Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1886-04-23
BRASS BANDS.
A Veteran Band-Master Talks
knowingly About Them.
Information That VIII Interest Every
Young Man with Musical Ambition
How the Average Country Band
Is Made Up.


m. Y. Mail and Expressl
Tn response 20 the inquiry whether brsss
bands were not getting out Of fashion in
smaller cities and villages, where a few
years ago they were ell the rage, Mr. John
+. Stratton, the ex-bandma ter, said TO a
reporter:
"You wouldn't think so il you saw the
letters that come here every day asking
about instruments and prices, and the in
quries from members Of newly organized
bands as 90 combinations and positions.
IN tell ou of some OF the questions we
have asked u and what we reply TO them.
For instance, one writes that the instru-
mcuts Of the band that he belongs to are
'Over-the- shoulder and their coTnets are
bell fronts What he wants to know is
whether the cornet-players should march
in the first or rear ranks when the band is
on parade. What do you suppose tell
such a mGns IL is this: Put the cornet-
players in the front rank and make them
march backward so that the sound OF all the
instruments viii go the same way. IL may
be a little inconvenient for them, hut they
richly deserve It FOR being 80 stupid as to
get front cornets to use with over-the-
shoulder instruments. Another wants TO
know which metal gives the best tone
brass, German silver or copper. To this,
we say, that the old-f shioned idea is
that brass is the hest, but some think
that copper H., because IL is soft and
gives a soft tone, while others claim that
German silver is, because it Is hard and
gives n hard tone. But these ideas are
all notional. 10 depends entirely upon the
maker; there is no difference whatever
II the instruments are properly made. An
other thing that troubles people who want
90 get mp band is whether 'bell-front'
and upright instruments are better
adapted for general use than the over
the-shouldcr description. This depends
upon what the general business OF a
band is. A brass band is supposed to be
n military band, TO play for military aud
othcrparadcs. Certainly, for parades, over
the shoulder instrum ents are the best, and
for this reason; A band Is engaged by a
company-military iireman or civic; when
marching the sound goes directly toward
those for whom the hand is playing, and
consequently they have il mach better
than they would II the instruments were
front or uprigh Then, again, suppose
your in struments are front and upright
and the band i'm the rear have the same, by
which would your company keep step! For
oil other outdoor business ovcr-the- shOul-
der instruments are equally rs good as up
right. But for reed hands, or for indoor
concerts, the front and upri ht instruments
are preferable. Some want to know il we
make and recommend the helicon- shaped
instruments. Bat we furnish those only
under protest, and have always considered
them a very foolish shape, invented by
very foolish man for very foolish hands.
We make but few of them now,
and the demand for them is be-
coming rapidly less. We also have
inquiries for upright altos, tenors and
basses with long side action keys. But we
don't make these, because they are not de-
sirahle. In coming TO this decision we
have been guided no: only by the opinions
OF many old musicians, but by personal
experience of many years. The side ac-
ton will answer, though it Is not desir-
able, with cOrnets, but with the large iu-
struments it ia very firing TO the hand.
The position OF the hand is open and with
out any support except such as can be got
from the little finger, and the strain on the
muscles of the hand and fingers is much
greater than with the top action"
Don't you have calls for second hand
instrumentsy" was asked.
"Many OF them. The inquiries come for
cheap, secondhand instruments which
would do for us 20 learn on. The writer's
young musicians-usually add: we are
going 20 get cheap set to learn on, and il
we make n success OF il we shall raise
money and buy set OF your Instruments
Nothing could he greater mistake than
such plan. If there is any one class of
human beings i'm the world who should
have good, easy-blowing, true-toned i'm
strumeuts it is a class o. beginners, and il
they do not have them 'to learn on the
chances are in nine cases of ten they never
will learn. ! simply tell such people: If
you doubt your own ability and pluck,
don't get up band; but If you do get up
one, buy instruments that will be a credit
to you-ig igstrumcnts that you can blow,
not such as are merely made 70 sell. But,
talking about second hand instrum ants,
why does n man or band wish to trade
or old Instruments Always, l say,
because they don't want to play on
them any more. They are either
played out or they were poor ones in the
first place. Suppose take these in ex-
. change-can l sell them without lying and
dccciving? I used 90 get my living once
as q leader and teacher OF bands / did
that for years, and IL seems TO me that IL
there ever was a lame duck i'm the band
IL was always that fellow with the second.
hand instrument. How many times have
/ grabbed the instrument out Of his hands
70 show him how to play his part, and
found ! couldn't play II myself decently-
not on that instrument; and am ready TO
bet every teacher who hears about this
has had the same experience. A man may
be pretty 'thick-headed,' but IL he has got
n good instrument-one that blows easy
and is in good tune-he can toot away,
and az least not do much harm, that is il
he don't play too loud. But il he has got
/ an old, worn-out wheezy instrument, all
out Of tune, and you wish TO play n good,
nice slow movement or a song with
long ,bS,,i holding notes. you ar. are in for
through the whole mill. There are un-
dOubtedly, sometimes, good second hand
instrument offered in exchange, but il is
so seldom that prefer 10 let them alone.
IL band wishes set of instruments and
finds its funds running short, let IL get
set OF the German piston ones. A set Of
ten OF these only costs one hundred dol
lars"
"what are the drums made ofiD
hrhe shell Is usually of either bird's-eye
maple. mahogany, rosewood, white holly,
brass, nickel-plate. or German silver. The
heads are Of calf-skin and the sticks of
rosewood A regulation sized snare-drum
Is sixteen-inch head and twelve inches
high; IL costs from FIVE dollars to thirteen
dollars. A drum majors baton Is usually
made OF malacca mounted with brass,
nickel-plate or gilt, and with worstsd or
silk cord and tassels. They cost, com.
plete' from ten TO ittssn dollars"
whistler and His Satellite.