Musical Accompaniment of Moving Pictures

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Presented to the
LIBRARY o/tfu?
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
from the
ARTHUR PLETTNER
ISA
McILWRATTH
COLLECTION
MUSICAL ACCOMPANIMENT
OF MOVING PICTURES
A Practical Manual
for
PIANISTS
AND ORGANISTS
AND AN EXPOSITION OF THE PRINCIPLES UNDERLYING THE MUSICAL

INTERPRETATION OF MOVING PICTURES
By
EDITH LANG
AND
GEORGE WEST
Price,
$1.2$ net
The -Baton MU/IC ocmpoax

G. SCHIRMER
New
York
WINTHROP ROGERS, LTD.
London
COPYRIGHT,
1920,
BY THE BOSTON MUSIC COMPANY.

B.
M. Co.
6347.
Printed in the U. S. A.
CONTENTS
PAGE
INTRODUCTION
PART
1.
2.
.........
..........
.........
...........
..
.22
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Thematic Development
d.
Transition and Modulation
e.
Transposition
Improvisation
5.
II:
MUSICAL INTERPRETATION
31
.....
34
35
THE COMEDY DRAMA

WEEKLY NEWS PICTURES
37
EDUCATIONAL FILMS
TRAVEL VIEWS
40
38
41
III:
THE THEATRICAL ORGAN
.......
.........
.......
........
...........
.....
.......
.............
PECULIARITIES OF ORGAN TECHNIQUE

a.
How
6.
Pedalling
e.
4.
26
"FLASH-BACKS"
ANIMATED CARTOONS AND SLAP-STICK COMEDY
d.
3.
THE FEATURE FILM
c.
2.
13
21
REPERTOIRE
PART
1.
7
7
8
8
Musical Characterization
PART
1.
c.
/.
2.
EQUIPMENT
MENTAL ALERTNESS
MUSICAL RESOURCEFULNESS
a. General Remarks
6.
3.
I:
to Sit at the
Organ
Independence of Hands and Feet

Staccato and Legato Touch
Registration
ORCHESTRATION BY MEANS OF ORGAN STOPS

SWELL-PEDALS AND CRESCENDO-PEDAL
THE IDENTIFICATION OF TONE-COLORS
SPECIAL EFFECTS, AND How TO PRODUCE THEM
CONCLUSION
INDEX
44
44
45
46
47
47
47
52
53
56
61
63
iii
INTRODUCTION
THAT music
an invaluable and necessary aid to the success and enjoymoving pictures, is a fact which no one will deny. But the accompanying, or illustrating, music must be of the right kind, or else its very
aim will be defeated. Unfortunately, the right kind of "picture music"
is something that is not universally understood, and the musician, no
matter how learned he may be in his trade, is beset by a great many
problems, when he attempts to follow and illustrate in music the fastmoving film. This book is not intended to exhaust a subject which is
almost unlimited in its aspects, but it rather endeavors to lay down a few
safe and dependable rules and courses of action from which any student
of these problems may make his own deductions and develop his own
personal style. For nothing would be more tedious or impracticable than
to attempt uniformity where variety and individuality are the essentials.
The most successful and highest-paid player is the one whose style is the
most distinctive. When you analyze this distinction, you will find that it
is mainly based on certain characteristics of his personality, such as
ment
is
of
quick perception, realization of dramatic values, insight in

psychology, and well-grounded musical technique. But aside
from these factors, there is one quality which the player requires above all,
intelligence,
human
and which
quality
With
may
fit
is
this
book primarily intends to awaken and develop.
resourcefulness the average player of even mean endowments

any kind of picture that may be thrown on the
himself to follow
This resourcefulness extends in two different directions
screen.
That
resourcefulness.
one of
the musical training which must aim to perfect facility in improvisation the other is a cultivation of taste and a sense of fitness in adapting
musical material to the pictured scene. We shall try, in the following
them
is
;
paragraphs, to give practical hints in both of these directions. Therefore

book may be considered as a "first-aid" manual for the beginner in
the field of moving picture music.
this
The prime
to reflect the
function of the music that accompanies moving pictures is

mood of the scene in the hearer's mind, and rouse more
1
MUSICAL ACCOMPANIMENT OF MOVING PICTURES
readily
and more intensely
in the spectator the changing emotions of the

in the "movies" that is as foreign
One hears much music
pictured story.
to the action on the screen as anything could be, and frequently actually
Producers have been quick to
kills the effect of the photographer's art.
realize this danger, and therefore many pictures are being released with
minute instructions concerning the music that is to accompany them.

But even so, the player will require some training to do
(See ill. p. 60.)
the music and the picture justice, and will succeed best if his mental
alertness and his musical resourcefulness work hand in hand.
PART
EQUIPMENT
MENTAL ALERTNESS
1.
THE
player will do well, first of all, to "size up" his audience. Hardly
in any place cater to exactly the same crowd.
What "goes"
He will therefore have to experiment
in one house, "falls flat" in another.
two theatres
and judge carefully what road to follow. But it should be stated right
at the beginning, and strongly emphasized, that most audiences are misjudged in that they are capable of much more education and cultivation
than they are generally given credit
for.
He
is
a lazy and sterile player
who is satisfied that what he is giving his audience is "good enough."

The standards of good and bad music may vary according to country and
clime.
But it would not be hard to agree on desirable and undesirable
Its first
material for the musical accompaniment of moving pictures.
determine
this
is
fitness.
The
will
according to his
player
requisite
lights
and to the measure
It is well to choose
of his taste.
from among
the contemporaneous popular music such numbers as have become idenThe

tified with certain emotions, either of patriotism, joy, or sadness.
audience will grasp quickest what it is fairly familiar with, and sometimes
a short strain from, or mere suggestion of, a popular number will go a long
way toward telling its story. The classical repertoire, on the other hand,
is
an inexhaustible treasure trove
for all
who
seek diligently and patiently.
As the musical interpreter of the emotions depicted on the screen, the

player himself must be emotional and respond to the often quick changes
in the situation.
In fact, if not his knowledge of life, his knowledge of the
picture
must enable him to
ahead of the
film,
anticipate, so that his
music
preparing rather than reflecting.
is always slightly
Therefore the player's
eyes should be on the screen as constantly as possible, and never for too long
a stretch on the music or on the keyboard. His attention should be riveted
on the turn
of events, his emotions should promptly respond to pathos or

to
tragedy or comedy, as they may be interwoven in the picture
humor,
keen sense of humor is a necessary requirement in his make-up.
play.
But
his wit should
be capable of attuning
subtle irony to broad "slap-stick" farce

3
itself
to various gradations, from
and horse-play.
needed in quickly "locating" the musical atmosphere

is laid in, or suddenly shifted to the Orient, if
in the news section of the performance the film should portray a scene in a
foreign country, music of a corresponding nature will make the picture
"get over" much more successfully than would the indifferent playing of
a waltz tune. The player must be exceedingly careful not to "italicise"
the situation so that it becomes distorted or burlesqued. Therefore he
should refrain from all excesses. A case in point may be cited here. In
Mental alertness
for a picture.
If
is
a scene
the series of Burton Holmes's "travel pictures" the "Tagalog Toilers of

Luzon" in the Philippines are shown, planters and reapers of rice. These
toilers, hard-working men and women, are pictured in the act of threshing
the cereal, which they accomplish by a peculiar and complicated treading
of the sheaves with their feet, resembling for all the world a weird dance.
With a monotonous rhythm in the bass and an exotic inflection of the

melody, the strangeness and primitiveness of the scene would stand out,
the long and patient toil of the threshers would be apparent, the photogInstead, the musician plays a Broadway
rapher's aim would be gained.
cabaret tune, with plenty of "jazz"; the house
and the photographer's intended lesson is lost
is
roaring with laughter
This leads to the remark that flippancy and facetiousness are wholly out
and educational picture. The player's attitude of
mind should always be one of interest, never betray tiredness or boredom.
of place in a serious
Nothing is more quickly sensed by an audience than the inattentiveness

and indifference of the player.
In order to illustrate properly in music the happenings on the screen,
the musician should be endowed with psychological insight. Many books
on the subject are within reach of the student, and enough of them are
written in so popular a vein that they can be understood and read with
Human nature, in spite of its complication, can
profit by the layman.
be reduced to a rather limited field of observation, so far as the "movies"
are concerned. There is more or less resemblance between a great many
The
is very often the same, the emotions follow each other

the development varies but slightly. The law of compensation rules supreme, virtue receives its reward, crime its punishment.
Love and hatred, hope and despair, harrowing moments of tension and
films.
in
a given
intrigue
circle,
make up the bulk of moving pictures. Such

fundamental emotions, and their related affections, should be carefully
studied by the player
he should be able readily to recognize them, and
he should seek to express them in turn by means of music. In order to do
this successfully, he should not wait until he is in the theatre and the film
has started. He should devote hours of study to the carrying out of a preconceived plan by which he sets himself the task of playing or improvising
episodes of comic relief
MENTAL ALERTNESS
music that corresponds to these basic moods of human nature. In other

words, he should put himself successively into a frame of mind that is the
equivalent of happiness or grief, of quiet contemplation or hurried flight,
With sympathetic curiosity he
of hope attained or shattered dreams.
should study the mental processes by which human actions are guided, he
should learn to distinguish between noble and dastardly motives. Music
is a speech more subtle and pliant than that of mere words, and a sensitive
player
do,
is
capable of conveying, more clearly than the spoken word could

of the film actor may imply.
what the thought or gesture
The player should, above all, learn to read facial expressions. Since
the actor, deprived of speech, must emphasize his emotions by facial play,
the twinkle in his eye, a furrow of his brow, a look, or a smile are the only
manifestations of his thought. These the player must learn to distinguish
and to recognize
Music, it may as well be stated, cannot always

the facial play of the actor in some scene or other.
It will then behoove the player to give the keynote of the situation with
instantly.
shift as quickly as will
illustrative strains.
However, a word of caution
may
be added here,
that one should not rely too much on such methods, since nothing heightens
the enjoyment and effect of a film more strongly than a close and minute
following of every phase of the photo play, with due regard to musical
continuity.
A good memory is a valuable help to the player. Not only should he

try to memorize certain compositions as a whole, but he should especially
furnish his storehouse of remembered music with stock phrases and
motives, adapted to different moods, so that he can always draw from this
He should also try to remember certain films, the
library in his head.
development of the story, the sequence of situations, so that he may

Since popular wisdom has
anticipate the effect by recognizing the cause.
it that sunshine always follows upon rain, that the harvest shall be as the
"
movies" generally finds that the story
planting, the psychologist of the
of the film follows this popular line of thought.
The memorizing of certain
fits certain situations, of special musical effects that characterize
music that
particular incidents,
is
the surest
always ready for emergencies.
way by which the player can keep himself

Thus alone can he gain security and ease
in his playing!
It remains to say a few words about "theatrical values."
The player
should never forget that he is not playing an organ or piano recital, but
that he is furnishing theatrical music for a theatrical production. Tragedy
and comedy are built on the basis of ancient and well-recognized rules.
As the play progresses, gains impetus, presents its problems and intrigues,
gradually reaches its climax and leads to the solution, so should the music
advance and follow the march of events with an ever increasing intensity.
The graphic
illustration of certain theatrical situations will
be treated of
here to say that there are times when a situation becomes

so intense that even music fails to express it, and that nothing but a moment
later.
Suffice
it
If a play demands
of silence can give an actual realization to the spectator.
"local color" the music should unmistakably give it or approximate it at
least.
The
shadows
lighting of a picture, whether in full sunlight or veiled by the

of dusk, will govern the intensity of tone that the player draws from
the instrument. The "speed" with which the action progresses will
One may go so far as to say that the very
influence the tempo of the music.
peaceful, blossoming
scenery of the picture can be hinted at in tones.
landscape will demand music different from that which will fit a bleak and
The
desolate mountain region.

faster
bustle of city
life
will require
music of
tempo than the placid village square.
Nothing can give a better idea of what good moving picture music
should be, than the careful study of successful operas. Therein the welding
of action and music is so close, that they cannot be separated
the musical
;
amounts to a labelling of each singer with a pertinent phrase

Take as an instance the opera "Carmen" by Bizet. "Local
characterization
or motive.
given by a predominance of rhythms familiarly associated with

Watch the handling of the crowds, the excited populace
music.
Spanish
in the first act, the hilarious dancers in the second, the mysterious smugglers
color"
is
in the third, the stately
and gay procession
in the fourth.
Mark
the
voluptuous and alluring airs of Carmen herself, in the first act, contrasted
with the simple and sweet melodies that are given to Micaela, the innocent
country maiden. Note the dramatic effect of the motive of foreboding
and doom, first sounded in the third act, when the cards invariably point
to Carmen's death. The use of this motive, in the fourth act, becomes uncanny and achieves the height of theatrical impressiveness. One of the
finest modern examples of graphic stage music is Puccini's opera "Tosca."
Each character is treated in a manner that reveals the essential traits of
his or her nature.
Every measure in the orchestra fits the situation on the
Love scenes of unequalled fervor are followed by those of brutality,
stage.
of tragedy and horror.
Attention should be called to the beautiful portrayal in music of
the third act.
dawn breaking over the
Similar instances could be
city of
Rome,
named without number.
at the beginning of
The
diligent student
will search for himself in
the vast operatic literature for passages that become universally adaptable and will form his most effective stock in trade.
Then, there are a great many songs which by their words have become
associated with certain thoughts or emotions, and which the player should
be able to call upon without the notes, if necessary. There are a great
many
pleasing salon pieces of the lighter kind that will prove particularly
GENERAL REMARKS
and some of the shorter film plays. Music generally

associated with such events as weddings, funerals, patriotic exercises,
parades, special seasons of the year, boat songs, college songs, church
hymns, and the like, should all be in the player's fingers, ready to answer
useful for comedies
instantaneous
calls.
2.
a.
General Remarks
without saying that the player should constantly aim to improve

and to develop his technique, that of the fingers alone,
Since
if he uses the piano, that of keys and pedals, if he plays the organ.
the latter instrument has become predominant in most moving picture
This calls
houses, we shall concentrate upon its special technique.
It goes
his musicianship
immediately for a word regarding organ registration. The player should

familiarize himself with the peculiarities of each stop, select the most
As a guide for his
effective, and avoid the defective or blatant ones.
As
registration, the player should always have the orchestra in mind!
varied in tone color as this body of instruments is, so should be the change
and
relief
obtained by a wise and frequent variation in stops.
Registers and tone qualities of the organ should be kept separate and
such as strings alone, flute alone, reeds (oboe, saxophone, French
clear,
Tone qualities should

horn, cornopean, etc.), alone, whenever possible.
no more be mixed promiscuously than all ten fingers should be put on the
keys in long stretches of injudicious chord playing. It is best to avoid
It is generally safe to adhere to the effect of a solo instruclose harmony.
ment with accompaniment. "Full organ" should be avoided except in
As a rule, the organ should rather suggest its presence

than make itself overpoweringly felt. The music must vitalize the action
on the screen, not absorb the attention of the spectator, or deaden his
In the "movies", a mere finger-acrobat becomes a nuisance. On
ears.
the other hand, it is dangerous to overwork soft stops and echo effects.
A constant "murmur" of the organ is most irritating. Light and shade
should vary according to the picture's progress. If possible, one should
not make a crescendo to full organ more than once during a picture. An
To be sure,
overuse of glaring and striking tone colors is undesirable.
there are certain situations where nothing but a distinctive kind of reed
will express either the diabolical expression of a face or the gruesomeness
But "atmosphere" is more effective than strident noise.
of a scene.
special instances.
The player should
try to develop his musical resourcefulness chiefly by

This does not necessarily mean
cultivating his talent for improvisation.

that he must be gifted as a composer
and originator
But
although this ability will prove his supreme asset.
of musical ideas,
it will suffice if
he
learns to handle a given theme, or rather several of them, by the means of

rhythmical or modal variation, by extension or diminution, by change of
tone register and by contrapuntal combination.
Musical Characterization
b.
The kernel of the musical illustration of a picture is the main theme.

