Scan 35
Musical Courier 1894-08-29: Vol 29 Iss 755, 1894
54 lines. Read by computer on 21 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 36. See the scan on archive.org.
A town on its own line is one of the directory's headings. That is where the town on a maker's page comes from.
1impecunious and in debt, who is always financially strapped, can have on hand a half dozen violins worth from $100 to $200 apiece. Yet you can find dozens of them in this city who have that number in stock, so to speak, and for which even a greater price is asked. The same applies to violin bows, 'cello and 'cello bows, mandolins and guitars or any small musical instrument or part thereof which does not represent a large sum of money. Pianos are the exception, for they are too expensive to carry, more than one, and the teacher's recommendation is governed by the commission. A violin bow that is fairly well balanced and of desirable weight is placed on one side by the teacher and recommended to a pupil at treble the price that one equally as favorably constructed could be selected from any reputable dealer's stock.
3That the teacher has a perfect right to transact business outside of his vocation is unquestioned, and that he has a perfect right to place any value he chooses on his own goods is also unquestioned, and we would not have it inferred from what has been written that all teachers are unscrupulous in placing fictitious values on the goods they sell to pupils. We believe that the best interests of the purchasing public can be subserved by transacting business with a well established dealer who catalogues his goods, has a fixed value on goods of his own manufacture; whose guarantee carries with it weight and importance, who can say to a customer, "If anything happens to this instrument you are purchasing bring it to me and I will see that it is put in perfect order." A dealer is fixed in his place of business; has commercial standing, and transactions cannot but be more satisfactory with him than with a teacher who is working outside of his legitimate vocation.
5The Art of Tuning Pianos.
6By J. KUHN KELLY.
7(Translated from the German in the "Zeitschrift für Instrumentenbau.")
9OWING to the general use now made of the piano, it may not be amiss to say a few words on the art of tuning the instrument, concerning which, as we have learned by experience, some very hazy notions prevail. There are few classes of men, who are experts, about whose work so many complaints are made as tuners; and consequently we frequently hear the question, "Who is really the best tuner?" A perfectly satisfactory answer can unfortunately never be given to this query; for no man is so at all times. First one and then another is tried, but perfectly satisfactory results are seldom attained, for the simple reason that so many owners of pianos are unaware of what a tuner's business really is. Where does the fault lie then? Do not tuners, as a rule, know their business thoroughly? Are they not competent; or are they not willing? Do they lack practice; or do they lack patience? Or is, after all, the piano to blame?
11We will endeavor—in the interest of tuners as well as of the owners of pianos (tuners as a rule trouble themselves very little about the matter)—to give as clear and distinct an answer to the question as possible. The simplest is as follows: It is impossible to tune a piano perfectly true; and the best tuner in the world is obliged—whether he likes it or not—to tune the instrument untrue. It is just this wherein the art of tuning consists.
13"Oh, what nonsense!" many a player will exclaim; "I have played on numbers of pianos that were tuned perfectly true." By your leave, dear sir, permit us to observe that your remark is not true; it arises from a slight misapprehension of facts. Ever since pianos have existed not one has ever been tuned perfectly true. It is capable of mathematical demonstration that, owing to the arrangement of the notes as used in the piano, their relative vibrations do not admit of the various chords being tuned perfectly true. Anyone who desires to have proof of this assertion may easily obtain it from any book on or any teacher of physics. We must content ourselves with a bare statement of the fact.
15If the tuner were to attempt to tune the various notes forming any chord perfectly true, other chords in which any of these notes occurred would offend the ear. It is of course clear that these considerations must cause the tuner a vast amount of trouble, and in order to help himself out of the difficulty he is obliged to "temper," as it is termed—i.e., he must endeavor to tune all the chords in such a manner that none of them shall offend an educated ear; but in so doing he will be compelled to tune all to a certain extent untrue. Now, if many persons are unable to perceive this discrepancy it is because their ear is incapable of detecting slight differences of tone.
17To hit off this "temperament" well is no easy matter; and in so doing consists the great art of the tuner, which is moreover rendered again less easy owing to various mechanical difficulties which we shall speak of later. A very few vibrations too many or too few in any particular note of a chord become terrible discord when that note is used in another chord. Unfortunately, however, the tuner can derive no assistance in this fatiguing operation, except from his own sense of hearing. This, however, is not at all times equally trustworthy, especially when the nerves of the ear have become fatigued; and it may therefore easily happen than an otherwise skillful tuner may, however well disposed, tune an instrument indifferently or even badly. The operation of tuning the first or the sixth piano on the same day is for him a very different matter, as far as difficulty is concerned. He will succeed much less perfectly with the last than with the first; and that from no fault of his own, but because his ear being fatigued is quite capable of deceiving him. Regarded from a purely theoretical point of view, such is the tuner's task; but he has also to contend with various practical difficulties.
