Music Trade Review
Issue: 1914 Vol. 59 N. 26 - Page 9
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
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Ua$$$®$®®8^^
Being a Timely Disquisition on How Best the Player Pianist Can Get
at the Soul of the Piano—The Purpose and Importance of the Sus-
taining Pedal Device—How Artistic, Satisfying Results Can Be Secured.
Paderewski is reported to have said once,
"Everybody plays the piano, but nobody plays it."
The sarcasm is even more apt to-day, when the
player-piano has so immensely broadened the field
of piano playing; or, at least, of the use of the
piano. Probably the greater number of us are
more inclined to regard the piano as a piece of
furniture than as anything else. And quite cer-
tainly there are few of us who realize anything at
all of its latent possibilities. What there is to be
had from a fine piano in the way of color, volume
and variety of tone very few have any idea; nor is
the growing use of the player-piano by any means
tending to remedy this ignorance. For many player-
piano users gallop through music with a glorious
impartiality as to the contending claims of tempo,
rhythm and color. The great thing is to get a lot
of noise; and any method that will enable one to
make still more noise is by that much to be com-
mended.
Chief among the crimes against the true nature
of the piano which the player-piano "operator"
commonly commits, the misuse of the sustaining
pedal is perhaps the commonest, as it is certainly
the most abominable. Unfortunately, the right
hand pedal of the manually played piano has come
to be known as the "loud"' pedal, and its repre-
sentative in the player-piano, whether lever or but-
ton, is known usually by the same misleading name.
It is not particularly surprising therefore that the
beauty and delicacy of the sustaining device should
be absolutely unknown to most people, nor that it
should almost always be thought of as something
to "make the piano loud."
Of course, people who have absolutely no ideas
of the artistic sort, but simply have the money to
buy a piano, are not likely to think much about its
inner beauties. Yet the^ judicious need not be
grieved, for even the player-piano, much abused
instrument of music as it is, can be made to pro-
duce good tone, and does, in fact, afford means for
learning how to make use of what has been called
—and called rightly—the soul of the piano; namely,
the sustaining pedal device.
The Sustaining Pedal Device.
Briefly put, the object of the right hand pedal
or. the ordinary piano is to lift from all the strings
of the instrument simultaneously, the row of damp-
ers or mutes which press, one to each note, against
the wires. Whenever a note is sounded the damper
is lifted from the string by the action of the piano
key. While the key remains depressed the damper
stays open and the string sings as long as it re-
mains in vibration. If, however, after a string has
been sounded, the right hand pedal be depressed,
all the dampers are raised from all the strings, and
kept so as long as the foot remains on the pedal.
The result of this is one of two tilings. If the
dampers be raised after one string has been
sounded and held down, then one hears a sec-
ondary sound, in harmony with but much richer
than, the single original sound. This sound of
such complexity, is, in effect, composed of sep-
arate sound evoked from all the other strings. If,
however, while the dampers are raised—that is,
while the pedal is held down—other tones .not im-
mediately in harmony with the first be struck, there
will be an intolerable blurring and clashing of
sounds, the results of which are highly distressing
to the sensitive ear. This blurring effect it is which
makes the sound of the piano so dreadful when
an unskilled or careless person is playing.
Now, in order to understand how this extraor-
dinarily unmusical effect arises, and also how the
good instead of the bad effect of the destraining
pedal may be brought out,' it is necessary to know
something of the way in which musical tones are
produced from the piano. Let us briefly look into
this.
The Production of Musical Tones.
The piano is a stringed instrument as the violin
is. But also it is an instrument of percussion, as
At Last A "Perfect" Combination Bench
Showing How It Revolves
At Piano Height
At Player Height
PATENTED JUNE 16, 1914
We offer you in our No. 5 Duplex (Patented June 16th, 1914) a. combination
Piano and Player Bench which meets every requirement of the trade.
To operate—simply lift the hinged top—revolve the center and, "presto," you
have a player seat just the right height. Dimensions of top 25 x 14, finished
on Piano side and Upholstered on Player side. Made also in Duet Size, 36 x 15
(No. 45), and with player roll compartment (No. 125), capacity 60 rolls.
Write for catalog and prices.
CHICAGO PIANO BENCH CO.
1115-1125 W. Lake St.
Chicago, III.
is the drum. That is to say, the sounds of the
piano are evoked by the vibration of strings which
are excited by being struck by small hammers
actuated by the operation of the fingers on keys.
If the player action is used the pneumatics of the
player act on the piano hammers in the same way,
but not (usually) through the keys themselves.
The method is exactly the same, however.
The strings of the piano are made of steel wire,
are tuned at fixed pitch and are stretched in the
process at very high tensions. In consequence the
immense vibratory system thus produced, with its
more than 200 strings (for all the middle and upper
sections of the piano have three strings to each
note) is no more or less than a huge harp played
on by heavy felt hammers.
