is placed in a direct line with the key. If so, and it still binds,
enlarge the hole by pressing the wood back slightly with some
wedge-shaped instrument, if you have not a pair of the key pliers
which are used for this purpose. See that the cloth, with which the
hole is bushed, is not loose and wrinkled. Do not oil or grease the
guide pin unless such treatment has been previously resorted to, as
the polished pin will work more freely in the dry cloth. Do not pinch
hard on the pin with rough pliers and spoil the polished surface.
Sometimes you will find one key warped so that it rubs on the next, in
which case, plane off a slight shaving to free it. Sometimes changing
the position of the guide pin will straighten or level the key and
make it work all right.
The balance pin is subject to some of the same difficulties as the
guide pin. See that it sets properly and is not bound by the mortise.
Sometimes a splinter will be found on one side of a key where the lead
has been put in. A piece of any foreign material between two keys
generally causes both to stick.
Where the action is too deep, that is, the keys go down farther than
they ought, place cardboard washers under the felt ones around the
guide pin, or raise the felt strip under back end of keys.
Where the action is too shallow, place thin washers under those around
the balance pin. When this is done, the whole action must be regulated
accordingly, as this alteration will make a change in the working of
the upper part of the action.
2. _The Bottom or Capstan_.--This should be so adjusted that when the
key falls back to its rest position, the point of the jack will just
spring into its place in the nose of the hammer butt. If held too
high, the jack fails to catch in the nose, and the key may be struck
without producing any effect on the hammer. When the bottom or capstan
is too low, the point of the jack will be some distance below the
notch, which will cause what is known as lost motion, it being
necessary to depress the key a portion of its depth before the jack
can act upon the hammer. Depress the key slowly, watching the hammer,
and the fault will be discovered.
After a piano has been used for some time, the keys that are struck
most frequently (those in the middle of the instrument) will be found
to have this fault. The felts under the keys and those which are
between the working parts of the action become compressed or worn so
that the jack will be found to set so low that there will be lost
motion in the key. In this case, loosen one of the screws in the
bottom and turn the other down so as to move the jack upward until
nearly all lost motion is taken up. A little play is generally
necessary, but very little. In case the action has a capstan, simply
turn it upward.
3. _Back Check_.--Blocking is most usually caused by the back check
being too near the back catch, so that when the key is struck, the
back check holds the hammer against the string. This should be seen
after raising the bottom or capstan as above referred to. It will be
observed that when this is done on account of the wear of the felts,
the back check will stand much nearer the back catch than it did
before, and will need bending back so as to give the hammer plenty of
"rebound." A steel instrument with properly shaped notches at the
point, called a regulator, is used for bending wires in regulating the
action. See that the wires stand as nearly in line as is possible. In
old actions that are considerably worn, however, you will be obliged
to alter some more than others.
4. _Bridle and Bridle Wire_.--In putting in a new bridle, it should be
doubled over at the end and secured to the hammer butt by a small
tack. Be sure you get it exactly the same length as the others;
otherwise it will be necessary to bend the bridle wire out of line.
Some tuners glue the bridle around the back catch stem, but the above
method is preferable.
The purpose of the bridle is to jerk the hammer back quickly and the
wire must be set, neither so far back as to check the stroke of the
hammer, nor so far forward that the bridle is too slack to draw upon
the hammer.
5. _Jack_.--The jack itself seldom gets out of order. So long as its
flange does not come unglued in the wippen, or its spring get out of
place or broken, or get tight in its joint, it will need nothing. Its
adjustment and action is controlled by the bottom or capstan, and the
regulating button.
6. _Regulating Button_.--This button determines the point in the
stroke of the hammer where the jack flies off from the nose of the
butt. If the button is too high, the jack does not fly off soon
enough, and the result is, that the hammer either blocks against the
string or bounces from the jack after the stroke has been made,
striking the string a second or third time from one stroke of the key.
