DICKIE ; 
 
 The community orchestra 
 
Cornell University Library 
 MT 70.D55 
 
 The Community orchestra; its formation an 
 
 3 1924 017 725 817 
 
The Community Orchestra 
 
 Its Formation and Maintenance 
 
 BY 
 
 DR. PERRY DICKIE 
 
 COMPLIMENTS OF TEE AUTHOR 
 
Cornell University 
 Library 
 
 The original of tiiis book is in 
 the Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924017725817 
 
The Community Orchestra 
 
 Its Formation and Maintenance 
 
 BY 
 
 DR. PERRY 4)ICKIE 
 
 777 WEST END AVE., NEW YORK CITY. 
 
 ^<»Wg'^f CB DOLLAIl 
 
 New Canaan Advertiser Press, New Canaan, Conn. 
 
 COPYRIGHTED 1920, BY DR. PERRY DICKIE 
 
COMMUNITY ORCHESTRA 
 
 GENERAL REMARKS 
 
 THE popularity of the community orcliestra has reached 
 a stage where it would seem that evei-y small city and 
 town laying claim to any musical talent whatsoever 
 aspires to have one of these organizations of its own. 
 
 The writer, for many years actively interested in amateur 
 musical affairs, conducting and playing in various organiza- 
 tions, having been- the recipient of numerous inquiries from 
 parties about to organize community orchestras aims in this 
 article to anticipate similar questions. It is also written in 
 response to and prompted by the remark made to us frequently 
 by out-of-town parties: "We wish that we could have a com- 
 munity orchestra in our town but we have no one to organize 
 or conduct it." Although many of these places have their town 
 hand still they realize that an orchestra is an entirely different 
 proposition requiring a treatment of another kind owing to 
 the diverse elements that enter into its composition. 
 
 For years we have endeavored to find a book that we could 
 suggest which would answer inquiries on the subject of the 
 organization and conducting of the amateur orchestra, but 
 strange as it may seem, we have so far been unable to find such 
 a one dealing with the subject in a manner that would be of 
 any real service to the conductor of the community orchestra. 
 True there are many most excellent books treating on special 
 subjects in the line of orchestral work which, while they are 
 of value to the advanced music student or for reference to 
 the musician, would be of but limited use to the amateur in 
 his step by step advancement in the formation of his orchestra. 
 Therefore it is our aim to give in this article the essential in- 
 formation which the amateur conductor of the community 
 orchestra needs to attain musical excellence which should be 
 his ideal. 
 
2 GENERAL REMARKS 
 
 Our suggestions in this article do not in any way presume 
 to instruct in the running of city amateur orchestras which 
 have every facility at hand for carrying on their work, espe- 
 cially in the wide choice of instrumentalists. In cities, for ex- 
 ample, oboists even are not very rare and bassoon players are 
 sometimes obtainable, while clarinetists and players on the horn 
 and viola, if not at least running in shoals, are obtainable 
 without any very great difficulty. However, as to players on 
 the bass clarinet, English horn and contra bassoon, they are 
 indeed rare and few and far between among amateurs any- 
 where. 
 
 We are writing this article for the guidance and assistance 
 of the out-of-town conductor of the community orchestra with 
 little assistance and the desire to succeed, despite the few 
 chances of learning of the many big and little details so neces- 
 sary in carrying out the organization of an orchestra. 
 
 Furthermore we wquld here say that it is as equally im- 
 portant for the welfare and success of the community orches- 
 tra that it be a community organization in fact as well as in 
 name. Moreover, that it have the full support and encourage- 
 ment of the public, both in its pecuniary contributions as well 
 as in their attendance at its rehearsals and concerts. Incentive 
 is an absolute necessity for the attainment of success in all 
 enterprises. As in too many cases the goal is but the acquire- 
 ment of money. It is essential to find another incentive as an 
 encouragement and stimulant for work for the conmiunity 
 orchestra. In our opinion, public rehearsals and concerts given 
 as frequently as possible, offer the best incentives to the players 
 for regular attendance and diligence and keep up the interest 
 of the community. 
 
 A most valuable and effectual means of aiding in the 
 maintenance of the community orchestra would be by the co- 
 operation of the non-playing music lovers of the town, formed 
 into a committee for the management of affairs outside of 
 the strictly musical arrangements for the orchestra, which 
 should of course be entirely under the control of the conductor. 
 