Now the peculiar nature of the piano strings
and of the way in which they are stretched induces
peculiarities in the manner of vibration. The
piano string does not vibrate merely in its whole
length, but likewise and simultaneously various
segments of its length vibrate. Each of these pro-
duces a tone of corresponding pitch and in con-
sequence the sound of the string in its entirety is
composed of a large number of tones, one louder
than all the rest which determines the pitch, and
numerous smaller tones of very feeble intensity,
which nevertheless have considerable influence on
the color of the tone.
Now, since these partial tones, so-called, are all
in direct harmonic relation with the prime tone in
the string, it follows that there will be partial
tones in each string of the same pitch as other
partial tones in other strings. When therefore the
damper pedal is depressed and the dampers raised,
if any one key be struck, the corresponding string
awakes, through the principle of sympathetic vibra-
tion, tones corresponding to its prime and to all
its partials, from the primes and the partials of all
other strings which have primes or partials in
common with it. So that, on the other hand, if two
notes or more in, for instance, a chromatic se-
quence be played while the dampers are raised,
there will be streams of sympathetic vibrations
from the strings evoked by each separate original
sound, all clashing against each other and clashing
because the originals are not in proper relation
with each other to begin with.
Thus it is evident that one cannot rightly use
the damper pedal (or its corresponding lever in
•the player) for the purpose of raising the damp-
ers, unless we are careful either to shut off the
dampers again before the next note comes along or
else unless the next note is in such relation to the
previous one that there will be no clashing of
partial tones. All members of chords which are
in right harmony with each other are plainly within
this latter classification. And so we may sum up
the rule by saying briefly, "change pedal when, har-
mony changes."
"Blurring" Should and Can Be Avoided.
Now, of course, it is easy to see that we cannot
rest here. It is plain that we actually create a lot
of new sounds every time we use the pedal, and so
it can be understood that by judiciously using the
pedal (or its player equivalent) one can immensely
enrich the quality of one's playing. The secret *is
not to "blur" by pedaling through different har-
monies, and to listen very closely and carefully to
the effect of what one does. If a player pianist
has the knowledge that will enable him to follow
the course of a musical score, even if he cannot
read all the notes correctly, he can follow the
pedaling marks as put in by the composer, and
then when reproducing the piece on a player-piano
(Continued on page 10.)
THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
$$»&&»»@&»»»»^^
Ua$$$®$®®8^^
Being a Timely Disquisition on How Best the Player Pianist Can Get
at the Soul of the Piano—The Purpose and Importance of the Sus-
taining Pedal Device—How Artistic, Satisfying Results Can Be Secured.
Paderewski is reported to have said once,
"Everybody plays the piano, but nobody plays it."
The sarcasm is even more apt to-day, when the
player-piano has so immensely broadened the field
of piano playing; or, at least, of the use of the
piano. Probably the greater number of us are
more inclined to regard the piano as a piece of
furniture than as anything else. And quite cer-
tainly there are few of us who realize anything at
all of its latent possibilities. What there is to be
had from a fine piano in the way of color, volume
and variety of tone very few have any idea; nor is
the growing use of the player-piano by any means
tending to remedy this ignorance. For many player-
piano users gallop through music with a glorious
impartiality as to the contending claims of tempo,
rhythm and color. The great thing is to get a lot
of noise; and any method that will enable one to
make still more noise is by that much to be com-
mended.
Chief among the crimes against the true nature
of the piano which the player-piano "operator"
commonly commits, the misuse of the sustaining
pedal is perhaps the commonest, as it is certainly
the most abominable. Unfortunately, the right
hand pedal of the manually played piano has come
to be known as the "loud"' pedal, and its repre-
sentative in the player-piano, whether lever or but-
ton, is known usually by the same misleading name.
It is not particularly surprising therefore that the
beauty and delicacy of the sustaining device should
be absolutely unknown to most people, nor that it
should almost always be thought of as something
to "make the piano loud."
Of course, people who have absolutely no ideas
of the artistic sort, but simply have the money to
buy a piano, are not likely to think much about its
inner beauties. Yet the^ judicious need not be
grieved, for even the player-piano, much abused
instrument of music as it is, can be made to pro-
duce good tone, and does, in fact, afford means for
learning how to make use of what has been called
—and called rightly—the soul of the piano; namely,
the sustaining pedal device.
The Sustaining Pedal Device.
Briefly put, the object of the right hand pedal
or. the ordinary piano is to lift from all the strings
of the instrument simultaneously, the row of damp-
ers or mutes which press, one to each note, against
the wires. Whenever a note is sounded the damper
is lifted from the string by the action of the piano
key. While the key remains depressed the damper
stays open and the string sings as long as it re-
mains in vibration. If, however, after a string has
been sounded, the right hand pedal be depressed,
all the dampers are raised from all the strings, and
kept so as long as the foot remains on the pedal.