The felt punching on the lower side of the button often wears until
this trouble prevails. Lower the button by turning down the screw on
top of the regulator rail; if lowered too far, however, the action is
weakened by causing the jack to fly off too soon, without giving the
hammer a sufficient impulse. A regulating screwdriver is used for
this, but in its absence, a wire hook, similar to a shoe buttoner,
will turn the screw.
The block rail is properly adjusted at the factory and requires no
attention.
7. _Hammer Butt_.--The felts and leather on the heel of the hammer
butt wear out and must be replaced. The felt cushion, that is lowest
and farthest to the left (see illustration), is the one that wears out
first. The jack, in returning to the notch, strikes this cushion, and
in time wears it away so that the jack in returning strikes the wood
of the hammer butt, producing a sharp click, which is very annoying,
to say the least. This click is heard at the instant the key rises to
its rest position. Sometimes, however, a similar click is produced by
the top of the key striking the board which is set over the keys, due
to the cloth being eaten off by moths, or a pencil or some other
article lying on the keys back of this board.
The center pin in the butt of some cheap actions is not held in the
butt by metal clip and screw, and if it gets loose so that it works
out, must be replaced by a larger pin. The size of center pins
generally used in the factory, is .050 of an inch in diameter; the
size for repairing should be .053. All of the best actions have the
set screw with which to make the pin fast in the butt.
Hammers stick when the center pin is too tight in the flange. The
bushing in the flange often expands. Some tuners oil at the ends of
the pin with kerosene or wet it with alcohol, which is very good; but
a better plan is to shrink the bushing with a drop of water on each
side so that it will penetrate the bushing. After this is done, the
piano cannot be used for a day or two, as the water first swells the
bushing, making all the hammers stick; but when they are dry again,
they will be found free. This may seem a curious method, but you need
not be afraid of it; it is the most effective.
Before leaving the hammer butt, see that the hammer spring is in its
place.
8. _Hammer Stem_.--These sometimes warp, split, crack, or come unglued
at the butt or hammer. If twisted so far that it does not strike
properly on the strings, or that it binds against the next hammer, the
best thing is to put in a new stem. If merely split or unglued, it may
be repaired. Sometimes a click is heard and it will seem impossible to
find the cause, the hammer and stem apparently perfect, but a close
examination will reveal a looseness in the stem somewhere.
In putting in a new shank, drill or chip out the old one, scrape the
holes out clean, take your measure carefully, and do not make the new
shank too tight, but large enough to fill the hole snugly. Apply glue
to the ends of the shank and also in the holes. Cedar is used in some
makes, but good maple is stronger, and is more generally used.
9. _Hammers_.--When too hard, soften with a felt pick. Do not raise
the felt up, but stick the pick in the felt just back of the point and
this will loosen it up and make it softer and more elastic. Where the
strings have worn deep grooves, sandpaper them down nearly even and
soften the felt as above.
In regluing the felt to the head, glue only the back ends of the felt,
and clamp with strong rubber band till the glue sets. Use tailor's
chalk (fuller's earth) to clean hammer felts. To harden or draw felts
back in shape, place a damp cloth over them, and then pass a hot iron
over it.
10. _Dampers_.--Damper felt often gets hardened so that when it comes
against the vibrating string, it causes a sort of buzzing sound.
Loosen it up with the pick. Imperfect damping can sometimes be
corrected in the same way.
The damper head sometimes turns round on its wire, leaving one or two
strings undamped. Tighten the set screw. See that the dampers are in
line; and that they will stop the tone properly when the key is
released.
Damper springs sometimes break. It is necessary to take out the damper
lever to put in a new one.
See that the spoons are in line and work properly. Press the
sustaining pedal down, and see if all the dampers are in line; if not,
bend the damper wires with the regulator until they line up perfectly.
11. _Damper Rod_.--When the sustaining pedal squeaks, look first to
the pedal, then to the wooden rods leading up to the damper rod. If
the trouble is found in any of these, or the springs, use sperm oil or
vaseline.
Catch hold of the damper rod at the left behind the action and work
it. If it squeaks, you will have to take out the action and oil the
swings where they are hinged to the main rail.
