The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-10-24

[Exchangel
'sThe reason L put that sign in the window,
Comets Speciality" said downtown deal
er in musical instruments, ''was to call atten-
ton to my stock of comets for beginners
what the old men in the trade call the 'nedl-
um.' They do to learn on. They are for the
many young fellows who aspire to become
Dodworths or Levys; and are summer specl-
atty, because beginners are delicate about u.s.
ing them in thickly-settled city neighborhoods'
The buyers take them into the country or to
the seaside and blaze away. It's fine instru-
ment for young man, if he'll only stick to it.
Those are secondhand; brought them back
from those who gave out, either in wind or
pluck. The lowest-priced :cornets are $14.
The standardized article is worth from SIS to
$40. Good E fiat or B fat instruments come
higher They have more keys. They are pro-
fessional styles, and few beginners will stand
the price.
"The trade is increasing for we have many
amateur organizations The way for man to
learn is to become member of band and
blow away till he blows right.
''Not one in twenty of those who buy musi-
cal instruments of any sort becomes musi-
clan. Beginners expect too much and hate the
labor of praticing.
buyers get out more music that is passable
on the banjo or accordion than on other instru-
ments. A man may play them in his board
ing-house. The inability to do this kills the
cornetist His neighbors are unwilling to put
up with the small degree of discomfort neces-
sary to give the young musician chance.
Some boarders engage board with the privilege
of the roof. But irritable boarders will even
kick at that, and it is source of great injury
to our business.
"Banios are sold from S1.25 upwards. Moth
ing like fair one can be had for less than
$3.50. A frst-rate one is worth S15 to $50,
and fancy article often brings $50. The very
cheap banios are only a stick and hoop,
slapped together in the country and brought
in on the canal.
"The most popular of all the instruments we
sell are accordions. They're easy and man
cannot make false note on them as long as
the machine is in order. They are cheap, also.
Here is one; not so very bad, you perceive,
that we can sell for seventy-ive cents, although
the duty is thirty per cent. They are made in
Germany. Some are fine instruments A
good double bank is worth $15 or $40, and will
make more noise than a grand piano. A good
accordion, played with a little taste, gives
pleasure and makes many a home happy"
do you sell many concertinas?"
1.-THE concertina is going out. In fact, we
sell more accordians than all other instru-
ments put together. Sailors buy concertinaS
sometimes, but having keys on both ends
makes them difficult. And then the manu-
facturers kept making them cheaper and poor
er until they got to be good for nothing; you
could burst them as easily as pasteboard box.
The prices range from 81 to $40.
We sell some violins, but this isn't much of
a season for them. They are warm work for a
beginner in this weather. It's in the long
winter nights that he gets the best hold on
that magical instrument The practice is
very trying. I've known men stick to it five
years and then give it up. Many find fault
with the instrument, and keep changing it for
more costly one, but that method does not
help them SO much as it helps us. We don't
aim at the purely professional class of trade;
our business is very largely with the people in
general, who have little time to spend in prac-
tice.
That instrument is called the xylophone.
Its keyboard is wholly of wood of different
lengths 1t is made in the old harmonicon
style, and the music is knocked out by a
wooden ball on the end of a stick. They are
becoming popular on account of their soft,
sweet tones. This one costs ninety cents;
here is one with all the half notes that sells
for 81.
The either is not sold largely, though we
have some good players among the Germans.
In the old country, ladies play it very nicely,
but their American children have too tender
fingers for the wires of the either. The piano
is taking its place among the German girls.
1t is just as well SO, for person must have
true musical genius to play the either well.
They sell at from IS to 1874.
Guitars sell passably we'll among the Italians
and Spsniards.
All classes of mechanics, and, in fact, work
ing people generally, buy quite freely of the
various sorts of musical instruments. Some
of them learn to play creditably. Men whose
occupation requires them to be much alone
make quite an important part of our custo-
mers. Night watchmen and janitors are good
buyers. Sailors are first rate stand-bys in a
business way. Their favorite at present is the
accordion. We used to sell them many violins,
but large majority prefer an instrument that
will keep in fair order without constant tuning
up. We sometimes sell them flutes or flies,
but on these instruments the landsmen, partic-
ularly those of Irish nativity, beat them.
know many good flute and fife players among
Hibernians.
Automatic instruments, such as music boxes
and the like, do not find much favor with the
people at large. They like music that is full
OF life, emphasis, expression, and i'll this mat
ter l think their taste is correct.
OF course we sell largely to colored folks.
Their taste does not run in any particular di-
rection as to the kind of instrument think
they Ike anything that will make music.
They are supposed to have an exceptional
fondness for the banjo, but that notion is a
popular error. Some of them learn two or
three instruments. Their trade runs in
streaks. Sometimes we will have two or three
colored customers day for weeks, and then
we will sec no more of them for month or
more My partner thinks it has something to
do with their business occupations, but l
have made up my mind it is owing to the
weather. They have good ear, and some of
them play well if left alone. They will have
their own technique, and stick to it. The
best teacher for them is their ear; too much
discipline knocks all the expression out of
their musico