Announcement: Spring Fundraising Drive In Progress

Please visit our home page to see this and other announcements: https://www.mmdigest.com     Thank you. — Jody

MMD > Archives > January 1997 > 1997.01.26 > 05Prev  Next


Re: Full Scale Piano Rolls
By Stephen Kent Goodman

Jim Canavan wrote, "Boy, when they said "88-note" they *meant* it!"

I think the "full orchestra"  88-note roll is the best kept secret among
player piano roll collectors.  After owning and playing to death many
types of orchestrions and their rolls, the one roll that I continually
find interest and satisfaction with is the 88-note piano roll.

Most were the products of drafting table arranging,  with legendary
arrangers like Herman Avery Wade, George Swift, et al. contributing their
full band or orchestral thinking to the medium.

Critics will say that they are over-arranged, but I say "over what?"
Most non-arranged 88-note rolls never utilize the upper 3 and bottom 3
notes and the holes are generally reserved for rewind in later 88 note
issues.  Some manufacturers used them for expression, shut-off, etc.,
like expression and reproducing piano rolls.  88-note rolls didn't become
the standard for player rolls until 1911, and some really great and wild
arrangements may be found on these rolls right up through W.W.I.

Cheers,

S. K. Goodman

P.S.  There are modern roll arrangers like Eric Bernhoft, George Bogotko,
L. Douglas Henderson that utilize the full compass of the piano as well.



(Message sent Sun, 26 Jan 1997 12:04:33 -0500 (EST) , from time zone -0500.)

Key Words in Subject:  Full, Piano, Rolls, Scale

Related by Subject:
1997.01.26.05 (This article) - Re: Full Scale Piano Rolls
2023.05.06.01 - Seek 88-note 4-hand Full Score Classical Rolls
from Ben Roth
2019.08.21.05 - FS: Warehouse Full of Player Pianos in Sydney
from Bruce Welch
2013.06.06.06 - FS: 1910 Steinway U.R. Full Duo-Art
from Donald Barton
2012.05.03.05 - Pedal Duo-Art versus Full Duo-Art
from John Phillips
2010.04.22.03 - Strange Piano Roll Term: "Full Compass"
from Larry Norman
2010.04.22.04 - Strange Piano Roll Term: "Full Compass"
from Julian Dyer
2010.04.21.04 - Strange Piano Roll Term: "Full Compass"
from Paul Eggert
2006.02.13.02 - Seek Duo-Art Full Expression Box
from Gary Stevenson
2005.10.20.05 - Seek "Full Scale Themodist" Label Images
from Niels Berkers
2004.07.14.01 - Seek Music Box Movement With a Full Sound
from Erik Ingermann
2003.11.06.07 - FS: Full Duo-Art Stroud Upright, Top Action Missing
from D. L. Bullock

Please Support Publication of the MMD with your Generous Donation
No PayPal account required

 

SSL Certificate
by
Let's Encrypt