This should be typical in mood or character of the hero or heroine. It
should have emotional appeal, it should be easily recognizable and admit
This theme should be announced
of such treatment as mentioned above.
in the introduction, it should
person with
be emphasized at the
appearance of the
first
whom it is linked, and it should receive its ultimate glorification,
by means of tonal volume,
etc., in
the finale of the film.
Added to this,
there
be as many subsidiary themes as there are secondary characters in the

film.
This does not mean that every face that appears on the screen must
be labelled with a musical motive. This procedure applies only to the
characters that are really concerned in the progress of the action. The
villain will be characterized by a sinister or sombre theme, the comedian by
will
light
and
frivolous one,
and so
c.
on.
Thematic Development
The treatment and development
of these musical themes, for purposes
of picture accompaniment, is very much in the nature of the treatment

given to a musical idea in the course of a composition such as a sonata or
But, while the player cannot be urged too strongly to study

such works, the aim of this book will probably be best served by freeing
the subject of its more intricate technicalities and by plainly stating a few
symphony.
methods through which
may
this musical alteration or variation of a
theme
be accomplished.
Let us take for instance an emotional theme such as

Ex.
A
Andante
Sir
&',
Fl
8 -Saxophone Solo
light string
and flute accompaniment
If this theme were to represent the heroine in ordinary circumstances, her

appearance under emotional stress or afflicted with sorrow might be characterized by playing the theme in the minor mode, as follows
:
THEMATIC DEVELOPMENT
Ex.
B
Poco
lento
Oboe
_
I-
\ng ace
of hesitation, of doubt, or when placed in the necessity of

a
decision, the heroine might be characterized by a "breaking"
making
of the theme in the following manner
At a moment
Ex.
C
Moderate
Light reeds- one manual
Her anxiety might be expressed by taking the theme in a rhythmically

quicker form, and if this anxiety was caused by pleasant anticipation, the
theme would naturally be given in major
:
Ex.
D
Allegretto
Flutes 8; 4'
Harp accompaniment
while
it
would be given
in minor,
if
her anxiety was caused by apprehen-
sion or fear, as follows:
Ex.
E
Agitato
Str.8; PI. 8;
4',
Bassoon 16' (Cboe on
Attention should be called to the
16' coupler)
way
in
which these various examples
are treated with respect to registration and accompaniment.

They will
offer an outlook on the great variety that may be accomplished by judicious
10
manipulation. Only a few basic emotions have here been illustrated. A

wider range of psychological insight will suggest to the player a greater
number of possibilities in such manipulation. The player should always
seek to differentiate in each return of the theme, during the film, so that
new
interest will
enhance
its
appeal.
An
effective
means
of variation
a lower register and ornating

treble with appropriate figure work, as given here
is
offered
by placing the melody
in
it
in the
Ex.
Adagio molto espressivo
This treatment might suggest itself if the hero were pictured in a meditation
of which the heroine is the subject, or if he were reading a letter received
from her, in other words, if the heroine did not actually enter into the picture
but
of a
if
the thought of her was implied
theme can be
totally
by the action of others.

changed by altering the rhythm.
our theme, originally played in

airiness
presented in three-four time.
if
Ex.
common
G
Grazioso
/r*8
The
"
mood "
For instance,
time, gains in "lightness" and
THEMATIC DEVELOPMENT
Such treatment
will
11
be appropriate for a scene in which the heroine is

and happy circumstances or actually danc-
pictured in particularly pleasant

ing.
On
the other hand, a
four time
Ex.
theme that was
originally presented in three-
H
Larghetto
Mflodia or soft Flute
both hands
might be given "weight" by lengthening the measure into one of fourfour, as follows:
Ex.
Maestoso
Full Organ
Jfcr
Greater emotional intensity will be suggested by playing the original
theme to an accompaniment
of nine-eight.
Ex. J
Largo,
ma non
Strings
troppo
16,' 8,' 4',
2'
both hands on the
P*^
T^i W
"ft
samp manual
-f
in
12
be accompanied by change in organ regisnot easy to identify each stop or tone color with a
special character or emotion, it may be safe to recommend, for purposes
of general guidance, the indications given on pages 54 and 55.
All such variations should
tration.
While
it is
What has been said with regard to the theme characterizing the heroine,
But in all
applies equally to any other that may be chosen for the hero.
cases, these themes should be sufficiently "striking," so that the audience
can easily identify and remember them. In all their changes they should
remain easily recognizable.
theme that moves
as one that has at least one or
is
it might be said that ordinarily a

step-wise, will not stand out so well
Therefore
diatonically, that
two
is
skips.
For example
preferable to
As we said before, not only persons may be characterized by musical

themes, but also localities. If, for instance, the action is laid recurrently
in a certain place, this locality should always be announced by the same
theme. However, variation is essential here, as in other cases and if we
;
may
take for example a garden scene, this garden in sunlight might be
characterized as follows
Un poco
vivace
Fhite 4'
while the same place, shrouded in twilight, might suggest the following
treatment of the theme
:
Placido
Vox humana-both handt
me manna]
TRANSITION AND MODULATION

As a matter
music.
13
of course, different weather conditions will demand different

57 you will find suggestions for rain, for the approach
On page
and breaking
of a thunderstorm, etc.
However,
all
those effects are in-
dividually distinctive and are not the result of thematic "development."
Hand
hand with changes
of thematic variation, of organ registration,

go judicious changes in tonality. The player should be
cautioned that, when selecting his themes, he see to it that they are not
all in the same key, so that he achieve in the course of his performance a
and
in
of time, should
Nor is it advisable to adhere for too long a

pleasing variety of tonalities.
time to tonalities that are all in flats, or to those that are all in sharps.
Sometimes a player has certain likes and dislikes for given keys. These
he should eliminate and make himself proficient in all of the keys. It is
particularly objectionable when the player slavishly adheres to the "black
keys," and gives a whole evening's performance in D-flat or G-flat. There
are certain keys such as A-flat and E-flat which suggest "warmth" or
minor which fit a mood of sorrow and

languor, such as B-flat minor or
grief, such as A or
major which lend themselves to brilliancy, such as
major which suggests "clear skies" or "the ocean's wide expanse." Said
ocean, lashed into rollers by the fury of the wind, will naturally demand
more agitated music than the placid surface in a calm, and possibly the
player may find that he will also wish to differentiate in a key in which this
raging element
may
find a
fit
illustration.
Melodies of a meditative char-
The
acter or of a religious nature often gain when played in the key of F.
key of C has nothing to commend it, except that after long wanderings
through the rich realms of sharp or flat tonalities, it is most gratifying to
hear the crisp and bright "key of keys." These suggestions, in regard to
the nature and individual color of certain keys, are approximations, at
best, and experiments have shown that different people react differently
to the effect of various keys. But at least they will make the player
curious to investigate for himself and serve to make him realize that there
between one tonality and another. He will quickly see

that "transposition" from one key to another will lend to his theme a varied
aspect and that it forms one of the easiest ways of obtaining contrast.
exists a distinction
d.
Transition and Modulation
This leads to one of the most important points to which the player
should give special attention and continued study, namely to that of
smooth musical transition or effective modulation. By the scope given to
on harmony, it can be easily seen how essential

The player who is not already familiar with this chapter of
musical harmony will do well to enlarge his knowledge by carefully reading
chapter XI in J. Humphrey Anger's "Treatise on Harmony," part I.
this subject in the textbooks

its
mastery
is.
14
For the practical use of the "movie" player there are, however, certain
"tricks" of modulation which it may be well to point out here. As a
general rule the player should bear in mind that his transitions should never
be abrupt, unless a special graphic end may be gained thereby. He should
take time and care with his modulations. But what the following examples
intend to teach, is more a principle than an application. Only continued
practice will
make
the application a matter of ease and surety.
The
simplest modulations are the natural ones from one key into its
namely those of the (1) dominant, (2) sub-dominant, (3)
or for instance from C major to (1)
relative, and (4) parallel minor keys
related keys,
(major or minor), (3) A minor, and (4) C minor. There is

hardly a composition in which one or several of these modulations are not
used they may be readily found in any text-book. However, text-book
(major), (2)
demonstrations are generally, and for the sake of clearness, written in

chord progressions which form the harmonic skeleton of the melodic
progress.
Such presentation as the following
C toCt
may admirably show the underlying
harmonies, which, properly connected,
form the basis of a modulation from one key to its two chromatically adjacent keys (from C to Cb, or from C to C#), but they will decidedly not do
for our purposes.
The player should, in fact, carefully shun anything that
sounds like the wearisome chord progressions favored by diligent and
patient piano tuners. The text-book style of 4-part harmony, at its best,
too closely resembles church music and unless a picture actually shows a
;
church or religious function, the suggestion of the organ as an instrument

associated with religious worship should be strictly avoided in the theatre.
The many voices of the organ should always approximate the quality of
an orchestra, and only in particular cases remind you of the choir loft!
Nevertheless, the study of textbooks on harmony, and principally on
modulation, is an invaluable help in understanding, and carrying on independently, the exposition that follows.
Even the quickest and most abrupt modulation that the turn of events,
as pictured on the screen, may necessitate, should be made to act as a
melodic (or thematically connecting) link as well as a harmonic bridgr.
No matter how short a motive may be, it will always serve to emphasize
the organic nature of a modulation. It may either echo a theme that is
about to be discarded, or anticipate a new one that is to be introduced.
15
Which method the player should follow depends somewhat on the picture,
namely whether the action is receding from a moment of intensity (in
"
which case the intense" motive will be "reechoed") or whether it is
"
a moment (in which case the intense" motive will
to
such
progressing
"
act as a
foreboding"). These simple devices offer specimens of the
"psychologic" possibilities of modulation in connection with the
proper use of motives and special themes.
many
In modulating from one key ("given key") to another ("prospective

it may be found that the related keys (see above) of the prospective key are more easily reached than the prospective key itself.
In such
key"),
cases the modulation will, of necessity, be a little more circuitous ; but

it loses in directness, it will gain in musical effectiveness.
It makes
what
the modulation more "convincing,"

way of its relative minor key, or by
if
the prospective key
way
is
reached by
of its sub-dominant.
The most
obvious method, and that which in all cases may be regarded as the safest
approach, is a modulation to the dominant of the prospective key. With the
seventh degree added to the tonic triad of the dominant key, the dominant-
seventh chord of the prospective key is established, and from it the modulation will drop logically into the tonic triad of the prospective key.
For example,
being the dominant of C, the chord
and leads into ^sp*
ffe
Q
,||
becomes
Therefore the player will do well to practice such
modulations at the keyboard, aiming to reach the (1) dominant, or (2)

subdominant, or (3) relative minor, or (4) parallel minor keys of the prospective key. But such procedure, while of excellent musical effect, is
often lengthy and might prevent the player from following the speed of
pictured events.
Hence, for purposes of instantaneous or quick modu-
lation, the following

I.
II.
methods are recommended.
Modulation with the
aid of pivotal note
Modulation with the

aid of pivotal chord
III.
(see Ex. Vila, b, c)

chromatically altered (see Ex. Villa, b,
unchanged
c).
Modulation with the jin the "given key" so as to suggest, or

aid of motive altered
IV.
unaltered (see Ex. la-IVa and Ib-IVb)

enharmonically changed (see Ex. V and VI).
I lead
Modulation with the aid
into the "prospective
key"
(see
Ex. IX).
of diminished-seventh chords (see Ex. X).
I. With regard to the first method, it becomes at once apparent that

the success of its employment depends largely upon the selection of the
proper tone as pivot.
In the examples la-IVa, and Ib-IVb, the same
16
modulations have been effected by the use of different pivotal notes, all of
which serve the purpose. By analyzing the examples the player will find
that the notes of the "given" chords which were not used as pivots would
have probably proved less helpful

and convincing progression.
to, if
not actually prevented, a smooth
Pivotal note (*) unaltered :
Ex. la
NB.
If
a Bb
is
"
tends" towards
substituted for the B1, the modulation
etc. may be reached.
G minor,
and from there Eb major, Ab major or minor,

Ex.
Ha
NB
NB. With a C# instead of the C4, the modulation

and from there to F# minor, etc.
Ex. Ilia
will
"
tend
"
towards
major,
Pivotal note (*) enharmonically changed
Ex.
17
Compare
this
modulation with Ex. Ill
Ex. VI
In this example two notes form the pivotal link, one of which
changed, the other remains unaltered.
is
enharmonically
18
II.
The
success of the second
method
is
dependent on a quick discern-
"
as to which of the notes in the

given" chord will point by either
"
2
l
suspension or anticipation to the prospective" chord. The devices of
ment
suspension and anticipation are most valuable aids in modulation, and, if

And yet it may not
tastefully employed, will greatly enhance the music.
be out of place to say here a word against the abuse of "chromatically"
creeping modulations, which soon become cloying and lose the inherent
charm which they possess when used with moderation.

