The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-03-30
INSTRUCTION ON
 PLAYER PIANOS

An interesting discussion on the player piano by Harold Vincent Mil ligan, organist, composer and teacher, appears in the 'FWoman's Home Com panion-" MT. MiIlisan corrects an impression, which still exists to some extent, that this instrument need not be aided except by industrious feet | on the pedals; but in his arguments
 as to the need of study and practice he does not refer to the wonderful reproducing pIayer-piano.
 MT MIHgan who tells simply and | concisely just how much the player piano con contribute of artistry and beauty and how to obtain it, says that the reason why many player pianos are little used is because the real character of the instrument is often | misunderstood
 ''In the early days of the player piano. he says, ''the instrument was l considered by too many people only a ! kind of musical 1aborSaving device,
 like a vacuum cleaner or an instan- | taneous water heater, and little six year-old daughter was expected to | play it so beautifully that the amazed | and delighted family in the next room 1 were startled into believing that Pa l derewski had unexpectedly come to | call.
 Of course the player-piano could l not live up to such a reputation. In
 stead of everybody being able to play | it so as to deceive the ears of the
 most critical into believing that a great virtuoso was at the keyboard it was found that probably nobody | in the whole family could manipulate | it well enough to deceive the most
 critical ear.
 l 4S ma nf he IN1a
 er-piano can be played so that even
 the most critical and discriminating l ear cannot detect the fact that the
 music is not being wrought by the
 touch of human fingers on the keys;
 but to produce this happy result re-
 quires a not inconsiderable amount
 of study and practice as well as some
 degree of musical talent and judg-
 ment There is just as much differ
 ence between good and bad playine
 on the player-piano as there is on the
 plano.
 '"The truth of the matter is that the
 player-piano is not a mechanical in.
 strument; it is only seni-mechanicaI
 It stands midway between the piano
 which requires years of hard work tc
 master, even for the most talented
 and the reproducing piano which au. tomatically reproduces the playing O some virtuoso, just as the phono graph does. It has certain advan tages over both of these Instruments : but it stands in a class by itself anc must not be confused with either O : them.
 'To enjoy a player-piano thorough,
 and to get some real benefit from i
 may require some study and practice but actually the musical reward i  5 small amount of labor expended il - obtaining it When you consider tn f years that would be required to maste 1 a, single difficult composition, IT on f l expected to play it on the piano, D seems as though a week or two i
 studying the pIayer-roI1 should not b , grudged.
 Also through asidous and inteIE
 gent practice, you will not only b
 able to play that particular piec 1 well, but youswiIE have gone a long wa g toward acquiring a player-pian n technique which will make all othe n compositions easier for you to master Q and will increase your enjoyment c h music a thousand-foId.'
 , MT. Milligan goes on to tell of tn n proper use of the pedals, the temp f lever and the expression levers c
 buttons. He devotes considerabl
 space to a discussion of music to avoi and music to choose, in seIectin compositions for the player-piano. I h l closing, he says:
 Approach the player piano in l. proper conciliatory spirit, and it wi $ go more than halfway to meet yol 2 and you can form an artistic par - nership which will be a, source of UT
 told pleasure to you. Avoid using