19He begins his work by ascertaining, by examination, the condition of the instrument—on which he is to work—as to tone—i.e., whether it is up to concert pitch, and how the bass and treble relatively stand to each other. For in some instruments it will be found that, whereas the bass has lowered in pitch, the treble has risen, and vice versa. He must first ascertain this, and afterward deal with the instrument in such a manner as to bring it into its normal condition of pitch. A piano tuned to the German A will have much more brilliancy of tone than one tuned to the French pitch, the difference amounting to almost half a tone.
21It is true that tuners do not always take particular care to keep the instruments intrusted to them up to the normal pitch, but rather leave them where they find them; and in such cases the piano becomes lower and lower in pitch, losing in brilliancy of tone every time it is tuned. Then, however, when the instrument is on some special occasion brought up to concert pitch, the strings exhibit a tiresome aptitude for snapping; and the sound board or some other portion of the frame upon which the increased strain comes as an unpleasant surprise displays no hesitation whatever in developing a glorious crack, to the unmitigated disgust of the owner.
23That tuners should, as a rule, prefer to adopt the course above mentioned is easily intelligible for two reasons. First, a piano which requires to be raised in pitch necessitates a considerable amount of more work, which, nevertheless, is not paid for; because, as a rule, tuning is not paid for according to the length of time expended. Secondly, such an instrument keeps in tune a much shorter time; because the tension thus thrown upon the strings is greater than they have usually been accustomed to bear, owing to which they are more liable to give. Hence it is not with the tuner a mere matter of time, but also of reputation; and this is very natural, for he does not—a bit more than other people—care to be roundly abused into the bargain for a piece of work upon which he expended an unusual amount more time and labor than in an ordinary case. The owners of pianos commit an egregious mistake in their own interests when they—from economic considerations—allow their instruments to remain unattended to until they are so wretchedly out of tune as to be unplayable. They do themselves thereby more harm than they are aware of; but the tuner—not unnaturally—declines to be held responsible for that.
25Let your piano be tuned oftener and you will not only have better instruments, but also better tuners, is an axiom which might profitably be laid to heart by many owners of pianos. The best constructed piano, if it be allowed to get very much out of tune, will not at once remain in tune when it has been brought up to concert pitch; a fact which the user has often observed as soon as the tuner's back is turned. Is it to be wondered at then that the tuner is so often abused? Pianos are in this respect frequently found to be obstinate and often consider that "one good turn deserves another" when they have been long neglected.
27But to return to the tuner, whom we have left all this time examining his instrument. He first of all tunes about one and a half octaves in the centre of the keyboard as true as he can; and to do so he makes use of whatever system he prefers, for there are several different systems of obtaining the temperament, and it does not in the least signify which is employed, provided always that the results are good. The chief object to be striven after is that all the chords within the tempered portion shall be equally true and at the same time equally untrue. No note should be dominantly heard, and the equalization of the temperament should be the same throughout.
29This piece of work is as we have already explained by no means so easy and simple as it appears when thus reduced to language. Moreover we would further remark that to do it properly requires the undivided attention of the most skilful tuner. He must dedicate his whole energies to the work, and he must not allow his attentions to be distracted for one moment. He cannot while doing it engage in any conversation, even with the fascinating daughters of the house, or allow his mind to stray upon any other thoughts. The entire action of the brain must be concentrated upon quickness of hearing and distinguishing the slightest difference of sound. A tuner may have tuned a thousand pianos, and yet he will not succeed with any two alike. At the same time he meets with a number of annoyances, which drives him almost to doubt whether his art is so mathematically correct as he has been taught to believe.—London "Musical Opinion and Music Trade Review."
31Weaver Organ Company.
32MR. M. B. GIBSON, secretary of the Weaver Organ and Piano Company, of York, Pa., went to William's Grove on the 22d inst. to rusticate a few days with his family, preparatory to the great Grangers' picnic, which is held at that point annually the last week in August, at which place the Weaver Organ and Piano Company are the principal exhibitors in the musical instrument line.
34The Weaver organ is recommended by the State Executive Committee of Patrons of Husbandry for purchase by private members of the Grange, as well as for use in Grange halls throughout the State of Pennsylvania. When it is remembered that this recommendation was made five or six years ago and renewed each year by the State Executive Committee, it is more than an ordinary compliment to the merits of the Weaver organ, as well as to the liberal business methods of the manufacturers.
36WANTED—Position as road man by strictly first-class man of practical experience; hard hustler; acquainted throughout the United States. No retail business; satisfaction guaranteed. Address "H. C. H." THE MUSICAL COURIER, 19 Union square, West New York.
38SCHUBERT PIANOS
39NEW WAY. OLD WAY.
40WITH TRIPLE BEARING BRIDGE
41PATENTED SEPTEMBER 26, 1893,
42BY Mr. Peter Duffy, one of two readings
43BY one of two readings
44Mr. Peter Duffy, one of two readings
45PRESIDENT
46SCHUBERT PIANO CO.
47PRODUCES A FULLER, CLEARER, More Pleasing Tone. one of two readings
48PRODUCES A one of two readings
49FULLER, CLEARER, one of two readings
50More Pleasing Tone. one of two readings
51SCHUBERT PIANO CO.,
52535 to 541 East 134th Street,
53NEW YORK.
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.