Pivotal chord, unchanged:
Ex. VII
A*
toB
toE
maj. ormi
Pivotal chord, chromatically altered:
Ex. VIII
a)
b)
J
,IJg
J-
J,,I,1-J
c)
j-
h-,J
19
III. For practical purposes, the third of these methods is undoubtedly

one of the simplest and quickest. It is advisable to lead into the "transitory recitative" (first measures of Ex. IX) without "straining" or altering
the tonality, so that the "given" key
But
is
established before the transition
which this method is invaluable, the

begins.
"transitory recitative" may be taken up almost at any point, so long as
the outline of the motive, no matter how much it may be chromatically or
The "transitory
diatonically altered, remains sufficiently recognizable.
recitative" is virtually the melody in a chain of modulating chords, in
which these chords have been omitted. If they are replaced, as in IXf
(which achieves the same modulation as IXe, where they are omitted)
it cannot be truthfully said that this replacement, heavy and "textbookish" as it sounds, adds anything to the modulation, in beauty or
On the contrary, it sounds involved and sluggish.
effectiveness.
Modulatory
in cases of
recitative
emergency, for
e)
f)
I
to
At
maj. or min.
f
IV.
Any
all of its
diminished-seventh chord, such as that given in Ex. X, in

is a means of instantaneous modulation.
In Ex.
inversions,
the same diminished-seventh chord, in its various inversions, is made to

serve as a modulatory link to the dominant-seventh chord of all the twelve
and minor) which are comprised in our present musical

That the dominant-seventh chord, in all twelve cases, is intro-
tonalities (major
system.
duced by the suspension of one of the notes in the chord, is not a matter of
it cannot be stated too often that by the aid of suspensions
accident
smoothness will be added to almost every modulation.
;
20
Modulation with a diminished-seventh chord:

Ex.
X
(orb)
toF
loC
aj
toG
min.
(ormin.
(orb)
Mj
to
j.("rmin
|Riaj.(nrmi
s
(ork)
toE
toB
m a j .(or mi n
.OF
ormin
.t/>
maj!ror
D
min
V
The introduction
manding but little
maj.ormin
I
of the diminished-seventh chord itself
is a matter deFor any one, though only just beginning to be

familiar with the art of improvisation, will quickly see how
easily a
iix-lodic phrase may be deflected into a chord of this nature.
Ex. XI
will
skill.
demonstrate this with the aid of our original theme.
TRANSPOSITION
21
As a matter of fact, both Ex. XIa and Xlb lead each into a different
diminished-seventh chord, the one reached at the conclusion of Xlb being
identical with the one from which Ex.
proceeds. The player will
notice that a very pleasing effect may be obtained by joining Ex. XIa
and he will pay particular attention to the fact that from the close
Xlb he may immediately go into the second measure of any one of
the twelve examples in Ex. X. This, and similar experiments, should
be repeatedly and diligently tried, for they are invaluable in giving
the player that musical resourcefulness of which the ability quickly
and effectively to modulate forms such an important part. It cannot
be too highly recommended to all students, seriously desiring to perfect
themselves in this field, that they combine with the absorption of the
and
b,
of Ex.
hints, given above,
a careful study of modulatory devices as presented
The piano
in text-books and, most of all, in the works of the masters.
compositions of Chopin, Schumann, Liszt, and Cesar Franck will prove
an inexhaustible source
of instruction
and
inspiration.
Only by going
to works of art for the necessary model, may the player eventually hope
to shape his task into another expression of musical art, and so gain
the true purpose of his mission. In the selection of modulatory devices,
as in everything else, the player should carefully refrain from adhering
too closely or exclusively to one and the same form. Mannerisms and
bad habits are
Variety
easily acquired.
the principal aim that should
is
be sought.
e.
Transposition
Another valuable source of help to the player
is
his ability to transpose
any key. Such faculty preand with the principal types

To read at sight a composition in a key, different from that in
of chords.
which it appears on the printed page, demands training and mental
any piece of music, theme or motive, into

supposes a certain familiarity with harmony
If the player should try to transpose each note into the higher
or lower interval desired, as the piece progresses, he would find it slow work
and impossible to give an adequate performance of the piece. In order to
alertness.
this obstacle the player should learn to read melodies by giving

universal scale-appellation, not according to the actual pitch of
each note but to the degree which it represents in the scale of that particular
In other words, he should give each of the seven degrees of the
piece.
overcome
them a
scale its general scale-appellation,
do
re
mi
fa
sol
la
ti
so that the third degree of the scale, no matter in what key, will always be
mi, or the sixth degree always la. Thus, if he has learned to read the
22
"Star-Spangled Banner" according to this method, he
read the be-
will
ginning as
jrsu
mi
sol
do
J J
ml
sol
F2\
J j j
Jo
mi
do
re
mi fat
j
sot
and be able to transpose the melody, with its proper harmonies, into any
other key by simply adjusting the tonic do to the key desired. The melody
of our theme would read accordingly, in the original Key of C,
ml /i /at
The symbol
m
f
sol
do
II
mi
m
[JtfJ
(
re do
&nd transposed
tothekeyof^
mi fa fat sot do
fat
mi re do fat
before the 3d and 9th notes of the melody simply

as is seen in the transposisignifies that the notes are raised a semi-tone
tion, the raise is actually effected by a 4, since the degree of fa in the
of
ft
This leads to the remark that in transposition

scale of Ab has a "flat."
from a key with sharps into a key with flats, the
becomes a $, the x
becomes a ft, the \ becomes a b, the b becomes abb; and on the other
hand, in transposing from a key with flats into a key with sharps, the b
becomes a \n, the bb becomes a b, the $ becomes a ft, and the
becomes a x.
One of the simpler transpositions is that in which the notes on the staff
remain the same, only the key signature is altered, as for instance from G
to Gb, in which case the signature of one sharp turns into one of six flats.
In transposing from the key of Ab to that of A natural, the signature
changes from four flats to three sharps, and all accidentals are altered in
ft
ft
the
way
indicated above.
In order to verify and assimilate these rules, it will prove most helpful
to carry out a few transpositions on paper, first a semitone up and down,
with the notes remaining the same on the staff and only a change in accidentals taking place, later choosing larger intervals of transposition, at
which to raise or lower the key, in which instances the notes on the staff
also will change.
However, all intervals of the original remain relatively
the
in the transposed key, and by reading intervals instead

by adopting the substitution of general scale degrees- (do
same
that
is,
of notes,
re
mi
etc.) for the actual notes played, this transposition may be effected with
ease and a measure of surety that depends only on the greater or lesser
experience of the player.

f.
Improvisation
The talent for musical improvisation is closely linked with that of musical
composition. As a rule, great composers, and among them particularly
those who excelled as organists
such as Bach, Mendelssohn, and Franck
possessed that gift to a supreme degree.
certain facility in improvising
is
Hence, the acquisition of a
equivalent to a study of the principles
involved in composition, added to keyboard proficiency.
IMPROVISATION
23
Since the study of composition presupposes familiarity with the rules of

"
"
harmony, a book like Keyboard Harmony, by Uselma C. Smith, does not
only impart the necessary knowledge, but presents it at once in a manner

which makes it applicable to the practical use of the student. The first
thing to learn is the nature of the various scales, intervals and chords;
next, the proper joining of chords
musical cadences and phrases.
finally
the arrangement of chords in
To improvise at the keyboard, means to let one's natural musical

fancy dictate to the fingers, while one's acquired critical faculty constantly
It may also be called
directs and supervises the result of that dictation.
"listening to an inner voice," which voice need not always be essentially
but will often, and certainly at first, reecho with a slightly differ-
original,
ent inflection outer voices that the player has heard before and
now vaguely
remembers.
In order to awaken a tendency for improvisation, you should try to
a short melody of not more than eight measures, or eight accented
beats, and see that the melody you sing does not actually resemble some
SING
other tune that you know. In doing this you will have
step on the road to improvisation. Be sure to
made
REMEMBER
the
first
the melody
that you have thus created, by singing it over and by listening carefully
to it until you have firmly settled it in your mind. Then ascertain the
rhythm of your melody, and see whether it is in common time, in f tune

or in some other rhythm. When you have done this, you should try to
melody's first note in the scale (i.e. whether the
melody begins with mi, sol, do, or any other degree of the scale), locate
the pitch of the melody on the piano or organ to correspond to that in
which you have been singing it, and then PLAY your melody on the keyboard. Let us take as an example an obvious melody, that might begin
realize the position of the
as follows
You will
see that the musical phrase (I) is built on a motive (1) which corresponds to a rhythm of two eighth notes followed by a quarter note. This
rhythmical motive is repeated, or answered, by the identical rhythm but
with different notes, for simple reasons of symmetry (one of the fundamental principles in musical composition), thus forming one half of the
the next half contains as many notes as the first, but they
first phrase
are rhythmically grouped in a different order. Phrase (II) follows the
rhythmic scheme of (I). Let us assume the melody continues in the fol;
lowing
way
24

in
rv
IMPROVISATION
(f**^
25
26
It should be stated that the four-part harmonization of Ex. (2), while

harmonically more interesting and aesthetically more pleasing than Ex.
(1), is nevertheless too much after the "text-book" fashion, and therefore
removed from what the

ment of the accompaniment
far
picture organist should strive for. The treatis more in the style of what the player
in Ex. (3)
should always hold before him as his goal, an expressive melody, unencumbered by middle voices, and simply seconded by chords that form a
proper harmonic sequence, broken up, or figurated, in an appropriate

manner. It would lead too far to present here all the problems that the
player will meet with in improvising. But let it be clearly understood that
be a more or less dexterous finger play. The

always be the interpreters of a song, or inner voice, that the
player develops and carries in his mind. Only thereby can he hope to
impart to his melodies their chief quality, which is expressiveness. He will
naturally hear every tune in a certain harmonic garb, and to disclose
this, as well as the tune itself, he must exercise his harmonic sense.
this improvisation should not
fingers should
For the carrying on, and thematic development,

excellent practical guide
may
be found in a
little
of
a melody, a very
work on "Extempori-
Sawyer. The methods of improvisation will

easily understood, and the student will be enabled to work
the problems out for himself with a reasonable degree of surety. As a
further practical help, no book could be recommended more strongly than
Edmondstoune Duncan's "Melodies and How to Harmonize Them," which
has the inestimable advantage of possessing a key by the same author, and
published separately, which will supply the student with an answer to all
zation" by Dr. Frank
J.
thereby become
the exercises, should he find
difficulties in solving
them.
With these remarks we bring to a close the general recommendations

Mental alertness
that every player for the pictures should bear in mind.
and musical resourcefulness will enable any one who is gifted with sufficient
technique to give a most adequate musical interpretation of the pictured
With a certain facility in improvisation and a sense of dramatic
scene.
values, the player
may even hope
3.
more than that, and really

experiences, a thrill
to accomplish
give the spectator that most illusive of
all
REPERTOIRE
The
following list, without attempting to be exhaustive, will furnish

the player with enough suggestions to make his repertoire a large and
varied one. It cannot be emphasized too strongly, that constant and
With the study of the
diligent search for new material is all-important.
classification given herewith, the player will learn to distinguish musical
moods and
that he
gain surety in selecting the proper material for each scene

encounter.
will
may
REPERTOIRE
NATURE
Bull
27
28

IMPRESSIVE MOODS
Cui
Whelpley
Hopekirk
Enesco ..
Halvorsen
.
Prelude in
Prelude
Ab
Wagner
King's Prayer, from
Wagner
"Parsifal"
"Lohengrin"
Sarabande
Adagio
Triumphal Entry of
the Boyars
tions
Meyerbeer
Handel
.
FESTIVE MOODS
Nevin
Wagner
Wagner
Meyerbeer
Oswald
Adam
Albeniz
Albeniz
Manzanares
Luzatti
Borch
Grunn
Peterkin .
Saint-Saens
Tournament
Torch Dance
Largo
Selec-
REPERTOIRE
SPEED
Argus
(Hurries)
29
30
SPECIAL CHARACTERS
AND SITUATIONS
Tragedy
a.
Impending:
Tschaikowsky
Beethoven
Rachmaninof
movement from Symphonic Path6tique

movement from Sonata Pathetique
Prelude, C# minor
Beethoven
Massenet
Tschaikowsky
2d movement from Sonata Pathetique
Elegie
1st
1st
6.
Aftermath:
Death
(N. B.
Chopin
Beethoven
Mendelssohn
3d movement from Symphonie Pathe"tique

.Funeral
March
Funeral March
Funeral March
In the presence of actual death, observe silence!)
Battle Scenes
Tschaikowsky
Tschaikowsky
Overture "1812"
Last movement from Symphony No. 6
Storm Scenes
Rossini
William Tell
Rachmaninof
Beethoven
Middle section from Prelude, C# minor

1st movement from "Moonlight Sonata"
Villanous Characters
a.
Robbers (In Drama)

Robbers (In Comedy)
Bizet
Grieg
6.
Sinister villain
Gounod
c.
Rou6 or vampire
d.
Revengeful
Puccini . .
Leoncavallo
villain
Smugglers' Chorus from "Carmen"

In the Hall of the Mountain King
Music
Music
of Mephistopheles in "Faust"
of Scarpia in "Tosca"
Introduction
and
finale
gliacci"
Youthful Characters
Mendelssohn.
Grieg
Grieg
Old Age
Spring Song
Spring Song
Butterflies
Nevin
Mighty Lak a Rose
Orth
What
the Old
Silver
Threads
Sundown
Danks
Hopekirk
Oak Said
Among
the Gold
from "Pa-
PART
II
MUSICAL INTERPRETATION
1.
THE FEATURE FILM
PERHAPS the best way of indicating a safe procedure in the musical

interpretation of a feature film, is to single out one photo-play, and to
suggest a musical garb that will fittingly clothe it with strains such as
will bring
out in bolder
relief
the plastic curves of the story.
All of the
motion picture concerns issue for each of the pictures which they release a
synopsis that enumerates the various characters of the cast and gives an
This synopsis should be carefully studied and should
outline of the story.
enable the player to select music descriptive of the various situations and
emotions portrayed.
Let us take as an illustration "The Rose of the World" with Elsie
1
Ferguson. The opening scenes are laid in India, at a British Army Station.
This will immediately suggest the necessity of preparing certain strains
of music characteristic of the Orient; also of martial music in scenes
depicting the soldier life. The story is as follows. Captain S. is married

to a 16-year old girl named Rose, who is very beautiful, but as yet has not
awakened to a realization of life and love. (1. Main love theme, intensely
The Captain is about to depart with his troops on a military

emotional.}
expedition against rebellious natives. The film shows his leave-taking
from the young wife he tells her that if he returns alive he will teach her
;
what love
really
means.
The
troops are seen departing in the distance,
with the Captain in command, to the sound of Scottish bagpipes. (2.

