Chapter V: Part 5

The key itself is subject to many of the same faults as is that of the piano. It may bind in the guide pin or warp so as to cause it to stick, or it may stick from some substance between the keys. Sometimes the front board is so near the front of the keys that when the latter are depressed they stick against it. A screw is generally found in the center, the head of which comes against the front board and holds it out. If the board is too near give the screw a turn or two back. If there is no screw, place a piece of card against the board and the case at the ends. The end keys sometimes stick against the blocks at the ends of the key-board. Scrape the block or key where it sticks. A key may stay down because of the cedar pin, sometimes called the tracker pin or pitman, sticking in the hole. Take out the key-board which is held by a screw at each end, sometimes by another in the middle; in which case a key or two must be removed to get at it. To remove a key, take off the strip at the back of the keys, held in place by small screws, and the key may be lifted up. Now, finding the sticking pin, pull it out and sandpaper or rub it with black lead until it is found to work quite freely in the guide hole of the guide board and the hole in the reed board.

Just under the reed board is a wooden slip covered with soft leather, called the valve or pallet, which covers the openings in the reed board which admit air to pass down through the reeds. The tracker pin, pushed down by the key, opens the pallet which is held against the reed board by a spring and kept in place by a guide pin at each end. It sometimes happens that a pallet will be pushed down so far as to catch on the guide pins and cause the tone to sound continually. In other cases a piece of dirt will get in the way of the pallet and prevent it from closing the opening. If this be the case, draw the reeds that sound when this key is depressed and also a reed at each side of it, and pump the bellows briskly, at the same time pressing the three keys. This will generally create enough air to remove the obstacle. If the key still sounds and cannot be made to "hush up" in this way, you may be compelled to take out the entire action so that you can get to the pallets, which can be done by removing all the screws that hold the reed board in place. At the back, these screws are on top of the board and sometimes they are on top in front; but often they are under the air chamber in front. Be sure the screws are all out before trying to pull the board loose, as you might crack the board and thereby cause a leak. A moment's notice will reveal the cause of the trouble in the pallet.

New pallet springs may be made of piano wire, using old springs for a pattern.

LEAKS.

If a leak is found in the air boards, such as a crack or split, it can be stopped permanently by gluing a piece of bellows cloth or any good rubber cloth over the split. A leak in the bellows can be repaired in the same way, but if it happens to be a hole at or near a part of the cloth which is compelled to bend in the working of the bellows, you will have to use some kind of rubber or leather cement, preferably the latter. This can be made by dissolving gutta-percha in bisulphide of carbon, but a good leather cement may be had at almost any shoe store. If the bellows are porous, it may be well to give them a coat of cement, but never paint them; the paint cracks and the leaks are made worse.

PEDAL DETECTS.

Broken pedal straps are the most frequent annoyance. In all modern organs there is a panel above the pedals which will come out and admit the mechanic to the bellows, straps, springs, etc.; but in some old instruments the case is made solid, in which case the workman must do his work from the bottom, turning the organ down so as to get at it. Pedal straps are easily put on; generally with screws at either end. If the pedal squeaks examine the springs or oil and change their position slightly. Examine the pulleys over which the straps work and oil or rub them on the outside with soap. Broken pedal hinges may be duplicated by any blacksmith; the ordinary hinges, such as can be bought at hardware stores, are sometimes substituted, but they rarely answer the purpose as well as the regular pedal hinge. The leather flaps over the holes in the exhausters sometimes get too tight by shrinkage so that they will not let the air escape readily, and consequently the pedals come up slowly, often making it difficult to keep the instrument sufficiently supplied with power. Simply stretch the leather flaps, being careful not to pull the tacks loose or tear the leather.

SYMPATHETIC VIBRATIONS.

Organs, like pianos, are subject to sympathetic vibrations. A reed fitting loosely in the reed chamber will sometimes buzz when sounded. A bit of paper under the back end of the reed will stop it. Any loose material about the instrument may cause trouble of this kind. Trace up the cause and the remedy will suggest itself.

A buzzing sound may be caused by a reed's being too tight in the reed chamber, causing the tongue to vibrate against the sides of the brass body. In some rare cases, not being firmly riveted, the tongue will move to one side, causing the same trouble. Care and pains must be taken in working with reeds, but when in this condition they must be repaired. Tap the rivet lightly with a hammer and try it; if it still does not sound clear, catch the butt of the reed (riveted end) with a pair of parallel pliers, and turn it toward the center until, when vibrating, it clears the jaws.

