a piano student should ask his or
her teacher what is meant by the equal tem-
perament, or why the keys C F G or A arc some-
times written B sharp, E sharp, F double sharp
or G double flat, the average teacher would be
unable to answer.
"And now, having let forth the preceding
growls, let me emit another.
"This one has to do with tuning pins on
pianos built during recent years. Nor am I re-
ferring altogether to low or medium-priced in-
struments, but to the products of some of the
best factories.
W
Punching*
Washers
Bridle Straps
5814-37th Ave.
Music Desk Sins
"There is yet another item of piano construc-
tion which I should like to speak of at this
time, from the standpoint of one who is not
only a tuner but a teacher of piano as well.
Aniong my pupils I have, like nearly all piann
"MARKDOWNS"
ARE UNNECESSARY
D
EALERS everywhere are finding it
easy to repair damage to varnished
surfaces—consequently making big sav-
ings through the elimination of the
necessity for mark-downs. Our little
booklet "How to Repair Damage to
Varnished Surfaces" tells how you, too,
can do this. A copy of this will be
sent to you free upon request.
The M.L.Campbell Co.
1OO8 W. 8th St.
Kansas City, Mo.
George W. BvaunsdorE, Inc.
Direct Manufacturers of
TUNERS' TRADE SOLICITED
Associate, American Society of Mechanical
Engineers; Chairman, Wood Industries
Division, A. S. M. E.; Member, American
Physical Society; Member, National Piano
Technicians' Association.
Consulting Engineer to
the Piano Industry
Tonally and Mechanically Correct Scales
Tonal and Technical Surreys of Product
Tonal Betterment Work In Factories
References
to manufacturers «f unquestioned
position in Industry
For particulars, address
209 South State Street, CHICAGO
Piano Tuners
Also—Felts and
Cloths, Furnished
In Any Quantity
Woodaide, L. I., N. Y
28
William Braid White
and Technicians
are In demand. The trade needs tuners, regu-
lators and repairmen. Practical Shop SchooL
Send for Catalog M
Y. M. C. A. Piano Technicians School
1421 Arch St.
Philadelphia, Pa.