Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
MARCH 26, 1921
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
miiiiiuuiitiifntiMi luuuuuuniuu
The Art of the Player-Pianist
The following is the fifth in a series of articles by Wil-
liam Braid White. The aim of the series is to teach the
salesman and the music lover the secrets of playing the
player-piano artistically, a secret apparently known to few,
but which can readily be imparted to anyone who is inter-
ested in music and is willing to give the player-piano a
fair trial. At the present tirue, when it is more than ever
lecessary to attack the selling problem from the stand-
necessary
point of
of demonstration, this series should be extremely
valuable.
be emptied and the more powerful, relatively, has passed over the action is reversed auto-
will the outside air pressure become. Conse- matically. The air is shut off from the hole
quently, the faster" or more energetically one in the bar and the mechanism ceases to operate.
pumps the more power-Is applied tq the tone-
Now, plainly, if the beginner watqhes a music
producing parts of the t piano by the player roll, tarrying some very simple tine, he will
mechanism. '-Thai is how the tone power is' soon learn to recognize the perforations which
controlled first and for.cmo.st. The player-pianist represent the melody. Suppose he runs over
then gets his touch through his control of the such a tune two or three-times till he has
AIR AND TONE CONTROL
treadle. The more gently he operates these the identified by the eye the melody perforations
The reader has by this time become acquainted less powerful is the tone he gets, and the more from end to end. Then let him try "accenting
with the manner in which music is to be re- energetically he works them the more power- the melody" in the following manner:
The Accentual Push
garded by the player-pianist and realizes, or ful is the tone he obtains.
should realize, how much more direct, simple
But in addition to this controlling function
As each perforation which is to be accented
and graphic that method is than the method the bellows, which are operated, as said, by the approaches the tracker bar it should be caught
under which so many generations of well-mean- foot-treadles, also have the task of furnishing with the eye, as it were, and then, just an in-
ing music students have been forced to groan. power to the motor which drives the music stance before it coincides, let one of the treadles,
It is now time to see how we can apply this roll over the tracker bar and to any other part preferably the right-hand one, be sharply
knowledge and these facts to the actual pro- of the mechanism which, for any reason, ab- pressed with a quick down stroke and an equally
duction of music through the player-piano. In sorbs power. There are various of these auxil- quick release. If the accent required is very
order, however, to do this properly we must iary mechanisms, so that the player-pianist emphatic, that is, for instance, if the music is
acquaint ourselves with something of the performs a double task when he operates the loud at this point and the emphasis must rise
mechanics of the player-piano.
treadle, since he must produce the needed power above a high level of tone strength, then the
In the last article indeed the student was ad- for the non-speaking parts of the mechanism pressure must be very sharp and rapid. On the
vised to "run through" certain pieces for a cer- while also controlling the tone-power through other hand, if the general level of the tone
tain purpose, thus presupposing on his part his manipulation of the treadles. Fortunately, strength be low the emphasis must be gentle and
some knowledge of how at least to start a the amount of power needed for the non- the treadle work must correspond. The point
player-piano going. But to do this is one thing speaking parts of the mechanism is not at all is to give an "accentual push" at the right mo-
and to understand the meaning and functions great. The player-pianist, therefore, almost ment on one of the treadles, more rapid and
of the various levers, buttons, treadles, etc., is from the start, finds that he can devote all his energetic than the pushes which immediately
quite another thing. In the first article of this effort and thought to regulating the tone have preceded and will immediately succeed the
strength of the music from moment to moment. accentual push. In case of very gentle work
series the following observations were made:
Accent
the accentual push will be only a little more
"The art of playing the player-piano is to be
comprehended under three heads: (1) the con- In the previous articles we have spoken much energetic; in the case of a fortissimo passage
trol of speed through the motor, (2) the con- of melody, of how to find it and of what should the accentual push must be very energetic.