TUNING.

The method of tuning the organ is very simple. To flatten the tone of a reed, scrape the tongue near the butt or rivet, making it thinner at that point, which will cause it to vibrate at a slower rate. To sharpen the tone, scrape it at the point, thereby lightening the vibrating end, which will cause a more rapid rate of vibration. When a reed has been scraped or filed so thin at the point that it will bear no more scraping, it can sometimes be sharpened by bending it up and down a few times, which has a tendency to put temper in the metal. Some reeds are curved at the point purposely to secure a certain voice. Do not interfere with the proper curvature when tuning. In tuning organs, the same system and general instruction given for piano tuning will apply; however, it is rarely, if ever, necessary to give an organ as thorough tuning as you would a piano. It is a very tedious job where you have to draw each reed, apply the proper method, insert it and try the result, thus cutting and trying each one perhaps several times before getting the desired result. In factories devices are used which render the operation very much easier.

One thing you should know is, that organs are not tempered as finely as pianos, nor is there the pains taken to secure perfect unisons. In fact, you can hardly find a perfect unison in an organ of modern make, much less, a correct temperament. Finding a tone that is so far out as to be very disagreeable, adjust it between the octave below and the octave above, try it in the proper chords and equalize it in the best possible way; but it is not often you will be able to tune it to absolute precision with its octaves. It is thought by many that a slight deviation from correct unisons, sufficient to give a series of waves, gives the organ a more mellow voice and consequently a more musical (?) tone; and while we do not agree with any such proposition, it makes the tuner's work less exacting.

We feel that an apology is in order for not giving illustrations of the action of the organ, but if the student will study this lesson in connection with the instrument itself, we believe he will have no trouble in learning all about its mechanical action and its demands upon the tuner.

QUESTIONS ON LESSON XVI.

1. Name the musical advantages possessed by the organ which are
absent in the piano.

2. Name the musical advantages possessed by the piano which are
absent in the organ.

3. Describe the mechanical operations taking place in the organ
when a key is being sounded.

4. State what you would do to flatten the tone of a reed and give
reasons.

5. State what you would do to sharpen the tone of a reed and give
reasons.

LESSON XVII.

~CONCLUDING PROFESSIONAL HINTS.~

Peculiar incidents occur in the experience of the piano tuner, some of which have come under the observation of the author so frequently that he deems it advisable to mention them here; there are incidents also that happen once in a life-time which must be treated in their time with tact and good judgment, and which it is impossible to describe here, as each tuner, in his special field, will elicit new developments. Occasion often requires the tuner to summon all his wits and tact in order to dispose of questions put to him, both by pianos and owners.

Among the perplexing things that come to the tuner are the terms used by musicians and piano owners to express certain qualities of tone and certain discrepancies of the instrument. We will define a number of these.

~Brilliant.~--The sense in which this term is used is astonishing to one who is accustomed to using words according to their dictionary meanings. We have heard persons say their piano was too _brilliant_; or, that it was not _brilliant_ enough. They mean this term to apply to what we are pleased to call the voice of the instrument. When the hammers are hard, producing a sharp, penetrating tone, they call it _brilliant_; when the hammers are soft and produce what a trained ear would accept as a soft, sweet, musical tone, some persons will say that the instrument lacks brilliancy. Persons of a different taste, and, we would say, a more cultured ear, call the tone _harsh_ when the hammers are hard, and they usually desire the tuner to _soften_ the tone, which he does by softening the hammer ends as has been described in Lesson VII. This operation, which we call voicing, is a very delicate piece of work, and the tuner should exercise care and pains in doing it; so we will deviate from the trend of the discourse and offer a few directions here, as the previous instructions are hardly complete.

Insert the felt pick (which should contain only one point, and not three or four, as they usually do) in the point of the hammer and give it a rotary motion, so to speak, loosening up the felt and giving it its original elasticity. Do not pick up the felt at the point. This method, which is resorted to by many tuners, is injurious to the hammers and really does no permanent good. Another method which is very good, and a very easy one, is to take your parallel pliers and squeeze the felt slightly at the point. Apply the pliers at right angles with the hammer (if the action of the upright, your pliers will be in an upright position) and catch the hammer at a depth of about three-quarters of the thickness of the felt. If the hammers are very hard it may be well to use both the pliers and the pick; but care must always be taken not to get the hammers too soft, and extreme care must be taken not to get some softer than others. Some hammers are always used more than others and, of course, these will need more softening. Usually those at the extreme ends of the instrument will need no softening at all, but sometimes the bass will bear considerable softening. After going over them in the above way, try them by playing the chromatic scale and you will invariably find some that need additional attention. Be sure that no hard tone is left, as such a condition is a great annoyance to a delicate ear.