Hindu motive interwoven with military march and imitation of bagpipes.}
The troops disappear, and Rose suddenly realizes her loss; she wildly
longs for her husband.
(3. Main love theme repeated, with softer registration and rhythmically more agitated accompaniment.}
In the next
scene, the return of the troops is shown.
(4. Same musical treatment as
No. 2, going from faint to loud, and leading directly into 5. Introduction
t(
William Tell."} Rose looks in vain for her
of Overture to the opera
husband the officers tactfully inform her that she is left a widow and hand
;
By
kind permission of The Famous Players-Lasky Corporation.
31
32
her a box of letters, the only thing that they are bringing back to remind
(6. Main love theme in the minor mode, suggestive of
her of her husband.

grief
The next picture picks up events several years later,

believing herself a widow, has married the Viceroy of India,
a grand ball is held to celebrate the occasion. (7. Brilliant waltz
and despair.)
when Rose,
and
Lieut. R., a comrade of the late Captain S., appears and asks for
"
Somewhere a
(8.
permission to write the biography of his dead friend.
His request is granted. Rose's niece, a young school
voice is calling.")
music.)
girl of
"sentimental" age,
falls in
love with Lieut. R., and consequently is

in the biography of her husband
whose collaboration
jealous of Rose,
brings her much in contact with Lieut. R. The mischievous niece places
a picture of the late Captain S. on the piano and begins to play and sing.
The niece's
(9. Imitate school girl trying to play Grieg 's "I love you.")
kitten helps in the performance by prowling leisurely over the keyboard.
(10. Imitate kitten skipping up and down the keys.)
Rose, exasperated,
snatches the Captain's photo from the piano and rushes from the room.
The biography has
(11. Agitated strain based on the main love motive.)
its closing chapter and Lieut. R. demands to see the box containing
the late Captain's letters in order to make the story of the last moments
complete. Rose feels that these letters are too sacred for the eyes of the
reached
(12. Massenet's "Elegie," leading into an agitated strain).

Her husband, the Viceroy, without regard for the delicate feelings of Rose,
demands that she surrender the letters in order to help Lieut. R. in his
task.
Rose realizes how repulsive her present husband is to her and how
outside world.
much
she still loves her lost hero.

(13. Suggest the inner struggle of Rose
by treating main love motive in minor mode and breaking it up in short phrases
which successively rise in pitch, and finally lead into a calmer transition.)
The Viceroy has
left
Rose's boudoir
she gets out the box of letters and
read some of them; her emotion overcomes her and she faints.
"The Rosary" ; endeavor to make the climax of the song synNevin's
(14.
Her health gradually fails
chronize with the moment at which Rose faints.)
tries to
and they decide to send her to England to recuperate. (15. Suggestion

Then follow scenes
of the Hindu theme leading into "Home, Sweet Home. ")
on the ocean liner and of the sea- voyage. (16. "Sailor, beware.") Rose
returns to England, to the home of her first husband.
(17. "I hear you
him
in
and
she
feels
nearer
to
There
spirit,
spends much
calling me.")
time in reading over his
letters.
(18.
Main
love theme, with vibrato effects
and echo registration on the organ.) She reads of the siege,

the battle scenes, and his approaching death by thirst and starvation.
in the
(19.
treble,
Suggestion of
Hindu music,
agitated strains depicting the battle, leading
a tremendous climax.) Suddenly the Viceroy and his Hindu secretary

appear in the room. Her husband chides her, and becomes more loathsome in her eyes, the quarrel ending in a violent scene at the dinner table.
into
THE FEATURE FILM

(20.
and
33
ball, suggested in a distorted

a brutal outburst which accompanies the final
Snatches of the waltz, played for her wedding

agitated
manner, leading
to
confession of Rose, at the dinner table, that she loathes the Viceroy and belongs
Rose rushes from the table and seeks to seclude
only to her first love.)
own rooms. (21. Suggest "Somewhere a voice is calling.")

In the night a terrible storm comes up. (22. Storm music from Overture
to "William Tell")
Rose, in a frenzy, begs her Hindu maid to try an
incantation that will bring back the spirit of Capt. S.
(23. Over a low
herself in her
rumbling in the bass, suggestive of the continued storm, the weird chant of the
Hindu woman rises in the treble; this leads in a big crescendo to the climax.)
At the height of the storm and incantation, Capt. S. bursts into the room
he had escaped from the native prison, where he had been held a captive
for three years, had managed to disguise himself as a Hindu and to find
employment as the Viceroy's secretary. He had been watching to see if
At the sight of the man
his wife still loved him.
(24. Main love theme.)
whom she believed dead, Rose loses consciousness. Awakening the next
;
morning, she finds her lover at her side.; they are reunited, to live happily
ever after.
(25. Apotheosis of main love theme.)
Even this short exposition, briefly outlining the story, will show the
variety of music required, and the manifold treatment which it needs, to
depict graphically the emotions that animate each scene.
Perhaps one of
the most
difficult things for the beginner to learn, is the joining together of

musical motives and strains, as enumerated in the above example. It is
here that musical taste and the ability to improvise will prove most
Most of the emotions that come into play in the story just told
by the thematic variations demonstrated in an earlier chapter
with the aid of our theme A. Thus, for instance, the music for number 6
would be treated similarly to our Ex. B. The music for No. 11 might be
valuable.
are covered
No. 13 might be dealt with according

might serve as a model, by either using
treated after the fashion of Ex. C.

to Ex. E.
For No.
18,
Ex.
broken chords in the treble (as is the case in the example) or supplying the
harmony by a vibrato in the treble. Ex. I might suggest the proper treatment for the return of the love theme at No. 24. For the apotheosis, or
finale, at No. 25, Ex. A should be played with full organ, with rich and
effective registration.
What
has been said, under the general recommendations, regarding the

necessity of varying constantly the time and key of the accompanying
music, in order to avoid monotony, should naturally be borne in mind
throughout the musical illustration of the feature film. The transition
from one strain to another should be made with the aid of effective
modulation, according to the principles laid
graph.
Variety of registration
must add
down
in
an
color to the music.
earlier para-
The player
34
should follow the story closely, and keep his eyes on the film as
much
as
possible.
Experience
will
require what, for
teach the player that for a great many occasions he will

of a better term, might be called "neutral" music.
want
Thereby is meant music of no particular character, which forms a suitable

accompaniment for scenes that do not call for special musical illustration.
The type
some
or
by
of
music that
will best serve this
of the shorter preludes
purpose
by Chopin, or some
"Neutral" music should never
Grieg.
is
pleasant salon music,
of the little piano pieces
last too long, as it is
only a
makeshift and a stop-gap.

2.
peculiar feature of
Thereby
is
"FLASH-BACKS"
many
films is
the introduction of flash-backs.
meant the momentary interruption
of the pictured story to give
thought of one of the actors, or to illustrate his

words, or again to remind the audience of a secondary action which is
supposed to go on at the same time in a different place.
in a pictorial "flash" the
Thus, for instance, a man, driven to despair, may be contemplating suiHis emotional tension is illustrated in the music by gloomy or
The man is about to shoot himself, when in his mind he
tragic accents.
suddenly sees the home of his childhood with his young orphan sister
The screen
left to the mercies of this world, if he should destroy himself.
shows the old homestead, the sister in her sunbonnet picking flowers in
the quaint and pretty garden. Nothing could be farther removed from
cide.
the horror of the actual situation, than this picture of calm, of innocence
and happiness. It fades as abruptly as it sprang up. But the thought
of the consequences of his action have suddenly brought the man to
cowardice of his plan; he is determined to "stick it out" like

it would be a mistake to interrupt the musical tension of the
scene by introducing a few bars of "Garden music" while the girl is shown
with her flowers; it would cut short the dramatic progress and foil the
realize the
a man.
Now,
up of a climax which comes when the man resolves to live, and

throws away his gun. Therefore the music should not change its character
during the flash-back, but it should be very much subdued and be instantly
softened to a mere whisper while the flash-back is shown, to burst out
building
immediately into normal loudness when the flash-back vanishes.
Another situation
An
in
which a flash-back
may
be employed
is
the follow-
read, or relate to some one else, the account of somehas

that
thing
happened to himself or another person. To make this plain
to the audience, the incident itself is often shown in the form of a flash-
ing.
back.
actor
An
may
escaped prisoner of war, standing before his
own
superiors,
35
may tell how he killed the enemy guard in order to make his escape, and the
actual killing of the guard may be recalled to the audience by showing a
short phase of the struggle during the telling of the story.
The music which
accompanies the actual scene need not be changed for the moment during
which the flash-back
but in order to emphasize the dramatic tension

and dynamic intensity of the music played should
be heightened during the flash-back. In other words, a piece of moderate
tempo and moderate loudness played for the scene in which the man appears
before the officers, should be played with greater loudness and greater speed
lasts
of the incident, the speed
when the
while the flash-back lasts, to return instantly to "normal,"

back vanishes.
flash-
An instance where perhaps an actual change of music might accompany

a flash-back, would be the following. The villain is about to batter in the
door of the room in which the heroine is hiding. His brutal efforts and the
girl's
frenzy are musically depicted by strains of highest emotional and

Meanwhile the hero is furiously riding from a distance,
dramatic tension.
on horseback or by automobile, in order to
effect the rescue.
During the
progress of the main scene, flash-backs are shown of the hero's wild ride.
In such an instance it may be admissible to accompany these flash-backs by
on the key-board, with a soft organ registration, increasing in

loudness each time that the rider is shown approaching nearer to his goal.
fast runs
When
the
the hero bursts upon the scene, overwhelms the villain and rescues
girl, the climax is reached with a flourish of notes leading into an exalted
rendition of the
As
main love theme.
be seen by the above, the handling of flash-backs requires a

its own
practice will develop it quickly if the underlying
are
These principles are in most cases
principles
correctly understood.
not to disrupt the continuity of the music while the flash-back lasts, but to
will
technique of
change the intensity by playing the music, characteristic of the main action,
dynamic degree of loudness or softness which befits the secondary
in a
action.
and
In a few cases the speed of the music
may be changed to advantage,
in rare instances only the flash-back will
demand a musical treatment
from that which accompanies the main action. It

may be added here that indiscriminately used flash-backs are becoming
more and more rare in well-produced pictures, but they are still plentiful
in the cheaper films.
Flash-backs occur mostly in feature-films, the treatment of which has been described in the preceding chapter.
radically differing
3.
Many a player, who is otherwise admirably fitted to give a musical

interpretation of moving pictures, falls down on the animated cartoons
and burlesque films. This is due to an absence of the all-important
36
sense of humor, or "comedy touch", which is needed in every-day life

Sense
as much as in this particular branch of the movie entertainment.
of humor is a gift of the gods, but they will not withhold it from any one
who
seriously tries to acquire
it.
The player should
learn to recognize,
and be able personally to enjoy, the fun of the comic situations depicted
on the screen. Nothing is more calamitous than to see "Mutt and Jeff"
disport themselves in their inimitable antics and to have a "Brother
Gloom" at the organ who gives vent to his perennial grouch in sadly sentiA cheerful aspect of things, the faculty to
mental or funereal strains.
with
and
at
the
are
In no part of the pictures
world,
laugh
indispensable.
should the attention of the player be riveted more firmly on the screen
than here. If the "point" of the joke be missed, if the player lag behind
with his effect, all will be lost, and the audience cheated out of its rightful
share of joy. Nor does it suffice, as seems to be the idea of certain pictureplayers, to be armed with one lively tune that must serve all cartoons,
comedies and jokes, invariably and indiscriminately. In the cartoons and
in the comedies all sorts of other emotions, besides that of plain hilarity,
may come into play there may be sorrow, doubt, horror and even death
only all these emotions lack the quality of truth, and they must be expressed as "mock" sorrow and grief, "mock" doubt and death. This is
very different from reality and should therefore be treated differently in
the music. Take as a glaring example the funeral march of Chopin, with
its sublime note of tragedy and bereavement, and the exquisite "Funeral
March for a Marionette" by Gounod, with its suggestion of fine perThis method, applied to the most serious situation, can naturally
siflage.
be adapted to any other emotion that the player may encounter in a legiti;
mate picture drama and that he
will
have to "caricature"
for the picture
farce.
success, the "getting across" of a picture, depend so much

It may be stated candidly that these
special effects as it does here.
Nowhere does
on
and the best among them, are not always purely musical. As will
be pointed out in the chapter on "Special Effects," a battery of traps and
other accessories are really needed to emphasize in a comic manner the
action on the screen. It is often noise, more than music, that is wanted,
effects,
and the noise again may be of

should always be broadly imitative when accompanying
a fall, a hit, a slide, a whirl or flight through the air, a brawl, the whistle
of an engine, the chirping of a bird, the mewing of a cat, or the barking >f
to arouse the hilarity of the audience;
various kinds.
a dog.
It
In the last analysis
takes very
make a crowd laugh
only
live
a
with
spark.
ignited
Experience, here as in everything else, will prove the best teacher, and the
player will soon find out what effects work best and produce the surest
the fuse to
results.
its
magazine
it
of laughter
little
to
must be
THE COMEDY DRAMA

This part of the show
is
admirably adapted to the introduction of
37
all
sorts of popular songs and dances.

