Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
11
Being the Conclusion of a Most Informing Article on "Tone Color and the
Pianoforte"—The Summing Up of the Various Arguments Here Presented
Convey Some Very Interesting Information on Piano Touch and Quality.
To sum things up: We find that all the different
kinds of touch producible on the piano hammer by
any means may be divided into the two classes of
legato and staccato. But these horizontal divisions
must be themselves divided vertically, as it were.
For, besides the qualities of being detached or be-
ing bound together (staccato or legato), we must
also produce the quality of more or less holding
back the propelling power while in action. That
is to say, we must consider the kind of tone that
will be produced when we "slam" the power,
whether great or small, at the pneumatic, in com-
parison with what happens when we apply that
power, whether it be great or small, continuously.
This is the difference between what pianists call
the stroke and the pressure touches. The former
is for arpeggio playing, for chord work and for
scale passages. The latter is for giving singing
tone to melodies. Let us now see where we stand
in relation to these matters from the player-
pianist's standpoint.
The kinds of tone quality we want are roughly
divisible as tone for melody and tone for passage
work and accompaniment. These correspond with
the pianist's pressure and stroke touches. Each of
these is divisible again as legato and staccato qual-
ities, with their subdivisions.
To make the matter clear we append here a table
showing the varieties of piano touch and the tone
qualities they give with the uses of each. It will
be understood that we here have used the terms
"pressure" and "stroke" as representing styles of
touch employed by the manual pianist.
TOUCH
FOR MELODY
TONE
(Pressure).
Legato: Binding tones to-
gether to produce singing ef-
fect in songs, nocturnes and
flowing melodies.
Staccato: Detaching tones
from each other for crispness
and sharp speech in melodic
work. This sort of staccato
is also called portamento.
Marcato:
Either of the
above but with special accent.
'
'
TOUCH FOR PASSAGE AND AC-
COMPANIMENT TONE
(Stroke).
Legato: Tones bound to-
gether but less closely, for
passage work involving close
progression, where, a singing
tone is desirable.
Non-Legato:
Tones de-
tached linhtly, where singing
effect is not wanted, as in
progressions of chords, oc-
tave playing and passages
where singing tone is not
wanted.
Staccato:
Detached tones
for sharpness; crispness and
shortness in accompaniment,
octave and chord work.
We therefore have two grand divisions of tone
quality, and three subdivisions in each, making six
subdivisions in all. It now remains merely to
show how to produce these qualities and to indi-
cate roughly when they are respectively likely to
be needed. Before doing this, let us just glance
at a few definitions.
First: All touch is reducible to hammer veloc-
ity. Therefore the melody touch will be, other
Ihings being equal, produced by a slower collapse
of the pneumatics, although this does not neces-
sarily mean at the same time loudness of softness
in proportion to the rapidity of collapse. A pneu-
matic may collapse rapidly while the dynamic ef-
fect is low, or vice versa. The method of applying
power is the important thing. Power applied
suddenly means hard, "slammy" staccato effect.
Power applied steadily means smoother tone, othe>
things being equal. Therefore, roughly speaking,
power is applied steadily for melody tone, and
sharply for non-melody tone. This is a matter of
pedal manipulation.
Second: Power applied steadily but at a high
level means great dynamic intensity with smooth
tone.
Third: Power applied sharply and suddenly, in
jerks, at high'level, means sharp, hard, loud, very
brilliant tone.
Fourth: Power applied steadily at low level
means singing, sweet tone, suitable for gentle
melodies.
Fifth: Power applied sharply but at low level
means dainty, light, crisp touch, as for crisp runs.
Sixth: When the music roll is pushed at the
tracker steadily, and held momentarily after the
action has worked, it assists in the production of
smooth tone.
Seventh: When the music roll is n~ade to glide
smoothly from perforation to perforation, it as-
sists in the production of legato tone.
Eighth : When the music roll is cut so that the
perforations overlap, legato may be had without
recourse to the sustaining device.
Ninth: When the music roll is jumped over the
tracker so as to carry one perforation or chord
group thereof over the tracker suddenly, and then
is held for a moment before the next attack, the
operation assists in producing staccato effect.
Tenth: When the music roll is cut staccato, the
legato or at least portamento effect may be had by
smooth approach and travel of the roll, together
with manipulation of the sustaining device.
Eleventh: When the music roll ip not cut legato
enough, the necessary legato effect may be had by
smooth approach and travel of the paper, together
with use of the sustaining pedal device to prolong
the tones over the short interval between them,
Thus all our technical manipulation and pedipu-
lation for touch and tone is reduced to the four
items of: Smooth travel of the roll, jerky travel
of the roll, steady pedaling, jerky pedaling. These
four in various combinations will produce all pos-
sible variations. It must be remembered that there
are a thousand and one different degrees in which
each of the above may be produced.
Taking again, then, the table above, let us give
practical directions for obtaining each of the six
kinds of tone there described.
Melody Playing Generally.—Pedaling should be
slow and steady, increasing in rapidity as music is
to be louder; but always steady, and never hurried.
Melody Legato.—Roll must travel smoothly tn
tracker. As soon as perforation has crossed the
tracker the roll should be held for just a fraction
of a second before resuming the smooth travel.
Pedal lightly, steadily and at a level of vacuum
determined by the requirements of the dynamic
scheme. It will be found that this touch will give
great power with small effort. Use sustaining de-
vice freely.
Melody Staccato.—Pedal as above, but jerk the
roll over the perforations, holding it for a frac-
tion of a second before jumping at the next per-
foration. The roll is manipulated in a series of
jumps. Do not use sustaining device.
Melody Marcato.—Same as melody legato or
staccato, according to how tones are bound or de-
tached as cut in the roll. But in pedaling, when
tones to be accented are approaching, pedal for
them with one foot as in non-melody touch, and
with the other pedal lightly and steadily.
Non-melody Legato.—Travel the roll smoothly,
but apply power in small, sharp strokes, beginning
a new stroke for each tone or chord. Do not pedal
too hard. Sharpness and detachedness are more
important than great force. Use sustaining device
freely.
Non-melody Non-legato.—Pedal as for non-mel-
ody legato, but travel the roll less smoothly,' mak-
ing very slight detachment between perforations,
and avoiding use of sustaining device. Done forc-
ibly is good for chord and passage work; gently,
for accompaniment.
Non-melody Staccato.—Pedal very sharply and
jerkily, giving separate stroke to each perforation.
Travel the music roll very jerkily also, making
marked hold between perforations and avoiding use
of the sustaining device. When done forcibly, this
produces very loud, hard, sharp, brilliant staccato.
When done very lightly, effect is dainty and harp-
like.
Ft will be understood that there are a thousand
and one shades of power, force, style and effect in
the above classifications. We have, however, indi-
cated the main lines of practice, and the player-
pianist may work the remainder out for himself. It
is enough to have for the first time laid down
plainly the rules.
It will be noted, in conclusion, that each of the
above rules applies in mechanical effect to a dif-
ferent sort of hummer velocity. Mechanically
speaking, only this hammer velocity can be con-
trolled by the pedal technics above described. We
have already proved that all touch depends upon
hammer velocity; and these rules show how to
apply the pedals to that end.
These discoveries finally lift the player-piano,
forever and a day, out of the class of mechanical
instruments.
E. M. Backus, Jr., secretary of the R. S. How-
ard Co., 2!) West Forty-second street, New York,
is at present making a short trip through the Mid-
ilk' Wrsl. HV is sending in some excellent orders,
a lar.yr pem-ntago of which is for player-pianos.
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