Music Trade Review
Issue: 1914 Vol. 58 N. 26 - Page 9
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
ART OF MAKINGJVIUS1C ROLLS.
Weil-Known Arranger Tells of His Experiences
in the Field and How He Works—What Is
Demanded of the Arranger.
Frederick C. Hopkins, well known as an ar-
ranger for player-piano music rolls, started out to
be a lawyer but wound up in Anton Seidl's Or-
chestra, and later was one of the first to recognize
the opportunities offered to the arranger of music
rolls, with the result that he entered the new field.
In speaking of his experiences he said:
"Comparatively few people know that the music
played by the mechanical piano has to. be edited
as well as transcribed. The process involves in-
finitely more than transcribing the printed notes
of sheet music to the round and oblong holes of
the music roll. A popular composition put upon
the music roll just as it is written for the •human
performer would sound pathetically thin and tinny.
"To make it effective the theme must be empha-
sized. The mechanical piano gives its effect of
fulness and completeness by playing more notes
than the human hands could strike. As a matter
of fact the music is usually arranged as if played
by four hands.
"The man who is entrusted with the task o.f
putting in these notes must be both a performer
and a composer of music and thoroughly master
of the instrument, lie must stand between the
composer and the performer, helping the latter to
give an adequate interpretation of the former.
"In adopting a popular waltz, for instance, to
the mechanical piano 1 use the score not as ar-
ranged for the piano, ibut for the full orchestra.
1 play the composition as I change it upon an ar-
ranging machine which looks not unlike a piano,
but its key-board responds with clicks instead of
notes. Each click registers a punch in the long
roll of paper which comes out of the back of the
instrument like a ribbon out of a stock ticker.
"I play the arranging machine just as 1 would
the piano, only much more slo.wly, for 1 must think
as I insert the extra notes. For a half note 1
press my finger on the key and count eight clicks.
The vertical slit appears in the paper as it rolls
off the drum run by an electric motor at the back
of the machine. Other notes have other numbers
of clicks. By counting them I get the no.te 1
want and raise my finger when it is finished.
"This first roll is called the master. When it is
finished it is run over another machine which re-
sponds with punches instead of aotes and makes
two rolls, one of heavy paper and one of very
thin paper, which is at once tried out on the piano.
This test ru'.l 1 can correct as I go, and from it
the heavy master, too thick for the tracker board,
is corrected by hand.
"Missing notes are cut in and extra ones are
pasted over. The workman follows my penciled
directions on the test ro.H, working with a paste
pot and a mallet and punch. It would doubtless
make the great musicians turn in their graves to
see him, except for the fact that we do not edit
the classics. We haven't the impudence.
"At the marking table the rolls are spread out
two at a time and the dotted expression lines are
put in by means of a semi-automatic marking ma-
chine. Words in regard to expression are added
by hand by means of rubber stamps.
"I have to make a guide for these expressions,
of course, using one of the ordinary rolls and
marking in the lines and writing the words by
hand. The rolls are rewound by means of a hand
reel and checked over from my copy for blemishes
at the inspection tables. They are then spooled
by machine, labeled and boxed, ready for ship-
ment."
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
9
ELECTRO=MAGNETIC PIANO.
PIANO MEN ON COMMERCE CRUISE.
George Breed, of Philadelphia, Pa., Has Just
Been Granted an Important Patent Which
He Has Assigned to the Lyrachord Co., of
New York, and Which Is of Interest to Those
Following Improvements in Musical Instru-
ments Controlled Electro-Magnetically.
Attend Annual Cruise of the Detroit Board of
Commerce and Visit Duluth—Ernest Urchs
a Visitor—Smith Visited Chicago Houses.
(.Special to The Review.)
DETROIT, MICH., June 23.—A good many piano
men are away from Detroit this week ori the
annual cruise of the Detroit Board of Commerce.
(Special to The Review.)
WASHINGTON, D. C, June 22.—Patent No. 1,100,- The steamer goes to Duluth and return this year.
117, for an Electro-Magnetic Musical Instrument, E. P. Andrew, manager of the piano department
has been granted to George Breed, Philadelphia, of the J. L. Hudson Co.; A. A. Grinnell, vice-pres-
Pa., which he has assigned to the Lyrachord Co., ident of Grinnell Bros.; E. W. Grinnell, one o.f the
directors; Jay H. Grinnell, sales manager of Grin-
New York. It relates to electro-magnetic musical
instruments, and particularly pianos, having means nell Bros.; Harry, W. Rapp, office manager; W. D.
for pulsating the currents which excite the electro.- Norton, of the piano department, and C. E. Mitten,
magnets in the desired phase relation to the vibra- of the Victrola department of Grinnell Bros., are
tions of the sonorous members actuated by the the music trades men who are participating.
