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The Music Trade Review
MARCH 5, 1927
29
The Technical and Supply Department—(Continued from page 28)
bottom with a series of narrow grooves, or
rather beads.
CARL G. SCHMITT,
Wollaston, Mass."
Comment
Let us take the clauses of this indictment
one by one. And in the first place it is neces-
sary to say that one has to agree with it, almost
without a single modification. It is perfectly
true that music teachers and other musicians
are often lamentably poor on ear-training, espe-
cially the players of the pianoforte. Why ear-
training should be left out of the training of
pianists is something which I cannot explain.
The assumption perhaps, is that all pianofortes
are always in tune, but this unhappily, is an
assumption more creditable to the naivete than
to the experience of those who hold it. Even
however, if every pianoforte were always kept
in the best of tune, that would not excuse fail-
ure to teach the ear to judge shades of tune
and tone. In this, as in all matters, one must
go to the root. And so we tuners, all of us
who can, should do everything in our power to
put the true state of the case before teachers.
The various branches of the National Associa-
tion of Music Teachers, especially the state as-
sociations, are usually only too glad to give time
at their conventions to anyone who has any-
thing constructive to say, and thus any tuner
who feels himself able to deliver an illustrated
talk on the mechanics of tone, on the equal
temperament, and on similar matters, including
the mechanics of the action, should constantly
seek opportunities of doing so before meetings
of teachers. Of course, every such apostle will
find apathy, indifference and the traditional ar-
tistic superiority to everything which savors of
the "mechanical," as obstacles in his path. Mu-
sicians, especially the second and third-raters,
are too often ready to sneer at the mechanics
of music, and it is always the sneerers who are
found to hold, with a pertinacity which no
demonstration of contrary facts can shake, to
such absurdities as the "wiggle touch," of which
Mr. Schmitt speaks. Education is a slow proc-
ess and there is little fun in carrying it out;
but if education will not do, what else will?
Meanwhile we suffer in silence.
Those Pins
About pin-blocks. All that Mr. Schmitt says
has been said privately to me more than once,
and my own observation of recently built pianos
goes far to confirm his complaint. The truth
is that maple of the right kind is hard to get,
and still harder to season. Because the supply
is constant neither in quantity nor in quality,
the difficulty of adequate seasoning is increased
as time goes on. Thus we have first the com-
plaint of loose pins and then the attempt to
silence this by wedging them in too tight. The
answer is simply, and again, educate. Let
manufacturers know what is happening, insist
that they put the facts up to the technicians
and then, in co-operation with these, find a
remedy. There is no reason to suppose that a
remedy cannot be found, no reason at all.
And Those Racks
The music desk trouble is old and notorious.
FAUST SCHOOL
OF TUNING
Standard of America
Alumni of 2 0 0 0
Piano Tuning, Pipe and Reed
Organ and Player Piano
YEAR BOOK FREE
Mr. Schmitt is quite right. The fact, of course,
is that lacking any effective protest from musi-
cians (who are too apathetic) or from techni-
cians (who are too scared), the manufacturers
are simply unaware that there is anything
wrong. Until they are made aware, nothing
will be done.
For grand pianos there could and should be
a standard height of keyboard, say twenty-seven
inches from floor to top of ivory; and a
standard height of music desk from top of
ivory, say nine inches. It could be done, and
would be, if everybody would make a row
about it.
Has it ever occurred that neglect of appar-
ent trifles like these may have something to do
with the present condition of the piano industry
in respect of sales?
Correspondence
is solicited and should be addressed to William
Braid White, 5149 Agatite avenue, Chicago.
Wood-Working Division
of A. S. M. E. Meeting
H. C. Lomb Talks on Simplified Practice Be-
fore Meeting Under Chairmanship of William
Braid White, of The Review
The Wood Industries Division of the Ameri-
can Society of Mechanical Engineers, co-oper-
ating with the Management Division, held a
meeting devoted to discussion of wood-working
problems before the Metropolitan Section of the
Society at the Engineering Societies Building on
February 25.
William Braid White, chairman of the Wood
Industries Division and technical editor of The
Review, was in the chair. Among other piano
men present were: Emil Voelckel, of Hardman,
Peck & Co.; A. K. Gutsohn, of the Standard
Pneumatic Action Co.; Albert Endress, of Stein-
way & Sons, and E. S. Werolin, of the Ameri-
can Piano Co.
The meeting was mainly occupied with dis-
cussing problems of simplified practice. Papers
on the subject were read by Dr. Ray Hudson, of
the United States Department of Commerce, and
by H. C. Lomb, president of the Waverly
Musical Products Co. The latter dealt with
simplified practice in specif relation to the
music industries. Major George P. Ahem, of
the Tropical Plant Research Foundation, Wash-
ington, described the methods of the research
into the uses of tropical timbers for American
manufacturing, now being conducted by the
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
under his direction.
The Forestry Service of the United States
exhibited its well-known film, "A Forest
Axiom," dealing with wastage in the cutting and
use of lumber, and the New York State Depart-
ment of Labor showed its film on accident pre-
vention in wood-working factories.
Shailer Completes Trip
W. M. Shailer, vice-president and secretary
of Philip W. Oetting & Son, Inc., New York,
returned to the city last week, after spending
about three weeks calling on piano manufac-
turers in the Middle West. He states that in
general the firms he visited are working on
good production schedules and expect a steady
business through the Spring from the retail
dealers.
New Piano Store
The Lincoln-Worth Piano Co., Tampa, Fla.,
has been incorporated recently with a capital
stock of $10,000, consisting of 1,000 shares of $10
par. W. B. Lincoln, Walker Y. Worth and B.
H. Meadows are the incorporators.
Tuners Carrying Case
LIGHT—COMPACT—SERVICEABLE
Weighs Only 6 Pounds
Outside measurements 15^a inches long, 7
inches wide, 8 inches high.
No. 150—Covered with seal grain imitation
leather. Each $13.00
No. 200—Covered with genuine black cow-
hide leather. Each $20.00 F.O.B. New York.
When closed the aluminum
trays nest together over the large
compartment, which measures
13J4" x 6" x 4". The two left hand
trays measure W/%" •* 2J4" x iy & "
and the two right hand trays 13J4"
x33/ 4 "xl3/ 8 ". The partitions in
right hand trays are adjustable or
may be removed. Case is fitted
with a very secure lock and solid
brass, highly nickel-plated hard-
ware.
We have a separate Department to take care of special requirements
of tuners and repairers. Mail orders for action parts, repair materials,
also tuning and regulating tools are given special attention.
27-29 Gainsboro Street
BOSTON, MASS.
Tuners
and Repairers
Our new illustrated catalogue of Piano and
Player Hardware Felts and Tools is now
ready. If you haven't received your copy
please let us know.
OTTO R. TREFZ, JR.
2110 Fairmount Ave.
Phila., Pa.
Hammacher, Schlemmer <&. Co.
Piano and Player Hardware, Felts and Tools
New York Since 1848
4th Ave, at 13th St.