Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1894-11-22
TOUCH OF THE PLAYER.
Important Paper on the Subject
by q Boston Pianist.
Pianlsts and Piano Manufact lrers Arc In
terestcd Alike in This Themc-Thc Key
and Its Control Explained and
Illustrated.

In the recent reports of the annual
meeting of the Music Teachers
National association at Saratoga was
published an interesting but some
what inadequate account of paper
read by b. j. Lang, pianist, of Boston,
upon "Piano Touch"
In commenting upon the paper, the
critic of the New York Tribune, II. Il.
krehbicl, said: From a pedagogical
point of view this subject as presented
by Mr.. Lang is far away the most i'm
portant matter in the scheme of the
convention"
Since Mr.. Lang's lectures in Boston
last winter there has been much agitl.-
tion of this subject of pianoforte touch,
especially in periodicals devoted to the
subject of music.
Wishing to present an authoritative
article upon the matter, Mr.. Lang him
self was applied to by the Boston Her
aid and supplied the-following:
''In our day it is rare to find the
pianist whose acquaintance with his
instrument goes beyond its keyboard.
As the result of this, of two most
valuable inventions applied to piano
forts during the last ten years, depend
ing for their effect upon the use of an
additional pedal, one has been given
up altogether and the other though
retained by the best manufacturers,
has not yet been made use of in the
concert-room by any player of my ac-
quaintancc
Il do not deny that where emotion
and ability of the right sort exist the
greatest normal possibilities of the
present Instruments are brought out
but do declare that this is almost in
variably accomplished without enough
intelligence regarding the means en-
ployed. The emotion of the player
and the reaction upon himself of
what he produces is too often the be-
ginning and. the end of the matter
Proof of all this is to be found in
the stormy objection to the assertion
that by pressing an individual key one
can get only variety in quantity of
tone, but never variety in quality.
The accompanying diagram shows
that portion Of a key and its action
which is hidden when the parts of a
pianoforte are in their proper place. A
very rude description would designate
a as the pin upon which the key hinges
or rides; b as the brass capstan, which,
being screwed into the key, serves,
though unconnectcd with aught else
to push upon the entire action, and
thus set in motion the extremely deli
cate mechanism that sends the hammer
to strike the string, this same mechan-
ism making it practically impossible
for the player to control the hammer
otherwise than to impel it to the string,
the rebound and its own weight secul-
ing its fall. c is the hammer jack,
which actually is in contact with the
hammer and impels it. d is the ham
mer itself. e is at the point where the
key depresses the damper level L is
the damper, and G. represents the
strings, which are set in vibration by
the blow of the hammer.
"A glance at this mechanism shows
to the most careless observer the rea-
son why it is most universally conceded
that a delightful pianoforte touch is
obtained not through striking this
thing called key, bat by caressing it,
pressing it,persuading it,as it were, and
all ways in treating it as I means to an
end. and not the cnl itself.