QUESTIONS ON LESSON V.
1. If you should find a key sticking, how would you determine the
cause?
2. Name all the defects to which the key is subject.
3. Describe the proper adjustment of bottom or capstan.
4. Give two causes of blocking.
5. Give the purpose of the regulating button, and its proper
adjustment.
LESSON VI.
~REGULATING AND REPAIRING.--(Continued.)~
THE SQUARE ACTION.
1. _The key_ in the square piano is subject to the same troubles as
that of the upright, and requires the same treatment. However, the
keys being much longer are more liable to cause trouble by warping.
2. _Bottom or Key Rocker_.--Unlike in the upright action, the jack is
attached directly to the bottom; but, lowering or raising the bottom
has the same effect in both cases. The screws regulating the height of
the jack can be gotten at with a proper screwdriver. If you have to
take out the key in order to regulate the bottom, first take
particular notice of the conditions in respect to the operation of the
jack on the hammer. Work the key slowly, to discover if there is lost
motion. Decide which way the bottom must go and how far, so that you
will not have to remove and replace the key more than once or twice
to adjust it. In taking out the key, remove the board which is set
edgewise over the keys immediately back of where the fingers strike,
by taking out the screw at each end. Lift the hammer with the finger
until the jack falls out of place; then by lifting the key off the
balance pin it can be drawn out. The back check will sometimes rub so
hard against the regulating button that it will be bent somewhat, and
must be adjusted after the key is replaced.
The bottom is often found to have shrunken; it rattles at every stroke
of the key. This can generally be stopped by simply turning the back
screw down until tight, which can be done without taking the key out.
This will rarely be found to alter the jack enough to cause it to fail
to return to the notch in the butt. After doing this, however, it is
well to examine for such a condition.
A sluggish motion of the jack is often found in old square pianos
caused by the swelling of the wood, at the point where the jack is
hinged to the bottom, or by the center pin's becoming foul from oxide.
This will cause the jack to fail at times to operate on the hammer,
especially in quick repetition. The key is struck with no response.
Take out the bottom entirely, and with the fingers press the sides of
the bottom inward; at the same time, work the jack back and forth.
This will generally free it if the jack-spring is all right.
3. _Jack_.--As in the upright, the behavior of the jack depends
entirely upon the surrounding members. A very common occurrence in the
square piano is a broken jack-spring. This spring is concealed in a
groove on the under side of the bottom, with a linen thread leading
around the end of the jack and held fast by a wooden plug. If the
spring is found to be long enough, drive out the plug, attach a new
thread to the spring, and fasten as before. If a new spring is needed,
one may be made by wrapping some small wire round a piece of music
wire of the right size.
4. _The back check, hammer stem and regulating button_ are subject to
the same faults as their counterparts in the upright, which may be
remedied in the same way. Bridles and hammer springs are not needed in
the square, as the weight of the hammer, moving in a vertical
direction, is sufficient to bring it to its rest position.
5. _Hammers_, when made of felt, will of course require the same
treatment as those in the upright. In many old squares the hammers are
built up of buckskin. If this becomes beaten down hard, it is well to
cap the hammer with a new soft piece of buckskin, gluing only at the
back ends.
6. _Butts and Flanges_.--A click just as the key comes up, indicates
that the felt cushion, against which the jack rests, is worn out and
must be replaced.
In all square actions the center pin, in the butt, is held by friction
alone, but rarely gets loose; if it should be found loose, put in a
larger pin.
The flange, shown in the cut, is what is called a split flange. By the
set screw T, the jaws can be regulated so that they neither clamp
the center pin so tightly as to make the action sluggish nor so
loosely as to let the hammer wabble.
If the bushing cloth is found to be badly worn, it is better to put in
new, which must be done neatly, or the result will not be
satisfactory.
Hammer flanges, like all other wooden parts, shrink away from the
screw heads and allow the hammer to drift to one side or rattle. While
the action is in the piano, strike the keys to see if there are any
that strike improperly. Mark the keys so as to indicate just what the
trouble is, so that you will know how to remedy it when the action is
out. If the hammers are set so close that they rub against each other,
you may have to cut off a slight shaving of felt, but this is rarely
necessary; for if properly placed, there is generally room for all;
yet sometimes the expansion of the felt or warping of the shank makes
cutting necessary.
