Music Trade Review
Issue: 1912 Vol. 54 N. 4 - Page 7
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
MUSIC TRADE
into the habit of glorifying the means rather than
the end. But it is not so much a question of how
you do a thing as of what you do. And if, with
the player-piano, the things which have been here
mentioned may truly be done, then that instru-
ment is one that can be "played." And it really
does not make the slightest difference whether the
statement pleases anybody or not. The facts are
the' facts, nor can they be gainsaid. The sole
matter wherewith we have to concern ourselves
relates to the one question of whether the kind
of thing which we have described as "playing" is
or is not possible with the player-piano.
An Affirmation.
And the answer must be yes! The player-piano
can be "played"—played in every meaning of the
word. Its defects as an instrument for the inter-
pretation of music are defects traceable to the
manner of producing the controlling music roll
rather than to any defects naturally inherent in
itself. Every single thing that can be done, so
far as concerns the obtaining of musical effect, by
the pianist may also be done by the player-pianist,
subject only to the limitations of imperfectly cut
or arranged music rolls. The statement is pos-
sibly bold; it is certainly true. And yet not one
person in ten who uses the player-piano is thereby
enabled to get from it what may be termed rudi-
mentarily good musical results. There is some-
thing wrong somewhere; something overlooked,
perhaps; something which we have not yet con-
sidered. What is that something and what are we
REVIEW
going to do about it? The question has a present
importance and needs an answer.
The Secret.
To put the matter in a nutshell, the whole diffi-
culty lies in the fact that no mechanism whatever,
any more than the ordinary keyboard itself, can
enable one to obtain good musical effect unless one
possesses something of musical taste and appre-
ciation. The mere touching of button and levers
is nothing. It is the conception behind the me-
chanical actions that counts. And, hard though the
truth may be, no means have yet been devised for
facilitating the playing of music half so powerful
as the human mind itself. Yet it is not by any
means needful to despair or repine. Anyone of
average intelligence can so quickly acquire the
knowledge necessary for musical appreciation that
the only wonder is so few take advantage of their
opportunities. Every possible conceivable means
for self-instruction in the understanding and ap-
preciation of art may be found at hand. But with-
out the willing spirit the best of facilities and
opportunities are useless. And if one is to make
one single criticism it is that people are altogether
too anxious to have things done for them and too
little ready to give of themselves. Too bad that
we do not all realize how true pleasure is to be
found only in that which costs some effort to ac-
quire. And that is the whole secret. Learn to
appreciate the inner meaning of the music you wish
to interpret, and lo! your player-piano is become a
true musical instrument.
that positively controls the speed of the governor
under all conditions. Pumping lightly or very hard
Of the Ludwig Player-Piano Being Exploited will not change the speed, no matter how large the
mus : c roll may be. The choker box is connected in
by the Firm.
a like manner in the bass end, both of which have
Ludwig & Co., 136th street and Willow avenue, thumb-screws conveniently located for regulating."
There will be a series of 10 cards mailed out
are sending to the trade a series of cards illus-
trating the various component parts of its unit which will be most helpful to dealers and tuners,
valve piano-player action, which employs two res- for they will describe minutely every part so that
one can easily adjust the mechanism at any time.
ervoirs, one for the treble and one for the bass.
SOME INTERESTING FEATURES
T H E LEDVV1G T U M P I N G
INVENTS TUNING DEVICE
For Pneumatically Operated Self-Playing In-
struments of the Violin Class.
(Special to The Review.)
Washington, D. C, Jan. 22, 1912.
A tuning device for self-playing instruments is
the basis of patent No. 1,014,925, granted this week
to Joseph Wauters, of Scranton, Pa., and assigned
to the Wurlitzer Co., of North Tonowanda, N. Y.
The invention relates to means for tuning the
strings of automatic instruments and particularly
those of pneumatically operated self-playing instru-
ments of the violin class.