~Singing.~--When a damper is out of order and does not do its work properly, they often say the tone _sings_. They say the same thing about the reed organ when a pallet sticks or a key stays down. Sometimes this term is used to express the grating vibration which has been treated under the head of _sympathetic rattle_.

~Tin-panny.~--This term is often used and generally means that the instrument is out of tune, and especially that the unisons are out. Sometimes it is used to express a _hollow_ quality of tone; but you will rarely, if ever, hear a piano spoken of in this way if it is in correct tune. Any piano out of tune badly may be said to sound tin-panny.

~Bass-ey.~--This term expresses a very harsh bass. Imperfect octaves or unisons in the bass of a piano give rise to the use of this term. If the bass of the instrument is decidedly flat, the same term is sometimes used to express the condition.

~Harsh.~--This term, when it does not apply to the voice of the piano, generally reflects upon the work of the tuner (?). Chords are _harsh_ when they contain over-sharp thirds, bad fifths, octaves, etc. Take care that your temperament contains no bad chords, and after you are all through, see that all tones have stood, and that you have left no bad unisons or octaves. One or two carelessly tuned tones may disparage your otherwise creditable work.

~Questions.~--Questions are often asked the tuner concerning the care of the piano. Be prepared to answer any reasonable question that may come up, which your knowledge of the instrument should enable you to do. In regard to temperature, moisture, etc., an extreme either way is the thing to avoid. A very dry or hot atmosphere will crack the varnish, warp the wooden parts, crack the sound-board, cause parts to come unglued, etc. On the other hand, too much moisture will rust the steel parts, strings, etc.; so the "happy medium" is the condition to be desired. As to keeping pianos closed, a question you will often be asked, we think it is better to keep them open at all times than to keep them closed at all times; because, if they are kept open they are subjected to the changes of the atmosphere, which will rarely permit the piano to become either very damp or too dry. In a word, a room that is healthy for human beings is all right for the piano.

~Seasons for Tuning.~--The prevalent idea in regard to this matter is that pianos should be tuned either at the beginning of cold or of warm weather. In our experience, we have found that it makes no difference when the piano is tuned if it is kept in the living room. If, however, a piano were tuned upon a warm day in the fall and then allowed to remain in a room in which the temperature suddenly fell to zero, we could not expect it to stand in tune; and much less, if the room is heated up occasionally and then left for an interval at the mercy of the weather. Persons who treat their pianos in this way should have them tuned about four times a year.

INDEX.

Action, 17
brackets, 24
of grand piano, 37, 38, 62
of square piano, 32, 34
removing, square and grand, 38
replacing, square and grand, 39
requisites of, 17, 18
top, of square piano, 34
trap, of square piano, 19, 34

Advantages of two-octave temperament, 171

Ancient instruments, 13

Back check, adjustment of, 49
and back catch, 18, 27, 28, 33, 37
wire, 27

Balance pin, 21
rail, 21

Bearing bar, 17

Beats, waves, and pulsations, 73, 150
of unison, octave, and major third, 154
cause of, 77, 150

Black lead, use of, 64

Block rail, 27, 51

Bottom or capstan, adjustment of, 48, 99
or key rocker, 23, 33, 48, 56, 57

Bracket bolts, 25

Bridle, 28
putting in new, 50
wire, 28, 50

Bridges, 16, 17
split, 173

Building of upright piano, 16

Butts, 28
and flanges, repairing of, 59

Capstan, 24, 48

Cause of beats 27, 150

Center-pins, 25
putting in new 52

Clicks at release of key, 51, 52

Compromises, the, 99, 100

Continuous mute, 89

Damper lever, 29
felt, softening, 54

Damper, of grand piano, 37
of square piano, 36, 60
rod, 30
rod, squeaking of, 55
spoon, 29
springs broken, 54