Ernest Urchs, traveling ambassador of Steinway
electro-magnets, as set out in Reissue Letters Pat-
&
Sons, was in Detroit Saturday and called on
ent of the United States No. 13365, obtained by
Grinnell Bros. He stopped off here en route to
the inventor January 23, 1912.
Chicago and other Western points.
The primary object of the present invention is
E. Hugh Smith, of the piano department of the
to provide improved means for effecting the pulsa-
J. L. Hudson Co., has returned fro,m Chicago,
tions of the current in the desired phase relation
where he went to look over the piano departments
to the vibrations of the musical strings, with re-
of some of the big stores there to get ideas for
sulting refinement in the action and improved
the piano department of the new Hudson store
quality of tone.
no.w in course of construction. E. K. Andrew,
In the preferred form of this invention, as em- manager of the talking machine department, also
bodied in a piano, circuits containing current was in Chicago with a similar purpose in view
pulsators and electro-magnets having fields inter- relating to the handling of the talkers.
sected by the strings of the instrument, are com-
bined with phase mechanism comprising coiled
The railroad companies have acknowledged the
springs, which are connected with the pulsators change of name of North Tonawanda to Wur-
and with the musical strings and which have litzer, N. Y., by putting the new name in their
means connected therewith for adjusting their latest issues of timetables and folders. The change
positions, lengths and tensions, the pulsators hav- was made some time ago following the develop-
ing resilient conductors with coiled ends providing ment of the big Wurlitzer industries in that city,
desired clamping, conducting and heat radiating but has just received official recognition from the
means for their carbon contacts.
powers that be.
Slump In Upright Prices?
Sure
Too Many Trade-Ins
What's the Answer ?
Sisjer Piano Player
tnas ine /luman 9oueA
vs. Put it J ] ^ yauf Piano
The wide-awake piano merchants
are getting on the job for this
proposition.
Ask more about it.
IMPROVEMENT SUGGESTED.
"Don't you think you could do something with
that orchestra to improve my song?" asked the
lady soloist at the theater.
"What's the matter with it?" asked the orchestra
leader.
"Why, they could hardly hear my song for that
drum!"
"Well, we can put in a couple more drums I"
MANUFACTURED BY
SIGLER
PIANO
Offices and Salesrooms
Sigler Building, 30 N. Second St.
PLAYER CO., HA £ ER N S NA URG
Factory
426-428 Market St.
THE
ART OF MAKINGJVIUS1C ROLLS.
Weil-Known Arranger Tells of His Experiences
in the Field and How He Works—What Is
Demanded of the Arranger.
Frederick C. Hopkins, well known as an ar-
ranger for player-piano music rolls, started out to
be a lawyer but wound up in Anton Seidl's Or-
chestra, and later was one of the first to recognize
the opportunities offered to the arranger of music
rolls, with the result that he entered the new field.
In speaking of his experiences he said:
"Comparatively few people know that the music
played by the mechanical piano has to. be edited
as well as transcribed. The process involves in-
finitely more than transcribing the printed notes
of sheet music to the round and oblong holes of
the music roll. A popular composition put upon
the music roll just as it is written for the •human
performer would sound pathetically thin and tinny.
"To make it effective the theme must be empha-
sized. The mechanical piano gives its effect of
fulness and completeness by playing more notes
than the human hands could strike. As a matter
of fact the music is usually arranged as if played
by four hands.
"The man who is entrusted with the task o.f
putting in these notes must be both a performer
and a composer of music and thoroughly master
of the instrument, lie must stand between the
composer and the performer, helping the latter to
give an adequate interpretation of the former.
"In adopting a popular waltz, for instance, to
the mechanical piano 1 use the score not as ar-
ranged for the piano, ibut for the full orchestra.
1 play the composition as I change it upon an ar-
ranging machine which looks not unlike a piano,
but its key-board responds with clicks instead of
notes. Each click registers a punch in the long
roll of paper which comes out of the back of the
instrument like a ribbon out of a stock ticker.
"I play the arranging machine just as 1 would
the piano, only much more slo.wly, for 1 must think
as I insert the extra notes. For a half note 1
press my finger on the key and count eight clicks.
The vertical slit appears in the paper as it rolls
off the drum run by an electric motor at the back
of the machine. Other notes have other numbers
of clicks. By counting them I get the no.te 1
want and raise my finger when it is finished.
"This first roll is called the master. When it is
finished it is run over another machine which re-
sponds with punches instead of aotes and makes
two rolls, one of heavy paper and one of very
thin paper, which is at once tried out on the piano.
This test ru'.l 1 can correct as I go, and from it
the heavy master, too thick for the tracker board,
is corrected by hand.
