The Piano's Early Evolution in a Nutshell

The piano-forte was an evolution of the harpsichord, the improvement on the elder instrument being the gradation of tone from soft to loud and loud to soft.  The old "harp shape" was carried over from the harpsichord and adapted well to this 'new' instrument. Up to the year 1760, all pianos were grand. No uprights as yet.

For the first 3/4 of the 18th century, most pianos were made in England, nevertheless the credit for its invention goes to an Italian named Cristofori. In England, Broadwood was improving the making of the piano-forte hammers and giving to the piano-forte, pedals.  It was not until 1777 that a German named Erhardt, changing his name to the more elegant sounding Erard, established himself in Paris and became an eminent maker of pianos there.

It was Broadwood who first turned the piano up on its side in an effort to economize the space it occupied.  But the true upright was invented and manufactured in Philadelphia by an Englishman named John Isaac Hawkins, in the year 1800.

Next came improvements from the next generation of piano makers, such as those of Babcock, namely in the substitution of felt for leather on the hammers and the introduction of the cast iron frame in 1825 and 1830 respectively.  And it was in 1837 that Jonas Chickering effected his great improvements in the internal construction and arrangement of parts, increasing the strength and resonance of the piano as a whole, preparing thus the way and the means for the enormous expansion of power which the composers and performers began to demand at that time.

It was Beethoven himself that required of the piano improvements in power and dynamic range which was needed to keep up with his compositions.  The piano had to rise to the demands that his peerless genius made upon it, and he personally advised and inspired the efforts of the makers of the time to meet these requirements in the very early stages of the concert grand piano. Without that push, rapid developments of the piano would certainly have lagged, if it wasn't altogether stunted in its growth.

The Super-rich Promoting Socialism?

Quoting the late Gary Allen, “If one understands that socialism is not a share-the-wealth program, but is in reality a method to consolidate and control the wealth, then the seeming paradox of superrich men promoting socialism becomes no paradox at all. Instead it becomes the logical, even the perfect tool of power-seeking megalomaniacs. Communism, or more accurately, socialism, is not a movement of the downtrodden masses, but of the economic elite.” He nailed it, nearly 50 years ago.

And now we are looking at a US that continues to head faster and faster toward more and more socialism. We are hearing that children no longer belong to their parents. 15% of the American people are on food stamps. 20% of Obama's twitter followers are fake. Obamacare will be doubling the price of healthcare. What a surprise. Remember the bailouts? They went to big banks and the unions. Is there not one honest politician in D.C.?

"In 1981, when Congress passed the Reagan economic program, the massive tax cuts and defense buildup were powerfully stimulative to the economy. But the Federal Reserve simultaneously embarked on the opposite course: suppressing economic growth with extraordinarily high interest rates in order to squeeze out price inflation ... The stark fact is that the fed was pushing the national economy in the opposite direction. The car with two drivers wound up in a ditch - first deep recession, then an awesome accumulation of debt - and we are effectively still in it." - William Greider

Thank you media news centers for not doing your job of actually reporting the news.

As Greg Evensen writes:
"What the hell happened, America? When did you decide that it was acceptable to turn our peaceful efforts into a whirlwind of disaster because you had the “right” to do what you want, when you want, to whom you want, and then blame someone else for it, all under the guise of civil rights? America has itself to blame for rampant drug abuse, families with no moral compass, parents who cannot be bothered with investing necessary time in their children’s lives, and demanding that a corrupt, inept and arrogant government write checks to cover every conceivable outrage known to man, and then fail to show up for what little work is available." Ptht!

"As Americans with a world class Christian freedom legacy that has been squandered and handed to the most vile among us, we must now either confront the collective evil across our land in its many forms, or surrender finally and completely to the destroyer of worlds, Lucifer and his servants."

I say, well said.

Who's the Enemy?

This sounds crazy. Yet this is real. Do the research. We are living in outrageous times.

When you look at how our government is reacting to an American’s concern about the deterioration of our rights granted by our Constitution, it is the government that is now the biggest threat to our national security.