The result of this is one of two tilings. If the
dampers be raised after one string has been
sounded and held down, then one hears a sec-
ondary sound, in harmony with but much richer
than, the single original sound. This sound of
such complexity, is, in effect, composed of sep-
arate sound evoked from all the other strings. If,
however, while the dampers are raised—that is,
while the pedal is held down—other tones .not im-
mediately in harmony with the first be struck, there
will be an intolerable blurring and clashing of
sounds, the results of which are highly distressing
to the sensitive ear. This blurring effect it is which
makes the sound of the piano so dreadful when
an unskilled or careless person is playing.
Now, in order to understand how this extraor-
dinarily unmusical effect arises, and also how the
good instead of the bad effect of the destraining
pedal may be brought out,' it is necessary to know
something of the way in which musical tones are
produced from the piano. Let us briefly look into
this.
The Production of Musical Tones.
The piano is a stringed instrument as the violin
is. But also it is an instrument of percussion, as
At Last A "Perfect" Combination Bench
Showing How It Revolves
At Piano Height
At Player Height
PATENTED JUNE 16, 1914
We offer you in our No. 5 Duplex (Patented June 16th, 1914) a. combination
Piano and Player Bench which meets every requirement of the trade.
To operate—simply lift the hinged top—revolve the center and, "presto," you
have a player seat just the right height. Dimensions of top 25 x 14, finished
on Piano side and Upholstered on Player side. Made also in Duet Size, 36 x 15
(No. 45), and with player roll compartment (No. 125), capacity 60 rolls.
Write for catalog and prices.
CHICAGO PIANO BENCH CO.
1115-1125 W. Lake St.
Chicago, III.
is the drum. That is to say, the sounds of the
piano are evoked by the vibration of strings which
are excited by being struck by small hammers
actuated by the operation of the fingers on keys.
If the player action is used the pneumatics of the
player act on the piano hammers in the same way,
but not (usually) through the keys themselves.
The method is exactly the same, however.
The strings of the piano are made of steel wire,
are tuned at fixed pitch and are stretched in the
process at very high tensions. In consequence the
immense vibratory system thus produced, with its
more than 200 strings (for all the middle and upper
sections of the piano have three strings to each
note) is no more or less than a huge harp played
on by heavy felt hammers.
Now the peculiar nature of the piano strings
and of the way in which they are stretched induces
peculiarities in the manner of vibration. The
piano string does not vibrate merely in its whole
length, but likewise and simultaneously various
segments of its length vibrate. Each of these pro-
duces a tone of corresponding pitch and in con-
sequence the sound of the string in its entirety is
composed of a large number of tones, one louder
than all the rest which determines the pitch, and
numerous smaller tones of very feeble intensity,
which nevertheless have considerable influence on
the color of the tone.
Now, since these partial tones, so-called, are all
in direct harmonic relation with the prime tone in
the string, it follows that there will be partial
tones in each string of the same pitch as other
partial tones in other strings. When therefore the
damper pedal is depressed and the dampers raised,
if any one key be struck, the corresponding string
awakes, through the principle of sympathetic vibra-
tion, tones corresponding to its prime and to all
its partials, from the primes and the partials of all
other strings which have primes or partials in
common with it. So that, on the other hand, if two
notes or more in, for instance, a chromatic se-
quence be played while the dampers are raised,
there will be streams of sympathetic vibrations
from the strings evoked by each separate original
sound, all clashing against each other and clashing
because the originals are not in proper relation
with each other to begin with.
Thus it is evident that one cannot rightly use
the damper pedal (or its corresponding lever in
•the player) for the purpose of raising the damp-
ers, unless we are careful either to shut off the
dampers again before the next note comes along or
else unless the next note is in such relation to the
previous one that there will be no clashing of
partial tones. All members of chords which are
in right harmony with each other are plainly within
this latter classification. And so we may sum up
the rule by saying briefly, "change pedal when, har-
mony changes."
"Blurring" Should and Can Be Avoided.
Now, of course, it is easy to see that we cannot
rest here. It is plain that we actually create a lot
of new sounds every time we use the pedal, and so
it can be understood that by judiciously using the
pedal (or its player equivalent) one can immensely
enrich the quality of one's playing. The secret *is
not to "blur" by pedaling through different har-
monies, and to listen very closely and carefully to
the effect of what one does. If a player pianist
has the knowledge that will enable him to follow
the course of a musical score, even if he cannot
read all the notes correctly, he can follow the
pedaling marks as put in by the composer, and
then when reproducing the piece on a player-piano
(Continued on page 10.)
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