Dampers, 18, 29

Damping, defective, 54, 60, 61

Ditonic comma 144

Evolution of the piano, 12

Extension, 23

False waves, 160, 161

Fifths, beats of, 79
not all tempered alike, 105, 106
tempering of, 79, 104

Final inspection, 172

Fischer System of temperament, diagram of, 82

Flanges, 25
repairing of, 59

Guide pins, 23

Hammer, butt, refelting, 51
capping with buckskin, 59
felts, cleaning, 34
gluing, 54
hardening, 54
softening, 54
trimming, 60
voicing, 54, 104
head 29
rail, 29, 33
shank or stem, 29, 53
broken, 63
renewing, 53
spring, 52
sticking, 52

Hitch-pins, 16, 17

Instrumental attachments, removal of, 118

Intervals flattened, 157
sharpened, 157

Ivories, regluing, 64

Jack, 26
repairing of, 50, 58
sluggish, 57
-spring broken, 58

Key, defects in, 47, 48
leads, 22
organ, sticking, 185, 186
removing, square piano, 56
squeaking, 64
sticking, 46

Lead, in keys, 22
black, use of, 64
loose in key, 64

Length, tension, and weight of strings, 75

Loud pedal, 19, 30

Main rail, 25

Mathematics of tempered scale, 126

Metal plates, 15

Mute, continuous, 89, 90

Mutes, setting in upright piano, 117-120
in bass, 121
beyond temperament, 120
in square piano, 122
on nodal points, 161

Octave, dividing into major thirds, 134
into minor thirds, 140
perfect fifths, 142

Octaves, relative vibration of, 78

Organ, reed, tuning and repairing the, 178
bellows, leaks in, 187
capabilities of, 179
cleaning, 180
examination, 183
keys sticking, 185, 186
pallets, 186
pedal defects, 188
reeds, to find, 184
tuning, 190
stops, 182
disconnected, 184
sympathetic vibration, 189

Over-tension, 114

Panel, removing of, 75

Parts of grand action, 38
of square action, 34

Pendulum to aid in judgment of a second of time, 104

Piano frame, 15
tuner, requisites of, 7, 70

Pianos, special use of, 85, 86

Pitch, concert, 127
international, 81, 127

Pitch, left to tuner's judgment, 86, 87, 89
to determine most favorable, 85

Professional hints, 193

Questions asked by owners, 211

Ratio of intervals, 132

Reed organ. See _Organ_.

Regulating button, 26, 51
rail, 26, 36

Repairing small wooden parts, 63

Repetition of stroke, 18, 27

Searching for articles on sound board, 44

Seasons for tuning, 198

Soft pedal, 29, 36, 38

Sound board, 16
split, 44
unglued, 45
waves, interference of, 78, 150

Splicing piano wire, 176

Spring rail, 29

Stringing of upright, 16, 17

Strings growing sharper, 88
putting in new, 174, 175
rendering through bridges, 112, 114
splicing, 176

Study and practice of tuning, 66

Sustaining pedal, 30
squeaking of, 55

Sympathetic rattle, 43

Syntonic comma, 132

Systems of temperament, various, 163

System A, 165
B, 166
C, 167, 168

Tables of relative string length, 131, 136, 140, 143

Temperament, advantages of the two-octave, 171
equal, 97, 144
Fischer system, 74
finishing up, 156
introductory remarks on, 68, 72
rationale of, 128, 139
requisites of, 133
setting, specific instructions, 85
theory of, 97
unequal, 98
various systems, 163-168

Tension, equalization of, 111, 112

Terms to express tone qualities, 193-196

Testing by thirds and tenths, 170

Tests, chords, 94, 99, 103

Third, excessive sharpness of, 95, 103

Thirds, major, 135
major, sharper than perfect, 135
minor, flatter than perfect, 141

Tones, harmonic, 120, 130

Touch, altering the, 48

Treble, extreme, sharper than perfect, 159

Tuning, instructions for first experiments in, 92-95
hammer, manipulation of, 110, 115, 116
pins, marking of in square, 122
loose, 173
setting of, 112-114
the bass, 160
the treble, 157, 159

Vibration numbers, comparison of, 137, 146, 147, 148

Watchmaker's screwdriver, use of in piano repairing, 63

Wippen, 25

Wire splicing, 176

Wooden parts, shrinking, rattling, 59
repairing of small, 63

[Transcriber's note:

1. Bold text is enclosed in tilde (~) characters.

2. On page 197, 'tones' has been misspelt in the original text as
'tonse'.]