Mechanical Music Digest  Archives
You Are Not Logged In Login/Get New Account
Please Log In. Accounts are free!
Logged In users are granted additional features including a more current version of the Archives and a simplified process for submitting articles.
Home Archives Calendar Gallery Store Links Info
MMD > Archives > August 1999 > 1999.08.18 > 09Prev  Next


Musical Arranging Standards
By Art Reblitz

Robbie - in your post script to my Seeburg KT Special information
yesterday [990817 MMDigest], you said:

> [ I guess it's still the same old rule-of-thumb, Andrew:  adjust
> [ the instrument to give the sound you enjoy when playing the songs
> [ you enjoy.  Music rolls don't always adhere to a musical arranging
> [ standard, and neither do the instruments.  Fun, huh!  :-)

What rule of thumb?  Other than the G/4X multiplexing, what rolls don't
adhere to a strict musical arranging standard?

Art Reblitz

 [ My rule of thumb is "adjust it so it sounds good."  Besides the
 [ idiosyncrasies of reproducing pianos, I am thinking of orchestrions
 [ and rolls which fail to operate the drum beaters as the noteur
 [ obviously intended in the music roll.  For example, the bass drum
 [ strikes too late or too early, or the tone (damping) of the drum
 [ doesn't match the musical style.
 [
 [ Neither the builder (or rebuilder) of the instrument, nor the noteur,
 [ is to blame for the problem.  We assume that the music roll and the
 [ instrument operated correctly when they left the factory together.
 [ But the company's set-up methods and 'standards' -- which would
 [ assure that the music roll and the instrument played properly
 [ together -- were not consistent or were non-existent.  Inaccurate
 [ timing indicates lack of standards to me.
 [
 [ Inappropriate and inaccurate percussion sounds are a pet peeve of
 [ mine; I'm pleased to see the interest in this area expressed by 11-
 [ year-old percussionist Andrew Barrett.  I know his musical family
 [ well, and I hope that Andrew may someday become a noteur, inspired
 [ by masters such as noteur Gustav Bruder and arranger/drummer
 [ P. M. Keast !
 [
 [ -- Robbie


(Message sent Wed 18 Aug 1999, 14:55:27 GMT, from time zone GMT-0600.)

Key Words in Subject:  Arranging, Musical, Standards

Home    Archives    Calendar    Gallery    Store    Links    Info   


Enter text below to search the MMD Website with Google



CONTACT FORM: Click HERE to write to the editor, or to post a message about Mechanical Musical Instruments to the MMD

Unless otherwise noted, all opinions are those of the individual authors and may not represent those of the editors. Compilation copyright 1995-2024 by Jody Kravitz.

Please read our Republication Policy before copying information from or creating links to this web site.

Click HERE to contact the webmaster regarding problems with the website.

Please support publication of the MMD by donating online

Please Support Publication of the MMD with your Generous Donation

Pay via PayPal

No PayPal account required

                                     
Translate This Page