Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-07-07
PRINTING SHEET MUSIC.
Six Pieces of Metal to n Note, Hun
dreds to n Stave.

Six Pieces of Metal to n Note, Hum
dreds to Stave.
From the Kansas City Star.
in the Shadow Of the Pines" a song
composed, written. printed and first sung
in Kansas City, has broken the record on
sales for the first six months. About 10000
copies have been sold during that time.
That wonderful production, after the
Ball. which swiftly made the fortune OF
its composer, c. X. Harris, did not begin
to sell until 1t was year old, and then
only after much hard work. 1t takes about
year to popularize song, and in that
time it must have been played by bands.
sung upon the stage and whtstled in the
streets. after which, if 1t strikes the popu-
lar chord strongly enough, its sale Is suffi-
GENTLY large to pay handsome profit. In
the Shadow of the Pines" Is being sung at
Point of Pines, near Boston, by S. Kron-
berg of Kansas City. and by two singers in
Chicago and st. Louis respectively, with
band accompaniment.
The printing of a song is a work of mys-
terry to the average person. The most ex-
penSive music is engraved on metal plates
and etched in stone The song that sells
briskly, because its tune Is simply pretty
and its sentiment not so deep, and is there
fore popular and evaneScent, is usually
cheap and printed in large quantities from
music type plates ordinary printing
press.
letter press type, but did not, for many
years. advance with the latter, engraving
being more perfect, and therefore more
popular. The setting of music type Is a
very difficult matter and experts are
scarce. There are two in Kansas City at
the present time and two cases of music
type.
The composer of a song or instrumental
piece. however
difficult a time placing 1t a profita BILE
basis as budding dramatist his play, but
with this added disadvantage-he must
publish 1t himself. The profits from a
popular song, however, are so great that it
pays well, and the cost of publishing 1t
comparatively small. 1t costs about s.. 80
10 set IN type and electrotype page Of
music and a song or instrumental piece can
be turned out complete, cover and all
ready fer the dealer, in about five days
For SD page the owner acquires the
plates from which to make future prints.
case OF music type consists of about
$50 characters, half of which are inter
changeable and work both ways. a case
OF newspaper type consists of about 12O
characters. The setting of music is most
exact and difficult: it is like the making Of
mosaic and Is so complicated that few
printers care to undertake it. In setting
single stave OF music several hundred
pieces of type are used and from six to
ten in one note.
Another system of making sheet music
Is by what Is known punched plates
The notes are punched into metal plate
with dies and the plate printed on fiat
press. The plate is linked and wiped after
the manner of an etched copper plate. This
plan is much slower than the type plates
and can only be profitably used when one
or two hundred sheets to be printed
therefrom. From electrotyped plates any
number of copies may be printed
1t is astonishing the number of pieces of
music printed for limited and private cir
culatiCn. Musical amateurs have a hun
bred more copies of their compositions
printed to be distributed to their friends
with no idea OF profit. Pieces of music
that can never hope to have any extended
circulation are printed by the cord, perhaps
800 copies Of each is the limit. In the east
ern cities are large sheet music publishing
houses, which print from type plates
pieces on which the copyrights have ex-
pred They turn pieces out by the million.
which eventually find their way out west
where they are sold for few cents each.
These sheet music mills also make plates
for comDo sers. amateur and professional
1t would be difficult to estimate the amount
OF sheet music published every year which
IS never sold and perhaps never heard of,
but it would fill oceans.
The western, and particularly the Kansas
City amateur composer. may have his song
or piano or mandolin composition set, cleo
trotyped and printed in Kansas City with
much more attention to detail than IL he
sent 1t east, and probably at smaller cost