The player should keep in touch with
the publications of popular music houses, since it will repay him to estab-
a reputation which will make the public say: " Let's go to the Star
Theatre
you always hear the latest tune there." This will prove a neverfailing drawing card for the younger generation of movie-fans, and it will
lish
react
most decidedly to the advantage

and his own earning power.
of the organist in his relation to the
box-office
keep in touch with the monthly announcements of the
It is well also to
phonograph records issued. As a rule, these numbers have proved

assured successes, and people like to hear their favorite tunes, either
latest
new ones which they might want to add

The player's repertoire should always be kept alive
new and up-to-date material.
those they already have at home, or

to their collection.
by the infusion
of
One important factor in these pictorial farces is the matter of speed.

"Pep" is the key-note to the situation, with the current "jazz" tunes as
a medium. When special effects are to be introduced, or certain moods and
emotions are to be "italicized" and burlesqued, this may be done at any
point of the composition played, the piece instantly to be resumed. Above
all, keep things "going," like a juggler who may be handling two or twenty
balls, and occasionally drops one, but must never cease in throwing and
catching something.
THE COMEDY DRAMA
4.
Much that has been said in the previous chapter also applies to this
type of film. However, all effects, in general, will have to be toned down
and the methods employed will approach more nearly those of the "feature
film."
Sense of humor should again be the chief asset of the player. But
Fine
it should be rather a sense of wit than a fondness for horse-play.
musical taste, a light touch, apt musical illustrations, will greatly add to
the charm of the picture.
The
actors
player will here, as in the feature film, characterize the chief

by suitable motives there will be a main theme and the obligatory
;
Such pieces as "The Bim-Bims" by Adam, "Lydia" by Fomin, "Donkey Trot" by

Leducq, "La Gloria" by Densmore, "With Xylophone and Bells" and "The Juggler Come"
dian" by Huerter, "On the Hike" by Dumas, "Polka Humoristique
by Lacomb, and
"Chatterbox" by d'Ambrosio will prove useful material. The player should have at his
command the choruses of such well-known topical songs as "I cannot make my eyes behave,"
"Every little movement has a meaning all its own," "Where did you get that hat?" "Always
go while the going is good," "Waiting at the Church," "What's the matter with Father?"
J
"
mind's made up to marry Carolina," etc., etc. The association of such tunes with their
particular text phrase will always insure a quick response in the audience, if the tunes aie
applied to the proper situation.
My
38
As there is usually a love story

of supplementary selections.
interwoven, there will be need of some sentimental strain besides pieces
For flights, escapes and chases, the player should
of a lighter nature.
hold in readiness various kinds of musical "hurries." l A notable feature
Dumber
comedy drama is the "comic mystery," which should be as distinct

from the heavy mystery of the tragic drama as is the funeral march of
Gounod from that by Chopin, alluded to in the preceding chapter. To
obtain a good "mock mystery," the "comedy touch" and dramatic
instinct must work hand in hand.
of the
The player, alas, will soon discover that there are many
comedy dramas shown which are hopelessly dull and barren of
so-called
action or
In such cases, the only thing for the player to do, is to give a
quasi-organ-recital of light and graceful music (no fugues or sonatas!),
and to atone by the merit of his playing for the faults of the film.
interest.
In a city where musical shows are produced at the legitimate theatres,

the player will do well to use selections from such productions, just playing,
in the accompaniment to the lighter picture dramas.
5.
The topical
The audience
calls, as a rule, for topical music.

a moving picture house likes to hear the popular
success of the hour, be it a song or instrumental number, well played
and effectively rendered. It goes without saying, that due regard must
always be exercised in instances where the music and picture might clash.
It will never do to launch forth on a popular dance tune which might fit
one scene, showing some public happenings with which this music might
character of these pictures
that
fills
and to persist in playing the tune while the picture shifts to the
scene of a funeral or disaster. But, as a general rule, the news section of the
agree,
picture is the one that will give the best opportunity to play the lighter
type of popular numbers.
Unless the picture
is
of such character that
it
would
call for
a specially
appropriate musical illustration, the tune need not be changed for every
scene that is shown. But there are certain events, of which we shall speak
in the following paragraphs, that should receive special musical treatment.
Military or civic processions will require martial music.
Pictures of
weddings might be emphasized by a strain from Mendelssohn's or de

Koven's wedding music. A funeral procession should be accompanied by
the playing of Chopin's or Beethoven's funeral march. This will also be
appropriate for the showing of graves or a cemetery.
1
Grieg's
"
In the Hall of the Mountain King"
is
particularly useful as a
comedy agitato.

Church functions
known
39
the playing of a chorale or some well-
will suggest
sacred music.
Patriotic gatherings or the showing of statesmen

and royal personages should be accompanied by patriotic music or by the
national anthem of the particular country whose statesman or ruler is
shown.
It is against the
law to play garbled versions of "The Star
Spangled Banner" or paraphrase on it. If played at all, our national

anthem should be given in its entirety, with spirited movement and yet
in a dignified manner.
However, the anthem should not be dragged in
without rhyme or reason, perhaps simply because the flag is displayed in
some picture. Since the audience will rise whenever the anthem is played,
it
should be introduced,
if
at
all,
not more than once at each performance,
and only when the scene demands
The player should
familiarize
common
it.
himself with the most important and

many occasions where
bugle signals of the Army. There are

these bugle signals will add a dramatic touch.
If the picture shows a

military funeral or the graves of soldiers, the signal of "taps" should be
played in a suitable register, first unaccompanied, to imitate the bugle,
and then, if the picture offers an opportunity, the player may improvise
on the bugle call as a motive.
Frequently pictures of aeroplanes and other air-craft are thrown on the
These should be accompanied by light, "soaring" music (such as
screen.
"Through Space" by Paul Wachs or "Butterfly Chase" by Hugo Argus).

an aeroplane makes a rapid and spectacular descent, the player might
lightly glide his thumb down the keys.
If
Horse races or automobile races
If the player's
call for rapid music.
a
not
to
execute
technique
sufficiently developed
generally difficult
composition that demands a great deal of speed, he may obtain satisfactory
results by a rapid tremolo in the treble, punctuated by crisp chord progresis
moderate speed, played in a lower register. In any event, the

player must approximate the speed of the picture, and communicate to
the audience the excitement and tension that the original witnesses of the
sions, of
scene must have felt.

Football games may call for college songs. Other
sportive happenings, such as baseball or tennis, seldom require special
music. It is different with boat races or sailing regattas. They should
not only be accompanied by music suggestive of the speed, but also of the
graceful movement of the sailing boats, or of the swell of the sea.
are very appropriate for yachting scenes.
Fire scenes
demand music
Waltzes
of dramatic excitement, interspersed with
glissandi (slides) on the keys, from bass to treble, to illustrate the leaping
If the fire increases or decreases in violence, the player should
flames.
suggest this in his music.
Should the flames become extinguished, and
40
the scene show the rack and ruin of the place, the music should calm down
and express the mournful desolation of the picture.
For launching of boats, it

by accompanying the
picture
is
advisable to add to the tension of the
sliding of the boat along the
ways with an
appropriate tremolo in the treble, immediately breaking into a joyous

tune of a "horn-pipe" character, when the boat takes the water. The
player will find
sailor songs, as
great
many
it
number of chanties or
"news" pictures, but in a
useful to familiarize himself with a
they will
fit
in not only with
feature films.
In the showing of industrial plants where hammering and the clangor

machines dominate, such pieces as the "Anvil Chorus" will often add
of
to the enjoyment of the audience.
Pictures of agricultural scenes might
be accompanied by some of the "rural" songs and dances that

the audience is familiar with. Scenes in the South, cotton fields, steamers
fittingly
on the Mississippi, etc., etc., will call for the songs of Stephen Foster,
Virginia reels, Negro spirituals, etc.
Events in foreign lands, if these lands are in the Orient, will take on
added significance in the minds of the audience, if they are accompanied
by music which suggests Oriental strains (such as "Orientale" by J. R.
Manzanares, "Orientale" by C. Cui, "Koko-San" by I. Kamoto; see also
"From Russia" by G. Borch, "Nochecita" by I. Albeniz, "Spanish Serenade" by Strelezki, "Italian Serenade" by S. Maykapar, etc., etc.). 1
Under the heading of "news" pictures, are often run films that portray
the latest fashions. Such exhibitions require no special music. They call
for agreeable
and
"Fleur-de-lis"
by
S.
Baynes,
by
fluent salon music, or waltzes (see "Iris"

J.
by R. Friml,
Martel, "In the Starlight" by C. Huerter, "Ecstasy"
etc.).
6.
More than any
EDUCATIONAL FILMS
other pictures, educational films should absorb the whole
attention of the spectators. By their very nature and purpose, they are
intended to impart information or instruction of a general or special order.
The music that accompanies such views should therefore be carefully

The player should avoid loud
calculated not to distract the attention.
or showy pieces, and instead play music that will be conducive to the
creation of a calm and inceptive mood in the listener.
1
The player will find a great many pieces of general usefulness and special applicability
to national events in the series of volumes, published in the Boston Music Company Edition,
and containing representative pieces of various national schools. So far, the series ootnprim
the following countries: America, France, Russia, Scandinavia, Italy, Germany, Bohemia
(Slovak countries), Spain and Finland.
TRAVEL VIEWS
41
The organ registration for such pieces should be soft, nor should it be
too changeful, but rather adhere to one and the same registration for
some length of time.
There may be certain views, however, which by virtue of a musical
emphasis will tell their lesson more vividly. In the showing of growth and
development of flowers or insects, a crescendo that follows the progress of
the picture might not be out of place. Certain views of animal life may
suggest to the player particular effects that will be in keeping with the
story told on the screen. Scientific demonstrations rarely call for special
effects.
The
case
is
when the education is to be imparted by means

These require a few words of special advice.
different,
travel pictures.
7.
of
TRAVEL VIEWS
In dealing with travel views the player should bear in mind, first of all,
that he must provide his memory or his stock of accessible music with a
number
of pieces that are directly intended
more or
by
their composers as nature
sharply defining certain moods on land and sea, or

The well-stocked library of a picture player
will do so by implication.
should contain various categories of music, catalogued according to the
studies,
less
applicability of each piece, with plenty of cross references so that at a
moment's notice the player may lay his hand on the desired composition.
For travel views he may find it convenient to order his music according to
1, nature in general, and 2, special countries, with a possible addition of
3,
particular occupations or situations.
Under the head

water scenes.
of
"Nature
The
in
General" would come
of these
1,
may
landscapes and
appear in three general aspects

namely, 1, sunny, 2, cloudy, and 3, stormy. Music will be found that will
fit more intimately the views of placid gardens and orchards, harmonize
with undulating fields, shady woods, rugged mountains, or majestic glaciers.
In each case, a certain affinity between the music and the pictured scene
should be sought.
2,
first
There exists a great deal of music that by its very name suggests woodland scenes, or quaint gardens (see especially the works of MacDowell,
Nevin, or Grieg).
"
Water scenes," on the other hand, may
differentiate
between views
Here, again, any number of compositions

with suggestive titles will give the player ample material to choose from. A
frequent occurrence is the showing of cascades or rapids. These lend themof brooks, lakes, rivers, or oceans.
selves admirably to musical illustration
by means
of brilliant arpeggios
42
The seascape, in turn, may be shown in a state of utter

Each will require a
calm, of moderate motion, or lashed by a storm.
different musical treatment.
or purling runs.
While it
is difficult
to give a complete catalogue of music that will
embrace
possible travel pictures, the following suggestions will at least serve

to call the player's attention to some of the scenes he is likely to encounter.
He will do well to reckon with these possibilities and to fix in his mind
all
certain musical subjects that he will always have available, at short notice.
Among the pictures of the U. S. A. the player will have to reckon with
Southern scenes (negro activities, etc.), which will call for tunes that are
typical of the South, such as the songs of Stephen Foster and others.
The West
mountain
will furnish pictures of
scenes, etc.,
which
may
cowboys, round-ups, mining activities,

be made more graphic by the playing
of music that approximates the particular situation.

Coast scenes will
demand music that in some way suggests the water. From the
generally
North you may expect views

ice-boating.
The
of winter sports, such as skating, skiing, or

know a number of typically American
player should
songs and tunes, representative of various States and races.
The
Orient, in general, furnishes a limited type of views.
processions, temple scenes, dances, fSte days,
and the
like.
There are
The player
command over a fairly representative repertoire of exotic strains, some

typical of Arabia and Persia, some of India, others of China and Japan.
There are distinct differences between the music of these countries, and
an earnest student of the subject will try to find something characteristic
should
of each of them.
It is here, in particular, that the player may exert a

Rather gloomy and monotonous
great educative influence on the audience.
music will befit the desert, while brilliant and scintillating music should
accompany the hustle and bustle of Oriental street scenes and bazaars.
As a rule, Oriental music is distinguished rather by a peculiar inflection
of the melody than by variety of harmonic treatment.
The latter belongs
to the Occident.
his
Therefore
it will
often suffice
accompaniment to a droning bass
of either
if
the player adheres for

fifth or fourth,
an open
or a stereotyped rhythmical figure that is indicative of either the languor

of the scene (opium dens, harems, etc.) or of its typical movement (Arabian caravans, Oriental dancers, Chinese junks). A few works may be
suggested here, as offering a great deal of useful material of distinctly

Oriental color, such as "Scheherazade" by Rimsky-Korsakov (for Persian-
Arabian motives), the opera "Lakme" by Delibes and the ballet "Namouna" by Lalo (for East Indian and Arabian motives), "Caucasian
Sketches" by Ippolitov-Iwanov (for motives from Asiatic Russia), the opera
"Madame
Butterfly" by Puccini (for Japanese motives), the piano suites

(for Chinese
"Dreamer's Tales" and "Betel, Jade and Ivory" by Peterkin
TRAVEL VIEWS
43
and Malay themes). There are, of course, a great many other works that
would come into consideration, such as "Scenes in Algeria" by SaintSae'ns, African Suites by Coleridge Taylor; but it would lead too far to
give a complete enumeration, and it must be left to the zeal of the player
to find additional material that he
may
require.
may be well to remind the player with what variety of scenes in

views of Europe he may meet. He will do well to carry in his memory some
It
of the well-known folk-songs of England, Scotland, and Ireland, folkdances of Italy and Spain, folk-tunes of Russia and Scandinavia, and some
characteristic songs of France.

