The morning call., 1890-12-14

necessarily concealed in the picture. This
apparently complex relation OF fingers to
keys is really very simple, and the inventor
claims for It many more advantages than
scented. an analysis Of the positions Of the
fingers will show that they rest on the key
board naturally, the length of each finger
having been considered with reference to
the key 1t is called on to strike. There is
no necessity whatever for doubling the fore
and middle fingers, as on the standard key
board. Falling in natural way on their
respective keys. the fingers produce a chord
of even tones. Students of the standard
keyboard know how difficult il is to learn
to strike chords in which the tones are
dynamically the same.
Perhaps the most remarkable feature of
the Janko Invention is this: The position
of the hand and the ineers In striking the
common chord Of G Is exactly the same as In
striking the common chord ofany other key.
Holding the hand exactly in the position
indicated in tho Illustration and letting 1t
fall anywhere on the keyboard will produce
the common chord of key determined solely
by the key on which the thumb happens to
rest. A similar result will follow In regard
to all other chords. Determine the position of
the fingers for any CHORD and the same posi-
ton will serve for producing the same chord
in any key.
To those who have given even slight study
to the pianOforte that fact is sufficient to
suggest some Of the desirable effect of the
new invention. 1t follows that the same
lingering" may be employed in every pos
sible key, thus saving time. 1t is Necessary
to learn the lingering" of but one key.
The arrangement Of the KEYS in the banks
of even surface throughout each bank
Obviates at once that annoying danger of
sounding Keys contiguous to the one desired,
when that one is white key between two
black keys. The rounded edges of the keys
help toward that desideratum, but the fact
that black and white keys are on the same
level is the most important feature. The
triple striking surfaces of the keys, and
their distribution in six banks, greatly ia
cilitates the crossing of hands whenever that
becomes necessary in performing an in tri-
cate composition; for one hand may pay
on the lower banks and another on the
upper.
The relation of notes to each other in a
chord being precisely the same in ali keys,
the difficulty of Transporting at sight is won
derfully diminished. The performer will
need only to know something about har-
m0ny and know chord when he strikes it,
to produce the same chord in any key at will.
If that were the only avantage promised by
the invention. it would be worth careful
consideration because OF its tendency to en-
courage more earnest study on the part of
pupils, Ill fact making it almost necessary
that the elements of theory should be
learned colncdent with learning to play.
Another plain advantage of the Janko key
b0ardi is the possibility of striking keys with
one hand that lie more than an octave apart.
Most amateurs find that ore octave is their
limit In the sounding of tones Simultaneous
ly, and few. if any, professional performers
can strike beyond the third in the scale
above the octave. On the Janko keyboard
Ii is easy to strike the fiat seventh above the
octave as with the thumb and fiat above
the octave with the little finger.
Besides the mechanical advantages men
toned here. the inventor claims many
others. Among them is the possibility OF
performing with two hands compositions
that were possible only TO four. Another is
the smplfication of the chromatic scale,
which may be produced on any two banks
without the extreme difficulty of the finger
ing now In vogue. According to the Janko
technique the lingering Of all manner of
scale passages, diatonic or chromatic, simple
time or in tripletS, may be performed so that
the accented note shall always be produced
by the thumb, clearly an advantage in view
of the desirabiity of even scales and regu-
larity of accent.