Gentle Pumping
trol of soft and loud through the bellows and be done with it when found. The word "accent"
the expression devices, (3) the control of tone- has been used and it has been pointed out that
Now, of course, the reader is aware that the
color through the judicious use of the sustain- music, like speech, becomes lively and attrac- two treadles are pushed down alternately by
ing pedal in connection with the two other ele- tive only when stress is laid upon the impor- the feet, which rest on them, and thait they are
ments aforesaid." Let us see how the player- tant points and they are brought into promi- brought back to their positions of rest by
pianist can produce these effects and so work nence. Now every tune, as we have already seen, springs. This alternate up-and-down motion has
contains points of prominence, points which to go on continuously irrespective of accent.
out the musical results he is seeking.
The mechanism of the player-piano functions stand out above the others. It is not necessary
But beginners always "pump" too hard. It is
through the force of air. This is not compressed to explain them, they are plain to be heard
very essential to find out by test that hard
air driven in at a pressure above that of the Just as soon as one hears any tune one in- pumping is only necessary for very powerful
stinctively seizes upon the accents.
atmosphere. On the contrary, the interior of
playing and that in the vastly greater number of
The Tracker Bar
the player mechanism is partially emptied of
cases the treadle work can be, in fact ought to
air, so as to reduce its pressure. As soon as
Well, now, the perforated music roll acts as be, very gentle. In fact, at first it is best of all
the pressure of the air inside the player a continuous sort of controlling valve to the to practice to see how softly one can produce
mechanism is thus reduced by the partial empty- player mechanism. So long as the paper is the tones. Anybody can pump away on the
ing of the spaces inside the air outside is en- unperforated the mechanism is silent. But as treadles and grind out a fearful noise, and most
abled to exert an effective pressure against the the paper moves over the brass bar with its folks do that and nothing else. But if the
outside walls of the mechanism. Any of these eighty-eight holes (called the tracker bar), of
student begins at the other end of the scale and
walls or other parts, which may be made mov- which each hole corresponds with the mecha- tries to see how softly he can play he will learn,
able, will, therefore, respond to this pressure nism for one note of the piano, perforations be- perhaps to his surprise, how little actual work is
more accordingly.
gin to appear on its surface. As a perforation needed to keep the player-piano functioning.
coincides with the tracker bar, it uncovers, for As soon as this point is mastered the matter
The Foot-treadles
Now, the foot-treadles of the player-piano as long as it takes to pass over, one of the of accenting becomes very simple, indeed. The
operate suction-bellows which empty out the eighty-eight holes. Atmospheric air at once writer prefers to use the right foot for accent-
interior air as aforesaid. The process is some- enters, throws a small interior valve and causes ual pushes, meanwhile using the left foot only
times called, though inaccurately, creating a the corresponding "pneumatic" to collapse and when the demands on the power are sufficient
vacuum. It is obvious that the more ener- operate the piano action for the corresponding to require the assistance of the two feet.
(To be continued)
getically the treadles are worked the more note. The note continues to sound so long as
rapidly will the air inside the player mechanism the perforation is traversing the bar. When it
home to their parents, but remember the im-
pression when, in later life, they are in a posi-
tion to buy themselves.
No efforts have been spared by the Standard
quantities of the National Player-Piano Week
streamers displayed in the class-rooms of the Pneumatic Action Co. in promoting the welfare
schools. The thought behind this scheme is of National Player-Piano Week. Under the
worth while. There is no better method of edu- guidance of the vice-president, A. W. Johnston,
cating the public to the possibilities of the play- and H. E. Lawrence, director of advertising,
er-piano than by beginning the education at a who have been assisted by a corps of assistants
time when the mind is most susceptible. The in taking care of the detail work, there is no
educating of the children to its possibilities doubt that their enthusiasm will be well re-
means that the younger generation will appre- warded by the success which dealers all over the
ciate its value and not only take this impression country will have during the week of April 2-9.
SUCCESS OF PLAYER WEEK ASSURED
(Continued from page 3)
FOR TONE, OEAUTV
AND IASTINC
A
ACCOMPLISHMENT
he WERNER INDUSTRIES CO. Cincinnati
WHITE, SON CO.
Manufacturers of
ORGAN AND PLAYER-PIANO
LEATHERS
530-540 Atlantic Ave., BOSTON, MASS.