The object of the invention is to provide easily
operated means for sounding pitchpipes or the like,
tuned to the proper pitch of the strings, so that the
latter may be readily brought into unison there-
with, and for simultaneously sounding the string so
that comparison with the pitchpipe is easily made
and the correct pitch of the string readily deter-
mined.
One of the three claims is as follows: "In self-
playing instruments a tracker board, a string-
sounding pneumatic, a pipe connection from said
tracker-board to said pneumatic, and a tuning de-
vice connected to said pipe, comprising a box, a
partition therein, a pitchpipe in said partition, a
valve controlling said pitchpipe, an exhaust tube
leading from said box, and means for moving said
valve to sound said pitchpipe."
IMPROVEMENT IN GRAND ACTION.
Melville Clark, of the Melville Clark Piano Co.,
Chicago, 111., was this week granted patent No.
1,014,949 on an improvement on an interior player
action. The purpose of the invention is primarily
to provide a grand piano with automatic playing
devices adapted for independently playing two
parts of a piece of music, as a solo or melody and
an accompaniment, and comprising for that purpose
two pneumatic actions and tracker devices having
ducts in different groups for connection with said
actions respectively.
DEVICE.
This cut shows the complete pumping device and
the concern makes the claim that "this has proven
to be the most successful system ever placed on
the market, because of the carrying of a reserve in
both ends of the piano the pressure is absolutely
equal at all times throughout the system of pneu-
matics, which produces wonderful effects when
playing softly or under light pressure. In the
right-hand or treble end of the piano, connected
with the reservoir, is the controller box of the mo-
tor, or governor. This is constructed in a manner
We herewith illustrate
Style P, one of the leading
in the Ludwig player-piano
line which contains all the
special Ludwig features.
This instrument has won a
large measure of popularity
among dealers and users,
based upon its satisfaction-
giving qualities as a player
and as a piano.
Ludwig Player-Piano
Style P.
The Master Player-Piano
is now equipped with an
AUTOMATIC TRACKING DEVICE
Which guarantees absolutely correct tracking of even the most imperfect music rolls
W I N T E R & CO., 220 Southern Boulevard, New York City
THE
MUSIC TRADE
into the habit of glorifying the means rather than
the end. But it is not so much a question of how
you do a thing as of what you do. And if, with
the player-piano, the things which have been here
mentioned may truly be done, then that instru-
ment is one that can be "played." And it really
does not make the slightest difference whether the
statement pleases anybody or not. The facts are
the' facts, nor can they be gainsaid. The sole
matter wherewith we have to concern ourselves
relates to the one question of whether the kind
of thing which we have described as "playing" is
or is not possible with the player-piano.
An Affirmation.
And the answer must be yes! The player-piano
can be "played"—played in every meaning of the
word. Its defects as an instrument for the inter-
pretation of music are defects traceable to the
manner of producing the controlling music roll
rather than to any defects naturally inherent in
itself. Every single thing that can be done, so
far as concerns the obtaining of musical effect, by
the pianist may also be done by the player-pianist,
subject only to the limitations of imperfectly cut
or arranged music rolls. The statement is pos-
sibly bold; it is certainly true. And yet not one
person in ten who uses the player-piano is thereby
enabled to get from it what may be termed rudi-
mentarily good musical results. There is some-
thing wrong somewhere; something overlooked,
perhaps; something which we have not yet con-
sidered. What is that something and what are we
REVIEW
going to do about it? The question has a present
importance and needs an answer.
The Secret.
To put the matter in a nutshell, the whole diffi-
culty lies in the fact that no mechanism whatever,
any more than the ordinary keyboard itself, can
enable one to obtain good musical effect unless one
possesses something of musical taste and appre-
ciation. The mere touching of button and levers
is nothing. It is the conception behind the me-
chanical actions that counts. And, hard though the
truth may be, no means have yet been devised for
facilitating the playing of music half so powerful
as the human mind itself. Yet it is not by any
means needful to despair or repine. Anyone of
average intelligence can so quickly acquire the
knowledge necessary for musical appreciation that
the only wonder is so few take advantage of their
opportunities. Every possible conceivable means
for self-instruction in the understanding and ap-
preciation of art may be found at hand. But with-
out the willing spirit the best of facilities and
opportunities are useless. And if one is to make
one single criticism it is that people are altogether
too anxious to have things done for them and too
little ready to give of themselves. Too bad that
we do not all realize how true pleasure is to be
found only in that which costs some effort to ac-
quire. And that is the whole secret. Learn to
appreciate the inner meaning of the music you wish
to interpret, and lo! your player-piano is become a
true musical instrument.