It will not do always to play the national
anthems of such countries except when really national events are shown.
For travel pictures the folk-song literature of these countries should be
drawn upon. 1
1
Much
useful music will be found in the
in the Boston
volumes of various national schools contained

Music Company Edition and mentioned in footnote on page 40.
PART
III
THE THEATRICAL ORGAN

1.
THE difficulties peculiar to playing on and handling of the organ as

distinguished from the pianoforte may be classified as follows :
a.
6.
c.
and
d.
e.
How
to
sit
at the organ.
Pedalling (playing with the feet).
Independence of movement between hands and
feet,
separately
in combination.
Use
of legato
and
staccato touch.
Registration (management of stops and various mechanical appli-
ances)
Fluent piano technique is the first requisite for a successful theatrical

Assuming that the candidate possesses this, coupled with expert
organist.
sight-reading ability
and a talent
a.
How
for improvising, he
to sit at the
is
ready for the work.
organ
perhaps the most important item of a theatrical organist's

equipment, since he must contend with long hours and physical strain.
This
is
Seat yourself in the middle of the bench (and stay there). Now lift
feet and hold them over the pedals, with the tips of the boots over
the black keys and the heels over the white, at the same time holding both
up both
hands over the manuals (keyboards for the hands) ready to play. Move
the hands and feet in the air. If you have an uncomfortable sensation
that you are going to fall off or tip over, the bench is too far away from the
keys or, most likely of all, you are sitting too near its edge. Try the bench
at different distances from the keyboard until you find the right spot where
by sitting erectly and well back on the bench, using the end of the spine as
the center of motion, not (barrel hoop fashion) the middle of the back, you
can swing arms and legs freely and yet reach the various manuals with ease.
Arrange your music at the proper distance from your eyes, and you are
44
FOUR-MANUAL ORGAN CONSOLE
("
Unit
"
orchestra type)
45
ready to play. In most of the theatres, the organ bench is provided with a
back. This is an absolute necessity in playing long hours. But do not
forget that the bench must be properly placed, just the same; fit the
bench to the body and riot the body to the bench. The failure to sit
correctly brings endless physical strain, even induces serious ailments,
For the unpleasant arm fatigue enparticularly with women players.

countered in playing too long on the upper manuals of a three or four manual
organ, a remedy is found in coupling through to one of the lower manuals,
which
explained farther on.
is
Right here be
arms and
it
said that every excess or unnecessary
movement
of the
much energy thrown away.
There are organists and

pianists who have acquired an unhappy "futurist" style of performance
by throwing the hands in the air at the end of a (to them) thrilling passage,
all of which is so much electricity
waving the body, shaking the head
legs is
so
The man who sits in absolute repose before his organ,

muscles relaxed and easy, with no hifalutin motions,
balanced,
perfectly
is the man who is going to last the longest and produce the most virile and
forceful music.
gone to waste.
b. Pedalling
Wear
round-toed, medium-heeled shoes, with flexible soles, not too thin.
The
pedals are played by means of the heel and toes.

(The flat of the
"
"
used only when a group of two or three black keys are encountered,
viz: C#, D#; F#, G#, A#, or Bb, Ab, Gb; Eb, Db.) This means that
a flexible ankle is of the utmost importance. The leg, contrary to general
foot
is
notions,
is
position.
not used except as a means of carrying the foot to the desired

actual playing of the pedals begins at the ankle. This is a
The
principle similar to that which governs piano playing, a loose wrist being
there the first requisite, as is a loose ankle in organ pedalling.
Place the foot in position, press down the toe and then the heel, and so
when the toe goes down the heel is released,
on, alternating toe and heel
when the heel is pressed down the toes are released, using a free ankle as
;
the center of action.
Should the ankle be allowed to become stiff and rigid, the weight of the
leg will be used to drive the sole of the foot against the pedal keys,
whole
resulting in the destruction or injury of the pedal
mechanism and most
certainly rendering absolutely impossible the performance of rapid pedal
passages.
Do
not look at the pedal board while playing.
Having seated yourself correctly in the centre of the bench, prepared

to stay in the centre, you are ready to learn to "feel with your toes"
viz,
46
play without looking at the feet. Locate the spaces between the groups of
short keys. They correspond exactly to the open space between the groups
Bb and C#
Eb and F#.
of black keys on the piano
-1*1*-
FED ALT BOARD
Thrust the foot into the space marked 2 in the drawing, the toes will
then be over the ends of E and F then into the spaces marked 3, 4, etc.
;
"
"
Having thus located these spaces, the adjoining black keys are easily
found. This method of feeling for the whereabouts of the notes until one's
feet
by long habit go there
of their
own accord,
is
the same as that of a blind
play the piano. He must perforce

between the black keys and then get his bearings.
man first learning to
feel for
the spaces
There are various books of pedal exercise which can be used in practicing
or the average musician can easily improvise his own exercises, using those
intervals most often encountered in his own work.
;
c.
Independence of movement between hands and

combination
feet,
separately
and in
For the theatrical organist, this is of prime importance, since the left
hand comes into a special realm of its own in this work. Practice playing
all tunes with the left hand, making them "sing" as they would if played
Then try playing any tune you desire with the left
right hand.
with
expression, and in strict time, in the meantime playing a
hand,
chromatic scale up and down another manual. After this can be done,
by the
make
the right hand more elaborate, playing arpeggios of various kinds.

Finally try playing an entirely different tune with the right hand, keeping
both tunes going at once, each complete in itself. When this can be done
(which will not be in a day or a week) add a pedal obbligato
i.e.
a bass

melody, or play the tune on the pedals, an obbligato with the
variations with the right hand.
47
left
hand and
When practicing scales on the pedals, always play a scale with the left
hand at the same time, in contrary motion to the one you are practicing
on the pedals. This serves to break the "invisible wire" that seems to run
down your
arm through your
left
left leg.
It also serves as
a guard against
getting out of position on the bench.
When reaching for notes at the end of the pedal-board, do not slide
along the bench, but instead, turn the body as little as necessary, the end
of the spine as a pivot.
d. Staccato
and
legato touch
the antithesis of church playing. A crisp, clean

touch is the first requisite. Most everything is
played staccato, except for special effects, such as the main love theme,
church scenes, or similar situations for which a legato (connected) touch is
wanted.
Theatrical
staccato
work
is
(detached)
The best pattern that can be followed is the orchestra. Make use of
every opportunity to listen to an orchestra. Watch the attacks, releases
and styles of playing of the different instruments, solo and ensemble.
Especially try to get the general effect of the concerted staccato and legato.
By carefully listening to the good theatrical orchestras travelling with good
opera and musical comedy companies, an entire course of instruction in

itself may be had in this manner
not only instruction in touch and style,
;
but also in tonal coloring, or "registration."

e.
of the stops
(Management
Registration
and various mechanical appliances, combination of stops, etc.)
Here, again, the theatrical organist must be an orchestra director and

arranger in thought and spirit. Go to the orchestra for your tonal effects
and combinations.
Many
ideas concerning
"conductor's"
the
The
"
"
registration can be gained
(or piano) parts of orchestrations,
by playing from
and by substituting for
the organ stops corresponding to the instruments designated.

"
"
orchestral
following will be a guide to such
registration.
cues
2.
As a
"ORCHESTRATION" BY MEANS OF ORGAN STOPS
rule, the tone-quality of
Trumpet, Oboe,
Violin, etc.
a stop
is
indicated
by its name
i.e.
Flute,
48
The
pitch of the stop is indicated by numerals, placed after

Flute 8', Bourdon 16', Piccolo 2', Viol 4'.
i.e.
its
name
8' (meaning "eight-foot tone") indicates that the key struck will
sound unison pitch, or the same as it would if struck on the piano. This
pitch is produced by a pipe 8 ft. in length.
pipe of
than one of
So
4',
proportionately formed, will sound notes one octave higher
8'.
produce a tone one octave lower than one of

sound two octaves above one of 8', etc.
also a pipe of 16' will
similarly a pipe of 2' will
Stops of 8' (or unison pitch),
4',
or 2' are called
"Foundation"
8'
stops,
unless specially voiced for solo use.
Stops of 5' 4" (5 feet 4 inches) and 2' 8" are called "Mutation" stops,
because the pipes of these stops sound a pitch other than that of unison
or
octaves.
its
Stops having several pipes to each note are called
"Compound"
stops
more generally known as "Mixtures."
or are
The following is a list of stops likely to be encountered on a journey

from a small two-manual to a large four-manual theatrical organ. Every
organ builder has his own ideas in the matter of stop nomenclature, but the
name
generally gives
some indication as to the
tone-quality.
The
stops
according to their orchestral usefulness, and not

divided into "organs," with the idea in mind that having once learned the
have been
classified
of the various names, the player will be able to identify the stops
with ease, no matter where he may find them. In these days of "duplex"
organ building, one is never sure to find certain stops on the same manuals.
meaning
The manuals
order
(or
"organs") are usually arranged
in
the following
1.
Solo
2.
Swell
3.
Great
4.
Orchestral (choir)
Small organs always lack the
first
manual, and sometimes also the fourth.
The
stops are either in the form of draw-knobs at the sides, or in rows of

ivory tablets at the top, just above the upper manual, as indicated in the
In the use of draw-stops, the "coupler" tablets are

"
"
generally placed above. These couplers are mechanical devices whereby
the stops in any one manual may be added to any other manual. Thus
various illustrations.
by turning down the tablet marked "Swell to Great" we can play on the
Great manual and yet have any or all of the Swell stops at our command.
When the prolonged playing on an upper manual becomes irksome, shut
''ORCHESTRATION" BY MEANS OF ORGAN STOPS
49
from the orchestral manual and couple the "Swell

"
you have your Swell" manual moved down several
off all orchestral stops
to Orchestral," and
inches.
These couplers are only used for joining
less to greater,
thus
Swell to
never Great to Swell.

Orchestral, Swell to Great, Orchestral to Great
A list of "couplers" will be found at the end of the enumeration of stops.
MANUAL STOPS
FOUNDATION STOPS
Voix Celeste
Sab'cional (Salicet)
Dulciana
Keraulophon
Gamba
Viol de
Gamba
Strings
Gemshorn
Dolce
Aeoline
Geigen Principal
Dulcet
Viol d'amour
8'
tone
Stopped Diapason
Lieblich Gedackt
Rohrflote
Grosse Flote (great flute)
Doppel Flote (double flute)
Harmonic Flute
Melodia
Wood wind
Waldflote (woodland
Flauto Dolce (sweet
Concert Flute
Clarabella
flute)
flute)
Clarinet
Saxophone
Small Open Diapason
Large Open Diapason
>
Organ tone
>
Strings
Gemshorn (Alpine horn)

Salicet
Viol d'amour
4'
tone
Flute Harmonique
Waldflote
Flute d'amour
Principal, or
Octave
Wood wind
Organ tone
50
2' tone
Piccolo (small flute)

Flageolet or Flautina
Wood wind
Gemshorn (Alpine horn)

Fifteenth or Super-Octave
REED STOPS
Contra-Hautboy
16' tone
Contra-Fagotto
Contra-Posaune
Correspond to the brass choir in orchestra
Ophicleide
Oboe
(orchestral)
Bassoon
Oboe or Hautboy
English Horn
8'
tone
Vox Humana
French Horn
Trumpet
Tuba Mirabilis
Horn
Same
tone as their prototypes in orchestra
Imitation of the
human
voice
Brass choir
Cornopean
Posaune
4'
tone
Clarion
Very
brilliant, flaring brass
MUTATION STOPS
5'
2'
4"
8"
2'
Quint
These stops, combining several tones in one,

add richness and brilliancy. They vary in
Twelfth, or Octave-Quint
Fifteenth
different organs as to tonal power,
COMPOUND STOPS
or piano,
Echo cornet
each note
The tone-quality,
compound stops is
Mixture
following will give
section of the orchestra.
some idea
of the
sound of these stops
"Mixture," play
will
sound
"
will
sound
will
sound
Sesquialtera," play
"Quint," play
forte
generally speaking, of
that of the wood-wind
sharp
The
i.e.
and must be experimented with.
Fifteenth," sounding fifteen above the key struck.
"ORCHESTRATION" BY MEANS OF ORGAN STOPS
51
DOUBLE STOPS
No
Double-stopped Diapason
Of 16-foot length or tone
Soft
Bourdon
16'
duplicate in orchestra.
& sweet, cloying if used
too much.
Double-open Diapason
Full, rich
organ tone.
PEDAL STOPS
The important
between stops on the Pedal Organ and those

that the former are uniformly one octave lower in pitch.
Thus, as the Open Diapason of a Manual is of 8' tone, the Open Diapason
on the Pedal Organ will be of 16' also, as the Double stops of the manuals
on the Manuals
distinction
is
are of 16' tone, those of the pedals are 32'.
FOUNDATION STOPS
Bourdon ff
Bourdon pp
16' tone
Smooth, full tone

Soft and generally
disturbing
if
used too much.
useful.
Violone
Excellent imitation of contrabass in orchestra.
Open Diapason mf\

Open Diapason fff
Ful1
Dulciana
P en or ^ an tone
'
Light string tone, duplexed from manuals.
Gamba
'
Correspond to same stops on manuals.

