TRANSPOSING PIANO.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3647, 3 September 1880, Page 2

TRANSPOSING PIANO.

Attempts have been made at various times to construct a pianoforte that would enable the player to transpose the key of the music that might be played upon it. To raise or lower the key-note of any piece of music without transposing the key in which it is written, or without reading it in one key, and playing it in another, would be a great convenience, and it has been thought that this might be done by some mechanical means, but none of the experiments in this direction have proved permanently successful on a commercial scale. More recently a new piano, having a transposing aotion, has been made; and from personal examination of the instrument, it would seem to accomplish all that could be desired in this direction in a satisfactory manner. It is an upright piano, and externally does not differ from pianos of this class, except that the keyboard has a lateral movement to right or left of about one octave, the keys sliding in or out of the lamprests at either Bide of the desk. This lateral movement applies only to the keys and levers, all the other parts of the action remaining fixed, and in the usual position in; such pianos. When in its normal position the keys are arranged as ia any piano based on a C scale, and a pointer or indication on the casing above the keyboard points to the note A of the middle octave. The piano may now be used as any other, and all the keys are in their trne relation. Suppose it is now desired to play a piece of music written in the key of C one half* tone lower. A handle at the side of the piano is drawn out, which disconnects the keys and levers from the rest of the action. Under the desk is a small crank, and, on turning it a short distance, the entriekey* board is moved to the left one half*tone. This , movement is accompanied by a slight sound that indicates that the move* ment was one half-tone. The handle at the side is pushed in and the piano is ready for use. The music written and played in C is now heard in B, every note having been lowered half a tone. Music played in any other key is heard in the next key below throughout F being in E, A ia A flat and so on. Suppose the piece written in 0 is desired to be heard in B, or four half* tones above the normal key of C, the handle is drawn, and the crank is turned once to bring the action to 0, and four times to raise it to E, all the keys moving that distance to the right. The handle is pushed in again, and the piano is ready for use, the indicator pointing to the note 0 sharp. The music written and played in C is now heard in E. In like manner all other keys are raised four half-tones, Gr to B, and so on j and in whatever key the music is played, it is heard in a key four half-tones above. The transposing action appears to be simple and not likely to get out of order, and accomplishes its work with precision. The defect lies jn the fact that it does cot show in whit > key the music is given. If it were placedover the note C, when the keyboard is in the normal position, it would show, the key in which the sounds are heard. As it stands, the changes of the key must be followed by counting the sounds made by the crank in. moving the action, or by mentally estimating the changes from the indicator, The indicator should show the key-note automatically. This is a defeot easily remedied, and the instrument may be recommended to vocal teachers, singers, organists, and others as useful and valuable improvements in pianofortes. —Scribner's for May.

" Can you tell me where Washington'» monument is ?" asked a rural gentleman in Charles street, Baltimore, the other day. "Just lift your eyes off the ground," said the person addressed rather tartly, " and you'll see it." •• Well I her lifted my eyes," said the rural party, looking his informant calmly in the lace,,. - "an I don't see nuthin' bat a darned old '■- fool."

An old man said to his nephew Who •'/ affected to be a wit, and was constantly:- | uttering stale jokes: " John, what is the ' difference between your jokes and onr '-' church bell ?" Jjhn gave it up, and his iuncle said ; " The difference is that no ■;' matter how often our church bell is tolled, it does uot grow tiresome, but the .4' oftener your jokes are told the more "<-' tiresome they become.