that positively controls the speed of the governor
under all conditions. Pumping lightly or very hard
Of the Ludwig Player-Piano Being Exploited will not change the speed, no matter how large the
mus : c roll may be. The choker box is connected in
by the Firm.
a like manner in the bass end, both of which have
Ludwig & Co., 136th street and Willow avenue, thumb-screws conveniently located for regulating."
There will be a series of 10 cards mailed out
are sending to the trade a series of cards illus-
trating the various component parts of its unit which will be most helpful to dealers and tuners,
valve piano-player action, which employs two res- for they will describe minutely every part so that
one can easily adjust the mechanism at any time.
ervoirs, one for the treble and one for the bass.
SOME INTERESTING FEATURES
T H E LEDVV1G T U M P I N G
INVENTS TUNING DEVICE
For Pneumatically Operated Self-Playing In-
struments of the Violin Class.
(Special to The Review.)
Washington, D. C, Jan. 22, 1912.
A tuning device for self-playing instruments is
the basis of patent No. 1,014,925, granted this week
to Joseph Wauters, of Scranton, Pa., and assigned
to the Wurlitzer Co., of North Tonowanda, N. Y.
The invention relates to means for tuning the
strings of automatic instruments and particularly
those of pneumatically operated self-playing instru-
ments of the violin class.
The object of the invention is to provide easily
operated means for sounding pitchpipes or the like,
tuned to the proper pitch of the strings, so that the
latter may be readily brought into unison there-
with, and for simultaneously sounding the string so
that comparison with the pitchpipe is easily made
and the correct pitch of the string readily deter-
mined.
One of the three claims is as follows: "In self-
playing instruments a tracker board, a string-
sounding pneumatic, a pipe connection from said
tracker-board to said pneumatic, and a tuning de-
vice connected to said pipe, comprising a box, a
partition therein, a pitchpipe in said partition, a
valve controlling said pitchpipe, an exhaust tube
leading from said box, and means for moving said
valve to sound said pitchpipe."
IMPROVEMENT IN GRAND ACTION.
Melville Clark, of the Melville Clark Piano Co.,
Chicago, 111., was this week granted patent No.
1,014,949 on an improvement on an interior player
action. The purpose of the invention is primarily
to provide a grand piano with automatic playing
devices adapted for independently playing two
parts of a piece of music, as a solo or melody and
an accompaniment, and comprising for that purpose
two pneumatic actions and tracker devices having
ducts in different groups for connection with said
actions respectively.
DEVICE.
This cut shows the complete pumping device and
the concern makes the claim that "this has proven
to be the most successful system ever placed on
the market, because of the carrying of a reserve in
both ends of the piano the pressure is absolutely
equal at all times throughout the system of pneu-
matics, which produces wonderful effects when
playing softly or under light pressure. In the
right-hand or treble end of the piano, connected
with the reservoir, is the controller box of the mo-
tor, or governor. This is constructed in a manner
We herewith illustrate
Style P, one of the leading
in the Ludwig player-piano
line which contains all the
special Ludwig features.
This instrument has won a
large measure of popularity
among dealers and users,
based upon its satisfaction-
giving qualities as a player
and as a piano.
Ludwig Player-Piano
Style P.
The Master Player-Piano
is now equipped with an
AUTOMATIC TRACKING DEVICE
Which guarantees absolutely correct tracking of even the most imperfect music rolls
W I N T E R & CO., 220 Southern Boulevard, New York City
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).