St. Landry democrat., 1888-03-17
ELECTRICAL MUSIC.
An Apparatus for Playing the Piano
Currents of Electricity

An Apparatus for Playing the Piano by
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
1859 Froment made piano in France
in which electricity was used. In 1861
another Frenchman, M. 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 a
small metal cylinder covered with pa
per perforated with holes correspond
ING to the notes used. This piano was
exhibited, but was not perfected.
Speiss, a 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 Webber, a young New York
electrician, has now, it is claimed, sur
mounted the difficulties that caused
other inventors to fail, and devised a
method Of electrical piano-playing SC
full of promise that one of the chief
manufacturing firms of that city
has taken it up. The fact that experts
connected with a great factory have
reported in favor of his system rem
ders it quite probable that it contains
important and practica al features favor
able to its success.
The device itself is simple enough.
For every note in the piano is provided
a piece of soft iron, wound with wire
in the usual fashion, and capable o1
becoming magnet when influenced
by an electric current. Each magnet
attracts lever attached to 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 a small cylinder provided with
metallic pins, somewhat like the
cylinder of a music box. except that
the pins, instead of projecting from the
surface of the cylinder, are perfectly
fat. 1t is easy to understand how the
current can be made to pass particu
lar note only when certain metallic
point on the surface of the cylinder
comes in Connection with comb, eacl
metal tooth of which corresponds to q
note in the piano. The chief difficulty
be met 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 circuit:
according to the power of the note
wanted. and the tone can be graduated
in a sufficiently accurate manner t.
allow some surprising effects.
The finished apparatus will not b,
costly, and is so simple in construction
that it does not require an expert tt
attach it to the piano. 1t may be usee
in connection with any piano, and a
the same time does not in any way in
terfere with playing the instrument il
the ordinary fashion. the key being lef
perfectly free. It is easy to see thai
even should the electric device not sue
ceed in playing with the musical ex
preston of q good pianist, there il
much work which it might do to gen
eral satisfaction. For instance, i
might play for dancing, and reel Of tht
latest waltzes and quadrilles. or il
might play ordinary music far better
than the unskilled amateur could be
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