7. _Dampers_.--The dampers in the square action depend entirely upon
their weight for their efficiency in damping the strings and returning
after being raised by the key. Often, after the key is struck, the
damper will not return to its place and the string is undamped. This
is generally found to be caused by the wire sticking in the hole
through which it passes, the wire being rusty or bent or some foreign
substance being in the hole round the wire. The bushing cloth in the
hole may be in such condition as to retard the free passage of the
damper wire, in which case the wire may be heated with a match and run
up and down a few times through the hole, which will free it. The
damper may not fall readily on account of a sluggish joint in the
flange. Work it back and forth as far as it will go a few times; if
necessary, take it off the damper rail and look for the cause of the
trouble.
Damper flanges get loose on the damper rail and work to one side,
causing defective damping and rattling. See that they are all tight,
and in their places.
Damper lifter buttons sometimes hold the damper off the string. See
that the top button falls so low that the damper lever does not touch
it when the key is released. This is accomplished by altering the
lower button. Examine the damper felts to see if they are moth-eaten,
or have become hardened or in any way impaired. Notice the adjustment
of the shade; that it is not too low or too high. The purpose of the
shade is to prevent the damper levers from flying up; but it should be
high enough so that the levers do not touch it when the key is
depressed gently.
Defective damping is one of the most annoying conditions, and when one
is employed to regulate a piano thoroughly and put it in order, he
should see that no key is left in which this occurs. Strike each key
and immediately let it up to see if it stops the sound quickly, or, in
other words, damps perfectly; if it does not, find the cause and
regulate until satisfactory.
8. _The grand action_ being, in principle, practically the same as
that of the square and the upright, containing the same mechanism as
is found in those actions, it is needless to give special instructions
concerning it; as the previous work has given the pupil a thorough
knowledge of the requirements of all actions, their common faults, and
proper methods of regulating to bring about satisfactory results. Let
us merely remark: Study thoroughly the behavior of every component
part of each action that comes under your observation; understand what
each part is for, why it is there, and how it works or should work
properly to fill its office. Then regulate and try for results. If you
have natural mechanical genius, a little experience will prepare you
to do all regulating and repairing with skill and quickness.
MISCELLANEOUS REPAIRS.
A few miscellaneous difficulties, common to all styles of actions, are
occasionally met with and need to be rectified.
1. _Broken Hammer Shank_.--Glue the ends, lay a nicely fitting piece
of wood, well coated with glue, on each side and wrap with binding
wire. If it is broken off up so close to the hammer as not to permit
this, drill a hole through the hammer head in line with the center of
the shank, with a small-sized screwdriver such as watchmakers use, and
run the wire through this and around the shank, drawing it firm; glue
as before; when dry it will be as strong as ever. When the shank is
broken off close to the butt, the same treatment will sometimes
answer, but the strain here is so much greater that it is sometimes
necessary to put in a new shank. In fact, it is always better to do
so.
2. _Flanges, damper heads_, and all small wooden parts are liable to
break or come unglued. The watchmaker's screwdriver, the binding wire
and the glue must always be at hand for these emergencies. These
breaks are generally in places where wrapping is not permissible, and
you are compelled to drill. Keep the screwdriver well sharpened and
the drilling is easy.
3. _Ivories_.--When unglued, scrape the old glue off, apply glue to
both surfaces and clamp with an ivory clamp or rubber band until the
glue is firm. Apply the same treatment to ebony sharps.
4. _Leads_ in the keys and the dampers of the square piano get loose
and rattle. Hammer them just enough to tighten; too much might split
the key.
5. _Friction_.--Where different materials, such as wood and felt,
would rub together they are covered with black lead to lubricate them.
