Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1888-06-15
ELECTRICAL Music.
An Apparatus for Playing the Piano By
Currents of Electricity.

~ apparatus Ior INV iSuO W
Currents Of Electricity.
Many attempts have been made in
the last quarter of century to invent
satisfactory system of piano-playing
by electricity. In fact, as far back as
1850 Froment made piano in France
in which electricity was used. In 1861
another Frenchman, NJ Hipp, took out
patent for piano in which each note
of the keyboard was provided with an
electro-magnet, connected by wire
with metallic comb, which touched
small metal cylinder covered with pa
per perforated with holes correspond
ing to the notes used. This piano was
exhibited, but was not perfected.
Spciss, Swiss inventor. devised an
other piano in 1864 quite like that of
Hipp, but better. In none of these in
struments was there any lack of power
to execute any air that might be at
tempted, but they failed to render
the notes with the varied gradations
from massive strength to extreme deli
cacy that the discriminating touch of
the human fingers evokes from the in
strument
Joseph Weber, young New York
electrician. has now. it is claimed, sur
mounted the difficulties that caused
other inventors to fail, and devised
method of electrical piano-playing so
full of promise that one of the chief
piano-manufacturing firms of that city
k,s t,l- rrko g., kct
connected with great factory have
reported in favor of his system rem
dcrs it quito probable that 1t contains
important and practical features favor
able to its success
The device itself is simple enough.
For every note in the piano is provided
piece of soft iron. wound with wire
in che usual fashion, and capable of
becoming a magnet when influenced
by an electric current. Each magnet
attracts a lever attached to a piano
key, so that when current
passes to particular magnet the key
corresponding to this magnet is acted
upon, and the hammer strikes the
string more or less forcibly, according
to the strength of the magnetic attrac-
ton. The wires running from the
magnets, attached to each key center
around small cylinder provided with
metallic pins, somewhat like the
cylinder of music box, except that
the pins, instead of projecting from the
surface of the cylinder. are perfectly
Hnt 10 To ,,I h., H..
current can be made to pass particu-
lar note only when a certain metallic
point on the surface of the cylinder
comes in connection with comb, each
metal tooth of which corresponds to
note in the piano. The chief difficulty
to be mot with is the problem of giving
notes different dynamic values, one
note being soft and the next note loud.
This has been accomplished by intro
ducing resistance coils into the circuits
according to the power of the note
wanted, and the tone can be graduated
in a. sufficiently accurate manner to
allow some surprising effects.
The finished apparatus will not be
costly, and is so simple in construction
that it does not require an expert to
attach it to the piano. 1t may be used
in connection with any piano, and at
the same time does not in any way in
terfere with playing the instrument in
&c ordinary fashion, the key being left
perfectly free. 1t is easy to see that
even should the electric device not sue
ceed in playing with the musical ex-
preston of good pianist, there is
much work which it might do to gen.
eral satisfaction. For instance, it
might play for dancing. and reel of the
latest watzes and quadrilles, or it
might play ordinary music far better
than the unskilled amateur could be
expected to do Chicago Times.