The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-31


the man who cans the music
One Of the first men to enter this pro.
fession was Frederick c. Hopkins ~,
Boston, who started out as Harvard
law student but ended in the orchestra
Of Anton Seidl
II saw a new field for the application
or business to music as soon as heard
OF the mechanical piano" he SAYS hut
before l began 10 test my theory
spent whole summer practisins On
the instrument.
Comparatively few people know that
the music played by the mechanics
piano has to be edited as well as transS
cribed. The process involves infinitely
more than transcribing the printed
notes Of sheet music to the round and
oblong holes OF the music roll. A POM.
lar composition put upon the music roll
Just as It is written for the human per.
former would sound pathetically ,hn
and tinny.
TO make II effective the theme mis-,
be emphasized. The mechanical plano
gives its effect OF fulness and com.
pleteness by playing more notes than
the human hands could strike. As a
matter Of fact the music is usually aN'
ranged as IL played by four hands.
The man who IL entrusted with tho
task OF putting in these notes mus, l..
both performer and n composer q,
music and thoroughly master OF the in
strument. He must stand between the
composer and the performer, helplng
the latter to give an adequate interpre.
tation OF the former.
In adapting popular waltz, for I'M.
stance. to the mechanical piano ! use
the score not as arranged for the piano
but for the full orchestra. play the
composition as I change It upon an ar.
ranging machine which looks not unlike
piano. but Its keyboard responds with
CLICKS instead OF notes. Each click reg
listers punch in the long roll OF paper
which comes out OF the back OF the in
strument like a ribbon out of a stock
ticker.
"On the tracker board Cthe metal roll
on the piano over which the music
runs) each Of these holes in the paper
MIS- over its proper opening. ~ the
action OF pair Of bellows operated by
the feet Of the performer a lover is
dropped on the proper note. The length
or the note depends on the shape Of the
hole In the paper.
II play the arranging machine lust as
! would the piano. only much more
slowly, for / must think as insert TO
extra notes. For n half note 7 pre-.
my finger on the key and count eight
clicks. The vertical slit appears I'm the
paper ms II rolls off the drum run by
an electric motor at the back of the
machine. Other notes have other nun.
bers of clicks. BY counting them I get
the note l want and raise my finger
when II IL finished.
This first roll Is called the master.
When II is finished II is run ovAr.
another machine which responds 4
punches instead of notes and makes
two rolls, one Of heavy paper and one
of very thin paper. which is at oace
tried out on the piano. This test roll
can correct as I go. and from n The
heavy master. too thick for the trarker
board Is corrected by hand.
Missing notes are cut in and extra
ones are pasted over. The workman
follows my pencilled directions on he
test roll. working with a paste pot and
a mallet and punch. II would doubtless
make the great musicians turn in their
graves to see him. except for the fact
that we do not edit the classics. We
haven't the impudence.
1.-THE master roll Is then run through
a machine which reproduces II upon 'cn
rolls at once. The paper unwindS from
ten big rolls and at the end is row'und,
! its perforations complete upon he
familiar black spool which fits inn" the
| mechanical piano.
AT the marking table the rolls are
| spread out two at a time and N" dotted
expression lines are put in by means 81
| a semi-automatic marking ml'hne.
| Words in regard to expression are 1dded
| by hand by means Of rubber stamps
II have to make guide for th"s" eX-
pressions OF course, using one of the oral
nary rolls and marking in the lines ana
writing the words by hand. tn" roUs
| are rewound by means Of hano ree
and checked over from my copy TOT
blemishes at the inspection tables. iNsy
are then spoiled by machine, lah''ra
| and boxed, ready for shipment
| Interesting as the perforated music
| Is when one understands the pror'-s Of
it's manufacture 1t was not inr"n''' f"r
the mechanical piano. 1t had lay
been invented for the hand organ ana
all the early patents are held by IT, ans,
The elaborate adapting machin"l' - ="
course n recent invention.
Recent laws give royalties % me
composer whose music Is adal'.d 10
the mechanical piano. The hus.r.-s VI
adapting offers a profitable fie" 10 o
musician with enough OF m"'' 'hcA'
turn to understand his "-Vu'
ment and he able to compose 10 n IL
In the handling OF popular mus zero
Is the same opportunity that tn n,'-
rial department OF a music pun. -'' :
house offers. He soon become 'f'",
cient TO read the perforatIons a "S
as printed notes.
"None Of the semi-artstic pro
Is as satisfactory as the wholly
of course. But the mechanl'"
has apparently come to stay
man who helps to raise II to It's
power may feel that he is haNih' ~
larger share in the pleasure ana '. =,
ton of the people with his aud
thousands than the musician car h"''
to have with his audience OF humorous.
The mechanical piano has nr" NJ
it's wake another Innovation" III" '
roll library, where rolls may 'e
changed each month. There are seven
of these In connection with dcpai I'M j
stores.