The point of the jack where it comes in contact with the butt, the toe
of the jack which strikes the regulating button, and the long wooden
capstan which takes the place of the extension and works directly on
the under side of the wippen, which is covered with felt, are
black-leaded. When a key squeaks and goes down reluctantly, the
trouble can usually be traced to these places; especially to the
wooden capstan, the black lead having worn away. Use powdered black
lead on these parts.
There are many things in this kind of work that require only the
exercise of "common sense." These we have omitted to mention, treating
only of those things the student does not know intuitively.
QUESTIONS ON LESSON VI.
1. When a key snaps or clicks at the instant it is let up, give
two or more conditions that might cause it.
2. When a key simply rattles, what parts of the action would you
examine for the trouble?
3. When a key is struck and there is no response, what may be the
cause?
4. Give two causes for defective damping in a square piano.
5. Give cause of and remedy for a squeaking key.
LESSON VII.
~THE STUDY AND PRACTICE OF PIANO TUNING.~
Before commencing the systematic study of piano tuning, we want to
impress the student with a few important facts that underlie the great
principles of scale building and general details of the art.
If you have followed the suggestions, and thoroughly mastered the work
up to this point you should now have some idea of the natural and
artificial phenomena of musical tones; you should have a clear
knowledge at least of the fundamental principles of harmony and the
technical terms by which we designate intervals and their relation to
each other; a knowledge of the general and specific construction of
the different types of pianos and their actions, and the methods
employed to put them in perfect working condition mechanically. This
admitted, we are ready to consider the art of tuning--one, the
appreciation of which is in direct proportion to the understanding of
it. Let us now view this art for a moment in its past, present and
future phases.
You may be a little surprised at what we are about to tell you, but it
is a fact, gleaned from long experience in traveling and observation,
that many, verily, the majority of pretending tuners have not so much
practical knowledge of a piano as you should now have. We have no
doubt that you, if you have a musical ear, could, without further
instruction, improve an instrument that was extremely out of tune. You
could detect and improve a tone which you should find extremely sharp
or flat; you could detect and improve a unison that might be badly
out, and you might produce an entire scale in which none of the chords
would be unbearably rasping. But this is not enough. You should aspire
to perfection, and not stop short of it.
It may seem to us who are musicians with thorough knowledge of the
simpler laws of music, that a scale of eight tones is a simple affair;
simply a natural consequence; the inevitable arrangement; but a
historical investigation will prove our mistake. We will not go into
the complexities of musical history; suffice it to say that the wisest
philosophers who lived prior to the fourteenth century had no idea of
a scale like that we have at the present day.
In piano tuning, as in other arts, many theories and conjectures have
been advanced regarding the end to be sought and the means by which to
gain it. There must be a plan--a system by which to work. The question
is: What plan will insure the most perfect results with the least
amount of labor? In Piano Tuning, this plan is called the Temperament.
Webster defines the word thus: "A system of compromises in the tuning
of pianofortes, organs," etc. Later on we will discuss fully what
these compromises are, and why they exist; for it is in them that the
tuner demonstrates his greatest skill, and to them that the piano owes
its surpassing excellence as a musical instrument, and, consequently,
its immense popularity. For the present, the term "temperament" may be
considered as meaning the plan or pattern from which the tuner works.
No subject of so great importance in the whole realm of musical
science has been so strangely neglected as the method of setting a
temperament. Even musicians of high learning, in other respects, give
little attention to scale building, and hence they differ widely on
this topic. There can be but one "best way" of doing a thing, and that
best way should be known and followed by the profession; but, strange
to say, there are a half dozen systems of setting the temperament in
vogue at the present time. The author has, in his library, a book on
"Temperament" which, if followed, would result in the production of a
scale in which every chord would be unbalanced, harsh and unbearable.
This is mentioned merely to call attention to the fact that great
differences of opinion exist among scientific men regarding this
important subject.
In the author's practice, he was curious to try the different methods,
and has tuned by all the systems of temperament in vogue at the
present, or that have ever been used extensively. His experience has
proved that all but one is hampered with uncertainty, difficulty of
execution or imperfection in some respect.