assertive quality when used in pedal.
Violoncello
f
Octave
(Flute
Rather
REED STOPS
(
32' length
Contra-Posaune
Bombarde
Contra-Fagotto
Brass choir
corresponding to the giant tubas seen
occasionally in orchestras
Fagotto
Trombone
16' length
Posaune
Brass choir
Ophicleide
8' length
4' length
Tuba
Tuba
Brass choir
Brass choir
Clarion
DOUBLE STOPS
Sub-bass or
32'.
tone
Double-stopped Diapason or
Contra-Bourdon
Used
Only
in combination.
for special effects.
Typically organistic
not orchestral.
Diapason
Violone
COUPLERS
Swell to Swell 4'
Swell to Swell 16'
(super-octave)
(sub-octave)
Great to Great, 4'

Great to Great, 16'
52
Swell
Swell
Swell
Swell
Swell
Swell
to Great
Solo to Solo 4'

Solo to Solo 16'
Solo to Great
to Great 4'
to Great 16'
to Orchestral
to Orchestral 4'
Swell to Pedal
to Orchestral 16'
Swell to Solo
Orchestral
Orchestral
Orchestral
Orchestral
Orchestral
Orchestral
Orchestral
Great to Pedal
Orchestral to Pedal
Solo to Pedal
to Orchestral
to Orchestral 4'
to Orchestral 16'
to Great
to Great 4'
to Great 16'
to Solo
PISTONS
buttons underneath each manual are called "pistons" and
1, 2, 3, 4, etc.
By means of a board inside the organ or, on
the newer organs, at the organ desk, different combinations of stops may
be "set up" and locked under each of these pistons so that by pushing
The
are
little
numbered
thumb an
new set of stops may be had

always safest to have the organtuner show you how to work the various mechanical devices on a strange
a certain button with the
time and
in a fraction of
effort.
entirely
It is
organ.
3.
SWELL PEDALS AND CRESCENDO PEDAL

Swell Pedals
Just above the pedal keys will be found two, three, or four, balanced
pedals the size of a foot which control the volume of tone emitted from the
various manuals.
and Great
Usually the Solo
next, being
combined
the Crescendo pedal on the
is
farthest to the
left,
the Orchestral
in one, then that of the Swell organ, with
right.
Learn to use the swell pedals with either foot. Watch the constant
light and shade of the orchestra and try to imitate this, always careful
Do not thrust the swell pedals all the way in, every
experimenting and listening to your own playing, you will soon
find that just a little "crescendo" or "diminuendo" is quite sufficient, and
"
*
A
more effective than a complete pp
///
ppnot to exaggerate.
time.
By
-=nHH32
HH
continuous performance on this principle will soon find the audience in a

delightfully bewildered state of mind, bordering on nausea, caused by
"weathering" too
many
"tonal waves."
Crescendo Pedal
This pedal is either a great blessing or a great nuisance, according to

the use to which you put it. By means of it, the organist can, with a
53
minimum
of effort, merely by pressing the foot, throw on consecutively,

as regards increase of tonal power, all the stops in the organ. The trouble
It is so easy to keep the foot
ease of manipulation.
lies in this very fact
on this pedal, working it back and forth without thought or reason, instead
:
of studying out stop combinations, usually keeping
which
is
it
the motion picture organist's greatest bugbear
The main use
at the full organ,

:
playing too loud.
of the crescendo pedal in theatrical playing is for sforzando
effects and orchestral accent.

By placing the whole foot firmly on this
pedal, controlling it by a turn of the ankle, an instant crash to fff and back
again to the p combination already set up on the organ, may be accom-
Stabbing at the end of the pedal

plished without harm to the instrument.
with a thrust of the boot will jar the mechanism out of order.
This pedal is of course useful in building up long crescendo effects, but
these sustained effects are not so much encountered in theatrical work, the
effect here
being accomplished more by individual tone color than volume
of sound.
4.
THE
IDENTIFICATION OF TONE-COLORS FOR DESCRIPTIVE PURPOSES

(Registration)
The term "tone-color"
is a compound, linking conceptions that belong

which are music and painting. It is the simplest way
of describing certain qualities that tone possesses, qualities which enable it
The painter has at
to assume different hues and shadings, as it were.
his disposal many colors, from which he chooses those particular to the
scene that he is depicting, selecting always such modifications of each color
as will express the very atmosphere that he wishes to give to his picture.
to
two
different arts,
In this
way we
will find that the painter
has at his disposal varying shades
which contain more yellow and others

which border on the black. The Papal manufacture of mosaics in Rome
differentiates actually between a little over 25,000 distinct color variations.
Tone-color, to be sure, is not able to take on such a formidable number of
gradations, but there are enough to give it a wide range of different qualities
which will react differently upon the listener.
of red, different tints of blue, greens
It should be remembered that tone-color proper is one of the three

fundamental characteristics that constitute musical sounds, the other two
being pitch and intensity. Therefore the term tone-color should not be
mistaken for any one of the two others. A given tone-color may be applied
to musical sounds of different pitch, high and low, and of different intensities,
The
loud or
soft.
following table will serve as
first
aid in
"
"
registration
of organ-stops (tone-colors) either singly or in combination.
or the use
54
FOR "NEUTRAL" SCENES
(no emotion) scenery; action! String tones, 16', 8', 4/

views from an aeroplane 2', as solo with accompaniof the motor is the only sound) or views ment and in 4-pt. har-
having no definite intensity
(when the hum

from a great height.
Also (see special effects) wind,
mony.
rain, etc.
FOR
SPECIFIC EMOTIONS, MOODS, AND SITUATIONS.
Love
ace. of strings or harp.
solo flute 4'
close
harmony
Humana.
strings 16', 8', 4', 2'
and Vox
light
solo
strings 8', flute
saxophone
paniment.
8'
accom-
**
Happiness
Springtime, sunshine
flutes, 16', 8', 4', 2'
Joy
same
Hope.
flute 8'
Victory
Exaltation
full
organ tone, rising to
Prayer
solo flute 8' or
Church scenes
....
Impressive dignity
Suspicion
Entreaty
Yearning
Anxiety
Temptation
Hatred
and
strings.
as above, intensified in
various manuals together.
string ace.
organ.
full
organ.
Vox Humana
4-pt. harmony.
organ tone, coupled & heavy Fed.
organ tone, coupled & heavy Fed.
clarinet solo with string ace.
saxophone solo with string 8' and flute 8' ace.
Vox Humana solo with string 16', 8', 4', 2' ace.
full string choir
....
volume by coupling the
and Vox Humana
in 4-pt.
harmony
tremolo.
oboe with string ace.

toned reeds gradually increasing in volume of
tone to climax.
The clarinet alone or any flute that is a near approach
to an orchestral French horn when used as solo,
alone, and without the tremulant use a string ace.
clarinet or
soft
Suspense and impending

disaster
tremolo.
Defiance
reeds mf.
reeds mf.
Treachery
Rage
reeds, varying the volume of tone according to the

intensity of the mood.
Cruelty
reed (Cornopean) either as solo and strings 16', 8',

4', 2' with double st. Diap. 16' as ace. or in 4-pt.
Torture
reeds/.
oboe or clarinet solo, string and flute ace. or
string choir and Vox Humana.
harmony.
(Jrirf
clarinet solo.
Despair
Passion
Renunciation
Dreaming
full
....
reed solo played in lower octaves, strings, flute 8' and

clarinet as accompaniment, mf pedal.
Vox Humana or mellow flute 8' played in lower
octaves of keyboard
no pedal.
string
choir
pedal.
16',
8',
4',
2',
and harp.
Very
light
55
NATURE SCENES
Shimmering water
Birds singing
Morning (Dawn)
string choir 16', 8', 4', 2' in upper octaves with

arpeggios as ace. Very light pedal.
Flute Harmonique 4' or piccolo 2'.

4' as solo
strings tremolo ace.
flute
harp
no pedal
(increasing in intensity as dawn spreads, beginning

pp. with crescendo to full organ, if sun bursts forth)
.
mellow
without tremulant played 4-pt. harmony

in lower octaves
no pedal.
Night
COMEDY
flute
coupled to oboe 16' and piccolo 2' as

with flute and string ace., played staccato
and at a lively tempo, make a bright setting. Use
The heavy Doppel Flote or Grosse
light pedal.
Flote can be used in burlesque effect, staccato,
flutes 8', 4',

solo,
For "jazz" effects, use strings 8',

glissando, etc.
4', and clarinet in right hand ace., "jazzing" with
left hand, using saxophone, or heavy flute and
saxophone with an assertive but not too heavy
The xylophone is always used as a solo.
pedal.
Use xylophone and piccolo 2', or xylophone,
clarinet, flute 4' with string 8' and flute 8' accom-
the
paniment, light pedal.
TENSION
Agitates ("hurries")
mobs, horse-races,
These numbers should be characterized first by their

rhythm and tempo. The tone-coloring is according
mood
wild-west scenes,
to the
fights, pursuits.
cadenza often adds to the climax of a
joy, suspense, hatred, etc.
fight,
pedal
mob
scene, etc.
Sudden opening and closing of the Crescendo Pedal.

All of the above effects are intensified or lessened
falls
crashes
by the
swell pedals, controlling the
volume
of tone.
MISTERIOSO
Scenes of mystery, or
suppressed alarm, sinister
forebodings, ghost scenes,
supernatural apparitions,
Softest strings tremolo, and as the situation grows

more tense the music should rather become softer
than louder, yet the movement and the mood must

be sustained. The tremolo will be most effective
if the speed is accelerated, while the volume of
tone is lessened. Immediately before the climax,
it is well to go into a recitative, however short,
ushering in the climax either by means of an absolute
silence (in cases of horror or in the presence of
tragedy) or by a sforzando chord leading into the
proper motive (in cases of victory or successful
denouement of the tension).
etc.
RECITATIVE
For scenes as mentioned

above under misterioso,
for
scenes
tension.
of
superlative
The
quality of the recitative must always be dramatic,

that is, it must be expressive of the proper mood
which it is to portray, either horror or mystery or
suspense.
in a great
Samples of recitatives may be found

operas where they are employed,
many
56

particularly in passages where the dramatic action
progresses
color,
make
To convey the appropriate

quickly.
use of the "uncanny" registers of the
and bassoon stops; for cruelty, a coarse

reed such as the Cornopean will prove useful.
The player will often find moments when, on first
seeing a picture, the development of the story will
rather than make a misstep,
leave him puzzled
he will do well to abide his time by means of a short
recitative, until the trend of events becomes
obvious.
There are situations in comedy dramas and in farces
where an occasional recitative will be most fitting
naturally, the treatment of the recitative itself,
as well as organ stop employed, should emphasize
the humor of the situation. The use of a heavy
flute in a burlesque fashion will depict ludicrous
antics, and that of a light screechy reed maybe
clarinet
easily
manipulated to indicate gossiping women,
etc.
Avoid constant use of too heavy pedal tone! Nothing gets on the
nerves of the audience quicker than the ever present deep rumble of the
Use pedal 8' rather than pedal 16', and learn to use it as part of
pedal.
the harmony, not just hop toad fashion with the
left foot,
such as
this,
but treat the bass as the foundation of the harmony
and as an independently moving
!Miijnhijn
i^rJfm+M-i.uiUJi
ir
r nf.f r
a march time, in the style of the following
5.
The
such as
jn ijuun u.n
v
or, for
voice,
SPECIAL EFFECTS, AND
How
TO PRODUCE
THEM
and the only safe, way of producing special effects, is to

hands of a capable trap-drummer who has provided
himself with all the hundred and one noise-making apparatuses, now on
the market, for imitating everything from a baby's cry of " Ma-ma" to a
leave
best,
them
horse-laugh,
in the
"Ha-Ha";
squeals; imitations of the various

sawmills, motors (aeroplane, automobile,
whistles;
sounds made by machinery,
i.e.
SPECIAL EFFECTS,
AND HOW TO PRODUCE THEM
motor boats, steam engines, motor
shots (cannon, rifle, revolver) ;

cycles)
of
walls
rain ; thunglass
breaking
crumbling
;
;
;
falling timber
surf ; tramp of marching feet
knocks ; raps burlesque falls where
;
crashes
der
57
the hero, a Charlie Chaplin or Fatty Arbuckle, comes to earth with the
sound of a clap of thunder assisted by a dozen tin wash-boilers, topped off
by a Chinese gong.
There has been much discussion as to whether or not such performance
comes under the duties of the organist. The writers do not think so. No
one can play the organ artistically and at the same time work traps. It is
better therefore to let pass unnoticed such effects as cannot be produced
Of course, on the new unit
easily and legitimately on the organ itself.
"
organs," these traps are actually a part of the instrument, the

organist merely pushing a button or tapping a pedal for a certain effect.
orchestra
The
Rain
following are
some
of the legitimate
"
special effects"
light string tone in quick arpeggii or tremolo.

rain
light string tone in fast chromatic scales in 3ds, 6ths,
Wind and
Wind and
rain
and thunder
all
two pedal notes at once when rumble of thunder is desired.

Crash of thunder
any heavy chord, played sfz in the lower
and ped., with immediate diminuendo.
Whistles
and
the above with heavy pedal tone, holding
a minor or augmented chord
'/L
ft
register, full
4ths.
down
organ
or
Each organist should determine for himself a characteristic chord, by listening

to the town fire whistle or to the locomotive, and deciphering the tones for
himself.
Bells
Almost every theatrical organ has a
imitation.
On
the piano, chimes
may
set of bells
hence there
be imitated thus
;
is
no need
of
A
is especially useful in comedy, refined and burlesque.
emphasized by a glissando with one hand followed by a bump with
full organ, swells closed as desired.
The glissando is produced by stiffening
the thumb and dragging it up or down the length of the keyboard, using the
thumb nail as the point of contact. The glissando is used to illustrate a
"slip," sudden descent of an aeroplane, whizzing of an automobile around a
corner, any sliding sensation or one of intense speed.
Glissando
This effect
slip or fall is
58
Slap the keys with the palm of the hand, lower octaves for a
upper octaves for lighter effects.
This is one of the most important and telling effects when properly used.
Silence
Any extremely tense situation is heightened by a moment's silence, just before
the climax is reached. Suspense, such as when two people, searching for
each other, are almost in contact yet each unconscious of the other person's
In the presence of death, a "close-up" view of a dead person,
nearness.
absolute silence is the only adequate description, dramatically, pictorially and
Bump
or
fall
heavy
fall,
musically.
Recitative
Use recitative every now and then to lighten the musical setting, or
to heighten a tension.
This stop is useful in comedies. Use it only as solo, very staccato,
Xylophone
with light string ace.