If you are a pro-gun supporter, you are considered a national security threat. If you are pro-life you are considered a national security threat. If you don’t support the U.S.’s involvement with the UN you are considered a national security threat. If you support traditional marriage you are considered a national security threat. And now the latest from Janet Napalitano: if you are a veteran you are considered a national security threat and there have been pieces of legislation introduced to Congress to disarm our veterans.

Here I Quote the Eminent Joel Skousen from his World Affairs Brief

"http://www.worldaffairsbrief.com/"

The American Cancer Society is accumulating great wealth in its role as a "charity." According to James Bennett, professor of economics at George Mason University and recognized authority on charitable organizations, in 1988 the ACS held a fund balance of over $400 million with about $69 million of holdings in land, buildings, and equipment (1). Of that money, the ACS spent only $90 million- 26 percent of its budget- on medical research and programs. The rest covered "operating expenses," including about 60 percent for generous salaries, pensions, executive benefits, and overhead. By 1989, the cash reserves of the ACS were worth more than $700 million (2). In 1991, Americans, believing they were contributing to fighting cancer, gave nearly $350 million to the ACS, 6 percent more than the previous year. Most of this money comes from public donations averaging $3,500, and high-profile fund-raising campaigns such as the springtime daffodil sale and the May relay races. However, over the last two decades, an increasing proportion of the ACS budget comes from large corporations, including the pharmaceutical, cancer drug, telecommunications, and entertainment industries.

I wouldn't contribute to those people if I were you. What do you think?

Stencil Pianos

Pianos that did not bear the manufacturer's name, but some other name, were known as stencil pianos. Stencil pianos had their beginnings in the 1890's, on up through the roaring '20's and beyond. They were more often than not, a cheaper version of a piano (either grand or upright) made by that manufacturer. Not all manufacturers practiced the "art" of making stencil pianos, but since there were hundreds of piano factories in the hey-day of piano making, dozens did.

Lots of games were played with stencils. Mail order houses put their own names on them, claimed to save the buyer a hundred dollars or more (remember back in the beginning of the 20th century, uprights nominally went for $350 or so, and the more expensive ones were above $500), and their literature claimed that they were the same quality, or better, than the pianos being sold at the local piano stores for more money. Of course, nothing could have been further from the truth.

Other stencils were of better quality, but you would have found them in dealerships rather than in mail order catalogues. Manufacturers making stencils for their dealers would not make them better in quality than those with their own name on them, for obvious reasons.

It was about competing for business, and some just did not have many scruples when it came to making a sale (some things never change). It was estimated that in 1908, nearly half of the 200,000 pianos sold that year, were of the stencil variety.

The "Upright Grand"

You have probably heard the term upright grand used before, but what does it mean? Is it really a grand that is upright? No, not possible! Back in the late 19th century, it originally referred to an upright piano with an overstrung scale, and called attention to the difference between the overstrung scale (where the bass strings are strung over the treble strings, a design that has been commonplace for well over 100 years), and the straight strung scale (a design that you just don't see any more, but was used extensively in the latter half of the 19th century, where the bass strings run parallel and on the same plane as the rest of the strings).

So...when the overstrung design was new, it made sense to call a vertical piano an "Upright Grand" to differentiate between that and the straight strung upright. It really had nothing to do with a grand piano, except that the overstrung design was used as in the grand piano. The "Upright Grand" designation actually stopped being used by manufacturers of any prominence by the late 1920's, but you still hear that designation used even today, but it really is meaningless...yet it did have an origin and a meaning at one time. And now you know!

