FOOTNOTES
[A] Published by Theodore Presser, Philadelphia, Pa.
[B] There are two sections of the lower bridge, one for the treble and one for the overstrung bass.
[C] The three strings composing the trio or unison are numbered 1st, 2d or middle, and 3d, from left to right.
[D] The chromatic scale is a succession of all the half steps in the compass of one octave. Counting the octave tone, it contains thirteen tones, but we speak of twelve, as there are only twelve which differ in name.
[E] In making these suggestions, no calculation is made for the liability of the tones tuned to fall. This often happens, in which case your first test will display a sharp third. In cases like this it is best to go on through, taking pains to temper carefully, and go all over the temperament again, giving all the strings an equal chance to fall. If the piano is very bad, you may have to bring up the unisons roughly, inuring this portion of the instrument to the increased tension, when you may again place your continuous mute and set your temperament with more certainty.
[F] Bear in mind, the foregoing and following instructions are written with reference to the upright piano. The square does not permit the observance of these suggestions so favorably as the upright.
[G] When the bushing of the center-pin of the hammer butt becomes badly worn or the hammer-flange becomes loose, or the condition of the hammer or flange becomes so impaired that the hammer has too much play, it may so strike the strings as to tend to produce the phenomenon described in the above paragraph. When in such a condition, one side of the hammer may strike in advance of the other just enough to throw the vibrations in opposition. Once you may get a strong tone, and again you strike with the same force and hear but a faint, almost inaudible sound. For this reason, as well as that of preventing excessive wear, the hammer joint should be kept firm and rigid.
INDEX.
- Action, 17
- Advantages of two-octave temperament, 171
- Ancient instruments, 13
- Back check, adjustment of, 49
-
Balance pin, 21
- rail, 21
- Bearing bar, 17
- Beats, waves, and pulsations, 73, 150
- Black lead, use of, 64
- Block rail, 27, 51
- Bottom or capstan, adjustment of, 48, 99
- Bracket bolts, 25
- Bridle, 28
-
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
- 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
- Final inspection, 172
- Fischer System of temperament, diagram of, 82
-
Flanges, 25
- repairing of, 59
- Guide pins, 23
- Hammer, butt, refelting, 51
- Hitch-pins, 16, 17
- Instrumental attachments, removal of, 118
-
Intervals flattened, 157
- sharpened, 157
- Ivories, regluing, 64
- Jack, 26
- Key, defects in, 47, 48
- Lead, in keys, 22
- 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
- Octave, dividing into major thirds, 134
- Octaves, relative vibration of, 78
- Organ, reed, tuning and repairing the, 178
- 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
- Pianos, special use of, 85, 86
- Pitch, concert, 127
-
Pitch, left to tuner's judgment, 86, 87, 89
- to determine most favorable, 85
- Professional hints, 193
- Questions asked by owners, 197
- Ratio of intervals, 132
- Reed organ. See Organ.
- Regulating button, 26, 51
- 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
- Splicing piano wire, 176
- Spring rail, 29
- Stringing of upright, 16, 17
- Strings growing sharper, 88
- 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
- Tables of relative string length, 131, 136, 140, 143
- Temperament, advantages of the two-octave, 171
- 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
- Tones, harmonic, 120, 130
- Touch, altering the, 48
- Treble, extreme, sharper than perfect, 159
- Tuning, instructions for first experiments in, 92-95
- 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
On page 197, 'tones' has been misspelt in the original text as 'tonse'.