Music Trade Review

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WESTERN COMMENT
The Superstition of the Practical
are being rapidly, if unconsciously, adopted by all the world. This
is a mechanical age, an age interested in mechanical things, in ma-
OPPORTUNITY came the other day to read very carefully a little
chines, in apparatus, in mechanisms, to an extent never before
book of facts put out by an Eastern manufacturer of pianos for
reached, and which in fact would probably have been considered
the benefit of those dealers who sell his instru-
A
unconceivable by any man of the last century. The piano is itself
ments. Now, a great many books of facts, or
Little
not only a mechanism, but one of the most complex, beautiful and
of what pass for facts in the absence of more
Book
efficient mechanisms that the mind and hand of man have ever
careful examination, have been published at one
been able to achieve. A book of Facts, therefore, about the piano,
time or another by manufacturers of pianos, so that the experience
was not, in one way, at least, any novelty. What was, however, • about any piano worthy to be described at all, is to-day obviously
a trade and a public need. I say, a book of Facts; for this is an
very novel about it was that this little book, although designedly
age of Facts. Much scientific hokum is indeed being uttered and
and of deliberation it has been written to help salesmen to sell a
many many sales being made of things which are not at all what
certain make of piano and none other, actually is devoted to a
they seem to be when viewed only through the rosy nimbus of
statement of fact as cold and as clear as such a statement can
mysterious pseudo-scientific description. All the electrical indus-
possibly be when it is built around a selling argument. No man,
tries furnish examples. Yet the statement of scientifically accu-
of course, can speak, or should be expected to speak, in tones of
rate Fact in simple language is a present-day need; and in the
judicial detachment about his own product; but on the other hand
piano industry it has become a present-day essential. To that ex-
no man either needs to, or should, suppose that the license to be
tent then the simple and clear statement of Fact of which I have
enthusiastic is also a license to be a liar. So this little book of
been speaking seems to me to be a very fine example of the new
Facts, as it is called, appealed very strongly. In it is set forth,
spirit among manufacturers.
with simple, but conviction-carrying language and treatment, a
description of the materials used in the construction of these pianos,
of the processes of preparation and assembly, of the mysteries of
IT was in the middle of so thinking that I asked the manufacturer
acoustic and mechanical design. The writer of it has done his
responsible for this interesting and valuable piece of sales litera-
task well. If any fault can be found with his conception of his
ture what he was doing with it and what re-
Twenty
subject, one might possibly say that he has assumed among the
sponse it was producing among his dealers. He
salesmen who will read his pages, almost too much intelligence
answered shortly that a copy had been sent
and too much knowledge of piano construction. This does not
to every name among the some hundreds
mean that the writer has supposed his prospective readers to be
of accounts on the company's books; and that each recipient was
construction experts. On the contrary he has simply assumed that
requested to read it, give his opinion and say how many copies he
they know the names and the functions of the principal parts and
thought his salesmen and his other employes ought to have. All
can read about them without losing the thread of his observations.
the responses put together totaled about one in five. Four dealers
To suggest that even this slight knowledge is not common through-
in every five approached were so little interested that they did not
out the retail trade is to assume only what one knows to be too
think it worth while to discuss the question of utilizing the book
true. It is actually not safe to suppose that one may talk to a
in their selling, much less to express any sort of opinion upon its
salesman or a merchant . . . not previously an acquaintance . . .
merits, or even upon the question whether it had any merits at all.
on the assumption that he understands the general rudiments of
Four-fifths of the dealers, that is to say in this particular group,
piano construction. It is, therefore, not entirely astonishing per-
show by their actions that they do not believe any piano to be
haps that one should have unwillingly to criticize a book of Facts
worth a careful study to the end of facilitating its retail sale.
written on an assumption perfectly natural and perfectly probable,
Four-fifths of the dealers in this group may well represent the
but unhappily not supported by circumstances.
general community of feeling among dealers. If that is so, heaven
help the piano industry!
IN the case now under consideration the conception and the make-
BUT, is it really so? Is it really true that the retailers of our in-
up of the little bibelot are stimulating and valuable to the highest
dustry still suppose that piano selling is a game to be played and
extent. Here we have a piano manufacturer not
Facts,
attempting to bewilder or to mystify, but saying
won by the application of methods which are at
Facts,
*
least slightly phony, by a sort of salesmanship
in
effect
"we
do
this
particular
part
of
our
work
Facts
thus and so, using these and those materials. We
which
relies upon the appetite for bargains, and
Tr
?
do these things in these ways because we desire to accomplish such
so creates false ones, upon the passion of vanity,
and such an effect and have arrived at the conclusion that the
and so lies about quality, upon the love of mystery, and so tickles
methods we have adopted are the best calculated to achieve that
ignorance by refusing to speak of facts? Is it true that dealers
end." There is not a word about marvelous and mysterious su-
still do not believe in their own goods? Is it possible that the
periority, not a word about secret traditions handed down by one
mechanical beauties of the piano are still not merely unknown,
craftsman to another, not a line of unintelligible rhapsody about
but even subject for contemptuous laughter? Is it true that the
tone values. All there is consists of a plain and apparently quite
musical beauties of the piano still are something which cannot be
truthful statement of facts. The reader is told, as it were: "You
sold to the public, at least in the estimation of four-fifths of the
are selling this piano. If you expect to sell it successfully you
number of dealers? If so, let us say it again, heaven help the
must be prepared both to advance arguments in its favor and to
piano industry. But it cannot be so. The columns of the trade
meet, objections brought against it. In order to these ends we
papers show that it is not so. Steadily, the greater merchants
tell you all. about it, give you the facts. Now please learn them
come to see that their old methods are not merely old but obsolete,
and make use of them." Here it seems we have a definite example
that bargain advertising is a broken reed, that playing one manu-
of the new spirit which is entering the manufacturing end of the
facturer off against another is not the way of profit and prosperity,
piano industry. Manufacturers are coming rapidly to see that we
that the piano market is languishing for new blood, new ideas, a
live in a world of Fact and that engineering methods, engineering
new current of life, in a word, that the superstition of "practical"
standards of measurement and consequently engineering values,
methods is outworn.
W. B. W.
REVIEW OFFICE, CHICAGO, I I I . , JULY 3,
1928.
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