Approaching a climax
Thereby is meant that tense moment when, in a great
automobile sweepstakes race, the cars are approaching "death curve," or
when we can see them in the distance coming into the final "home-stretch"
or where a man is on a great height and is about to fall, either to safety or
in such cases a low menacing rumble is of great help
destruction, etc., etc.
in heightening the suspense.
This is produced by a trill in the lower octaves,
with soft string and 16' bourdon tones. Sometimes just a pedal rumble is
the thing, produced by holding down two adjacent pedal keys.
;
Manuals
or
Pedal
(held to-
gether)
frequently noticed in the orchestra during acrobatic acts in

vaudeville. 1 When the "thriller" of the act is about to take place, the orchestra stops and the snaredrum begins its subtle, sinister rumble, increasing
in volume until the successful fall or jump takes place, when the whole orchestra
This rumble
comes
is
in fortissimo to
applaud the performance.

r
Galloping horses
Any music
Allegro
seems
^
o
to convey this effect.
"Light
Cavalry" Overture by Suppe seems to be the most popular selection.
playing this rhythm softly the effect of distance is lent increasing the
A more
of tone brings the horses nearer in the mind of the listener.
"
ambitious player may also study the " Ride of the Valkyries by Wagner, or
By
volume
"Mazeppa" by Liszt.
The only way
to imitate a jazz band is to hear one of these unique

There is no way of describing it. Each and every player
organizations.
must hear these peculiar effects for himself and then imitate them according
to his impression thereof.
The general idea is to have one hand play the
tune, while the other hand "jazzes" or syncopates around it, the pedals
Jazz band
performing the drum and double bass parts.

1
the
By
careful observance of
way
The ability
Rood vaudeville performances,

comedy work.
of special effects, i>:irtinil;irly for
many
to
lift
ideas
your audience's
may
be gained in
SPECIAL EFFECTS,
feet off the floor in
AND HOW TO PRODUCE THEM
sympathetic rhythm
is
the truest test
that you will
but you will

must be permaintained, no matter what stunts you may perform with hands and
distress the ears of really musical people goes without saying,

not distress their sense of rhythm. This rhythm on your part
fectly
59
feet.
Feathered animals
Hens cackling
(Musical "cue-sheet")
"ROSE OF THE WORLD"

No. Min.
(T)itle or
Tempo
Description
REEL
No.
Selection*
1J At screening
2/4 Allegro
Rosamond English 4/4 Moderate
if T
1}
Farandole
Bizot
Rose
Farandole
in the
Bud
Foster
IT
11
1J
Harry leaves
2/4 Allegro
boudoir
For two months,
4/4 Allegro furioso
no word came
Then the
survivors 4/4
Tempo
Bizet
Furioso No. 1
Langey
(Battle music)
Drumm
The Rookies
di marcia
returned
Rosamond and
3/4 Andante sostenuto
Mildenberg (1st part only)

Canzonetta
Herbert
Berthune
7
After a time
2/4
Romance
Allegretto
REEL
3
1J
10
2i
11
1J
31
S/4Andante sostenuto
Doctor finds body 4/8 Lento

in queer state
So Lady G. sailed 6/8 Andantino
for the
12
No. 2
6/8 Poco piu lento
Surely you can

help me ?
Before her lay
En Mer
Holmes
(From Letter D)
Romance --
The
first
3/4 Moderato
day at
Damrosch
(From Cyrano)
Prelude
REEL
2
14
Hoffmann
Barcarolle
homeland
Saltwoods
13
Mildi n-
berg (1st part only)

Erotik
rotik
Grieg
last Rosamond
sent for Major Ber-
At
No. 3
8/4 Andante CantabUe An Indian Legend
Baron
thune
It's
a letter from
2/4
Attegretto
Air de Ballet
Borch
Uncle Arthur
15
16
17
2
3
T
T
Then came agony 2/4
am
secretary of
little
incident
8/4 Andante sostenuto

Allegro
2/2 Agitato
1
l
Romance
Mildenberg
Farandole
Bizet
Implorations Neptune
Massenet
occurred
18
1J
What an
inclosed 2/4 Molto attegro
Le
note told
T
T
21
2$
2
2}
22
IT
20
No. 4
4/4 Risoluto
life
2/4 Allegretto
Rosamond leaves 8/4 Allegro
Prompt, etc.
The dregs of
24
3
31
of Rachel
Salter
Canzonetta
Godard
Appassionato
Berge
Cry
table
Have you noticed 8/4

any derangement
Allegretto
REEL
23
The breaking
2/2 Agitato
6/4 Allegro
Flying
Implorations Neptune
Massenet
point
Jani enters with
Dutchman
Wagner (Overture
omit
1J
26
IJ
27
11
Herbert
Air de Ballet
No. 5
urn
25
Puccini
(Battle music)
REEL
19
Ville
4/4 Andante moderato One
Doctor enters
Wounded, Harry 6/8 Allegretto

escaped
The rainbow's end 4/4 Moderato
THE END
1
sailors'
Who Has
Rose
in the
Foster
Repeated Selections
"
famota Plavert-Latky Corporation."
(With kind permiuion of the
GO
song)
Yearn.
,1
Tschaikowsky
Wood
Love in Arcady
Bud
CONCLUSION
Having explained in the foregoing what problems the motion-picture
organist or pianist has to face, and having shown how to solve them, it
behooves the aspirant to such position to provide himself with enough
equipment for a
trial
engagement.
Let us
now suppose we
are setting out
for the theater.
Through the courtesy of the film-producing companies, the organist is

"
provided with a cue-sheet," generally about a week or three days before
the picture is shown. Illustration of a sample may be found on the
preceding page.
By means of this sheet, the player will select his material, timing the
various numbers, the main theme, and the spaces for improvisation. Having selected the music for a picture, place it in proper order within a folder,
marked with the name, so that when you arrive at the organ you will not
be scrambling here and there and everywhere for scraps of paper.
Tuck your music under your arm and walk
into the orchestra pit
(where the organ console or piano is placed) with a firm tread and a confident heart.
There is no time now for any misgivings. You have entered
an
electric
atmosphere.
Whatever you
certainly convey to the audience.

left with your hat in the dressing
feel
personally,
you
will
most
Nervousness, timidity, or fear must be

room outside they have no place in the
;
auditorium.
Seat yourself leisurely and with confidence. Turn on the lights, arrange
your music at a satisfactory angle, and you are ready to begin.
Here we reach an important point. Do not think you have to play

moment of the time. This is called most appropriated
"
crowding the picture." When you wish to change your registration at
the end of a theme, take your hands and feet off the keys and change it.
Do not, above all things, hold a chord church-fashion on one manual while
Nor is it obligatory to play during
setting up new registration on another.
the announcement of " coming events." A little silence now and then is
frantically every
relished
by
all
audiences.
61
62
"
concerns that publish picture music" as
Renew and enlarge your repertoire as often and as much as you
possible.
Visit the music shops, whenever you have an opportunity, and look
can.
Keep
in touch with as
many
over the novelties in popular music as well as in the better class of publiNever lose sight of the fact that you are placed in a position of
cations.
extraordinary advantage to raise and to improve the musical taste of your
Use wisdom in combining "lighter stuff" and artistic material,

work gradually towards a happy union of the two, with music of real worth
audience.
predominating.
If
you are
"how
left in
doubt concerning any point connected with the question
to play for the pictures," the authors will be glad to receive your
communication, in care of the publishers, and will endeavor to answer
your inquiry as promptly and as satisfactorily as possible.
of
INDEX
Galloping horses, 58
"given key," 14-21
glissando, 39, 57
Agitato, 38, 55, (see "hurries")
animal sounds (grotesque), 59

animated cartoons, 35-37
anticipating the trend of the story, 3
2
anticipation, 18
approach of climax, 58
audiences, 3
Handling of organ
how
to
registers,
at the organ, 44-45, 61

3, 36.
sit
humor,
hurries, 29, 38;
(races), 39,
55
Battle scenes, 30
57
"breaking" of a theme, 9
bugle signals, 39
bump or fall, 55, 58
Impressive moods, 28
bells,
7, 22-26
independence of hands and
improvisation,
feet, 46,
47
intensity of tone, 6
introduction of diminished-seventh chord
Change
change
of organ registration, 12
of
modulatory purposes), 20
(for
rhythm, 10-11
characteristics essential in player, 1
"Jazz,"
climax, 32, 55, 58
comedy (repertoire), 28; (registration), 55

comedy agitato, 38
comedy drama, 37-38, 56
"comedy touch," 36
compound stops, 50
couplers, 48, 51-52
crash, 55, 57
crescendo pedal, 52-53
"crowding the picture," 61
"cue sheet," 2, 60, 61
4, 37,
58-59
Keyboards, 44,
(see also
"manuals")
Legato touch, 47
light, graceful
moods, 27
local color, 6
love themes, 27
Main
theme, 8
manuals, 48
Death, 30
manual stops, 49-50

memory, 5
diapason, 49, 51
double stops, 51
mental alertness, 3-7

misinterpretation of picture, 4
mixtures, 48, 50
"mock" emotions, 36, 38

modulation, 13-21; (with pivotal note),
15-17; (with pivotal chord), 18; (with
diminished(with
19;
recitative),
seventh chord), 19-21
("psychologic"
(to dominant of
15;
possibilities),
prospective key), 15
Educational films, 40-41

elegiac moods, 27
emotional player, 3
emotions (registration), 54
exotic moods, 28
expressiveness of melody, 12, 26
moods
Facial expression, 5
fashion pictures, 40
feathered animals, 59
(registration),
musical
musical
musical
musical
feature film, 31-34

festive moods, 28
54
7
"caricature," 36
atmosphere,
4,
characterization, 8,
30
interpretation, 4-5, 31-43

mutation stops, 48, 50
"flash-backs," 34-35
foundation stops, 48, 49, 51
mysterioso, 55
63
INDEX
64
Nature themes, 27
storm scenes, 30
neutral music, 29, 34
"striking" themes, 12
subsidiary themes, 8
l
suspension, 18
nomenclature of organ stops, 49-51

age, 30
opera as a model, 6
orchestra as a model,
swell pedals, 52
Old
7,
47
Tempo, 6
tension, 55, 58
Pedal as foundation of harmony, 56

pedal stops, 51
pedalling, 45-46
pistons, 52
theatrical organ,
44-56
theatrical values, 5
pivotal chord (see "modulation")

pivotal note (see "modulation")
thematic development, 8-13, 26

thunder, 57
(character of), 13
tonality (changes in), 13
"tone color," 53
tragedy, 30
transition, 13-21
transposition, 21-22
traps, 56
travel
(inappropriate
41-43;
views,
music), 4
;
popular music, 3, 37, 62

"prospective key," 14-21
"psychologic" possibilities of modulation,
15
psychological insight, 4-5
Quint, 50
Unison
pitch,
48
Rain, 57
recitative, 55-56, 58;
(transitory), 19
Variety (in metre), 11;

(in keys), 13
vaudeville effects, 58
reed stops, 50, 51

registration, 7, 9, 47, 53-56
related keys, 14-15
repertoire, 3-30
resourcefulness, 1, 7-26
Scenery musically illustrated, 6,

43; (registration), 54-55
selection of musical material, 61
sesquialtera, 50
silence, 6, 58
slap-stick comedy, 35-37, 56
special effects, 36, 56-59
staccato touch, 47
standard overtures, 29
(in
villanous characters, 30
vox humana, 54
12,
41-
Waltzes, 29, 39, 40
water scenes, 41, 55

weekly news pictures, 38-40
whistles, 57
wind, 57
Xylophone,
55,
58
Youthful characters, 30
tempo), 13;

Musical Accompaniment of Moving Pictures

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I

AND AN EXPOSITION OF THE PRINCIPLES UNDERLYING THE MUSICAL

The -Baton MU/IC ocmpoax

WINTHROP ROGERS, LTD.

BY THE BOSTON MUSIC COMPANY.

Transition and Modulation

THE COMEDY DRAMA

THE THEATRICAL ORGAN

PECULIARITIES OF ORGAN TECHNIQUE

THE FEATURE FILM

Independence of Hands and Feet

ORCHESTRATION BY MEANS OF ORGAN STOPS

quick perception, realization of dramatic values, insight in

book primarily intends to awaken and develop.

resourcefulness the average player of even mean endowments

This resourcefulness extends in two different directions

paragraphs, to give practical hints in both of these directions. Therefore

function of the music that accompanies moving pictures is

MUSICAL ACCOMPANIMENT OF MOVING PICTURES

and more intensely

in the spectator the changing emotions of the

One hears much music

minute instructions concerning the music that is to accompany them.

a lazy and sterile player

who is satisfied that what he is giving his audience is "good enough."

and to the measure

the contemporaneous popular music such numbers as have become idenThe

an inexhaustible treasure trove

seek diligently and patiently.

As the musical interpreter of the emotions depicted on the screen, the

must enable him to

anticipate, so that his

preparing rather than reflecting.

of events, his emotions should promptly respond to pathos or

his wit should

subtle irony to broad "slap-stick" farce

to various gradations, from

MUSICAL ACCOMPANIMENT OF MOVING PICTURES

needed in quickly "locating" the musical atmosphere

the series of Burton Holmes's "travel pictures" the "Tagalog Toilers of

With a monotonous rhythm in the bass and an exotic inflection of the

roaring with laughter

Nothing is more quickly sensed by an audience than the inattentiveness

is very often the same, the emotions follow each other

make up the bulk of moving pictures. Such

music that corresponds to these basic moods of human nature. In other

capable of conveying, more clearly than the spoken word could

what the thought or gesture

Music, it may as well be stated, cannot always

shift as quickly as will

However, a word of caution

A good memory is a valuable help to the player. Not only should he

development of the story, the sequence of situations, so that he may

always ready for emergencies.

way by which the player can keep himself

MUSICAL ACCOMPANIMENT OF MOVING PICTURES

illustration of certain theatrical situations will

here to say that there are times when a situation becomes

lighting of a picture, whether in full sunlight or veiled by the