The Story Behind the Beginnings of a National Tuners' Organization

Although the first known attempt at creating a national organization for piano tuners goes back to 1892, it wasn’t until 1910 that success was finally in sight. Local tuners’ organizations were already in existence prior to 1890, such as in NYC and Chicago, as well as in other places, but it took a few men from the NYC association with a little fore-sight, prior experience with attempts at organizing, and a lot of will power to see that a national organization was not only essential, but that it was doable as long as some specific ideals were met. Here is an excerpt from the Jan. 1 “Tuners’ Association Bulletin” (subsequently known as “Bulletin of the American Guild of Piano Tuners”) citing a few of these ideals:
Provisional Platform of the American Guild of Piano Tuners
1. To elevate the standard of professional attainment by limiting membership strictly to those who can show a certain minimum of excellence.
2. To make the certificate of the association an object of general desire among tuners.
3. To educate the public as to the significance of the association’s certificate as a guarantee of professional worth.
4. To disseminate more thoroughly a general knowledge of the theory and practice of the tuner’s art.
5. To maintain the standard International pitch A 435.
These “Bulletins” were contained in “The Music Trade Review” magazines between Jan 1 and May 28 of 1910 and were under the heading of “The Review’s Technical Department”, a continuous column that had been written by William Braid White for many years prior. The “Provisional Platform” was also written by Dr. White in order to get things started for the Guild.
On Jan. 9th a meeting of representative Guild members was held at their temporary headquarters, also known as Dr. White’s apartment, which was located at 126 West 100th St. in NY. (A quick Google map search reveals that address is now a parking lot.) It may be interesting and instructive to relate the resolutions that came out of that meeting:
1. That the conference views with pleasure the evident intelligent enthusiasm with which the tuners of the country have received the movement for national organization.
2. That in accordance with the evident mandate laid upon the conference by the tuners of America, who look to NY for an initiatory step, this conference does hereby constitute itself the American Guild of Piano Tuners.
3. That a committee on organization, with full powers to act in its discretion, is hereby appointed to undertake the enrollment of membership and to transact all other pertinent business connected with the preliminary organization of the Guild.
4. That a committee on constitution is hereby appointed to draw up and submit to the Guild a comprehensive scheme of local and national by-laws.
5. That the Guild accepts the principle of organization through local committees, and declares in favor of this plan as an ideal toward which this Guild must strive.
6. That the Guild accepts the applications for membership made already by known and legitimate tuners through the Technical Department of The Music Trade Review.
7. That the Guild expresses its conviction that its aims and ideals are so entirely divergent from any entertained by labor organizations that a position of neutrality toward all organizations, whether of capital or labor, must be adopted and maintained by it.
8. That The Music Trade Review of NY, through its interest and encouragement of this movement, deserves credit and thanks, and that the thanks of the Guild be and hereby are extended to the Editor and Proprietor of that journal, Edward Lyman Bill.
9. That the Guild request The Music Trade Review to act as its official organ for so long as may be agreeable to the said Review.
10. That a second meeting of the Guild be held on Feb 6, 1910, for the election of officers for the first year, reception of reports from committees, and other pertinent business.
11. That the Guild authorize such of its present members as reside in the city of NY to form the NY Chapter of the American Guild of Piano Tuners, subject to suspension of adoption of constitution and by-laws until rules and regulations governing the formation of local chapters have been definitely adopted by the Guild.
12. That the Guild adopts, as an expression of its policy, the following recommendations, as made at the first meeting of the Conference Committee on Jan 2:
1. That the national officers for the first year be stationed in NY.
2. That this policy is dictated by the necessity for a coherent central body, compact and capable, for the preliminary work of organization.
3. That in addition to the central body of national officers, there shall be a national board of vice-presidents chosen from the large cities and important districts throughout the country, who shall become the local chairmen of city and state committees, working locally in their respective districts.
4. That the charter membership shall consist of all known and legitimate tuners, whose names are handed in up to Feb. 1, 1910.
5. That the fees for membership and annual dues shall not exceed $5 annually, the same to include the cost of an appropriate certificate and membership button.
6. That the platform already sketched out by W.B.White and published in the columns of The Technical Department of The Music Trade Review shall be considered as the platform of the American Guild of Piano Tuners until such time as the general membership shall express a desire to revise it.
At that second meeting of the Guild’s founders held in Feb., after several interesting and important propositions were brought up, it was resolved to do nothing until all the members were notified and asked to vote. Also, it was resolved to call the first convention to be in NYC during the month of August.