"Missing notes are cut in and extra ones are
pasted over. The workman follows my penciled
directions on the test ro.H, working with a paste
pot and a mallet and punch. It would doubtless
make the great musicians turn in their graves to
see him, except for the fact that we do not edit
the classics. We haven't the impudence.
"At the marking table the rolls are spread out
two at a time and the dotted expression lines are
put in by means of a semi-automatic marking ma-
chine. Words in regard to expression are added
by hand by means of rubber stamps.
"I have to make a guide for these expressions,
of course, using one of the ordinary rolls and
marking in the lines and writing the words by
hand. The rolls are rewound by means of a hand
reel and checked over from my copy for blemishes
at the inspection tables. They are then spooled
by machine, labeled and boxed, ready for ship-
ment."
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
9
ELECTRO=MAGNETIC PIANO.
PIANO MEN ON COMMERCE CRUISE.
George Breed, of Philadelphia, Pa., Has Just
Been Granted an Important Patent Which
He Has Assigned to the Lyrachord Co., of
New York, and Which Is of Interest to Those
Following Improvements in Musical Instru-
ments Controlled Electro-Magnetically.
Attend Annual Cruise of the Detroit Board of
Commerce and Visit Duluth—Ernest Urchs
a Visitor—Smith Visited Chicago Houses.
(.Special to The Review.)
DETROIT, MICH., June 23.—A good many piano
men are away from Detroit this week ori the
annual cruise of the Detroit Board of Commerce.
(Special to The Review.)
WASHINGTON, D. C, June 22.—Patent No. 1,100,- The steamer goes to Duluth and return this year.
117, for an Electro-Magnetic Musical Instrument, E. P. Andrew, manager of the piano department
has been granted to George Breed, Philadelphia, of the J. L. Hudson Co.; A. A. Grinnell, vice-pres-
Pa., which he has assigned to the Lyrachord Co., ident of Grinnell Bros.; E. W. Grinnell, one o.f the
directors; Jay H. Grinnell, sales manager of Grin-
New York. It relates to electro-magnetic musical
instruments, and particularly pianos, having means nell Bros.; Harry, W. Rapp, office manager; W. D.
for pulsating the currents which excite the electro.- Norton, of the piano department, and C. E. Mitten,
magnets in the desired phase relation to the vibra- of the Victrola department of Grinnell Bros., are
tions of the sonorous members actuated by the the music trades men who are participating.
Ernest Urchs, traveling ambassador of Steinway
electro-magnets, as set out in Reissue Letters Pat-
&
Sons, was in Detroit Saturday and called on
ent of the United States No. 13365, obtained by
Grinnell Bros. He stopped off here en route to
the inventor January 23, 1912.
Chicago and other Western points.
The primary object of the present invention is
E. Hugh Smith, of the piano department of the
to provide improved means for effecting the pulsa-
J. L. Hudson Co., has returned fro,m Chicago,
tions of the current in the desired phase relation
where he went to look over the piano departments
to the vibrations of the musical strings, with re-
of some of the big stores there to get ideas for
sulting refinement in the action and improved
the piano department of the new Hudson store
quality of tone.
no.w in course of construction. E. K. Andrew,
In the preferred form of this invention, as em- manager of the talking machine department, also
bodied in a piano, circuits containing current was in Chicago with a similar purpose in view
pulsators and electro-magnets having fields inter- relating to the handling of the talkers.
sected by the strings of the instrument, are com-
bined with phase mechanism comprising coiled
The railroad companies have acknowledged the
springs, which are connected with the pulsators change of name of North Tonawanda to Wur-
and with the musical strings and which have litzer, N. Y., by putting the new name in their
means connected therewith for adjusting their latest issues of timetables and folders. The change
positions, lengths and tensions, the pulsators hav- was made some time ago following the develop-
ing resilient conductors with coiled ends providing ment of the big Wurlitzer industries in that city,
desired clamping, conducting and heat radiating but has just received official recognition from the
means for their carbon contacts.
powers that be.
Slump In Upright Prices?
Sure
Too Many Trade-Ins
What's the Answer ?
Sisjer Piano Player
tnas ine /luman 9oueA
vs. Put it J ] ^ yauf Piano
The wide-awake piano merchants
are getting on the job for this
proposition.
Ask more about it.
IMPROVEMENT SUGGESTED.
"Don't you think you could do something with
that orchestra to improve my song?" asked the
lady soloist at the theater.
"What's the matter with it?" asked the orchestra
leader.
"Why, they could hardly hear my song for that
drum!"
"Well, we can put in a couple more drums I"
MANUFACTURED BY
SIGLER
PIANO
Offices and Salesrooms
Sigler Building, 30 N. Second St.
PLAYER CO., HA £ ER N S NA URG
Factory
426-428 Market St.
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