GENERAL REMARKS 3 
 
 It would be the duty of this committee to attend to the col- 
 lection of funds for the necessary expenses — which, by the 
 way, should not be very great — such as for music, music stands 
 and for the purchase of instruments for those who could not 
 afford them, or any which would be of use only to the orches- 
 tra, such as tympani, drums, double basses, etc. 
 
 Likewise it would be the function of this committee to 
 attend to the sending out of all notices, invitations and tickets 
 for public rehearsals and concerts. This committee should be 
 first formed and from it the rest of the organization should 
 grow. Moreover we enjoin upon the parties active in this mat- 
 ter to appoint on this committee only those who would be likely 
 to show an interest in the project, for any apathy or indiffer- 
 ence could but be detrimental to the welfare of the organiza- 
 tion which, as in all art, subsists mainly upon the inspiration 
 and encouragement derived from its votaries. 
 
 We will throughout this article have occasion to suggest 
 various substitutes for any instrument for which players are 
 not obtainable and which as nearly as possible replace the lack- 
 ing tone qualities. Although in many cases these are but 
 makeshifts, still they are better than nothing at all. To the 
 hypercritical who would be inclined to regard this as a form 
 of musical heresy we would say that one who has had the ex- 
 perience in such matters in our small cities and towns can 
 readily appreciate the utter impossibility of obtaining players 
 for certain instruments and will therefore be inclined to regard 
 with leniency that which on the face of it would appear to be 
 such a musical sin. 
 
 But we certainly do protest most ranphatically against — 
 that which we must regard as a form of musical fakirism — 
 the admission into the orchestra of such instruments as mando- 
 lins, banjos, guitars, accordions, etc., which are not considered 
 musical from an artistic standpoint and the presence of which 
 in the orchestra, besides converting it into a hideous conglom- 
 eration of noise, also tends to lower the artistic standing of the 
 organization. If the "music" of these instruments should be 
 
4 GENERAL REMARKS 
 
 so in demand there could be formed separate mandolin and 
 banjo clubs for the delectation of their admirers. If there 
 should be a preponderance of players on brass instruments de- 
 siring to become members of the orchestra they could be util- 
 ized in the formation of a band which would be a most useful 
 acquisition for the many public occasions in the town and 
 would relieve the orchestra of any overweighting in brass qual- 
 ity of tone. 
 
 For the conductors and players in the out-of-town orches- 
 tras who have no opportunities to hear the large musical or- 
 ganizations in our cities, the phonograph serves a most valuable 
 educational function in its demonstration of rhythm and style. 
 We would say, however, that phonographs differ greatly and 
 to obtain the best results in reproduction a large instrument 
 is necessary to show off the records to the best advantage. 
 Then too records vary as to their musical value, some of which 
 are most excellent reproductions of the original performance 
 while others are poor. We would say also that the tempo in 
 some of these records differ considerably from the playing of 
 the music by our large orchestras which we must regard as the 
 standard to follow. But with records that are good reproduc- 
 tions with the exception of the occasional variation in tenjpo, 
 they are to be regarded as important educational factors for the 
 out-of-town community orchestra. 
 
 The selection of music for the use of the amateur orchestra 
 is a matter requiring considerable care and judgment but 
 must however primarily depend upon the ability of the play- 
 ers. It is not advisable for amateur orchestras to attempt to 
 play any complicated or involved time nor, in fact, any rhyth- 
 mic difficulties not easily overcome by the inexperienced ama- 
 teur musician. We would advise as promising the most satis- 
 factory showing to start out at first with something with a 
 swing to it, such as a waltz of the better class. Even here the 
 rhythmic changes that occur in the interludes of many waltzes 
 will be sufficient practice to keep the players busy. for a time 
 and perhaps also try the patieace of the conductor, for some 
 
GENERAL REMARKS 5 
 
 of them are not by any means easy. Too often the conductor 
 of the amateur orchestra aspires to a class of music far beyond 
 the capabilities of his players so that sometimes great is the 
 fall thereof, while others are inclined to a class so simple that 
 there is no incentive in it for the players. In this as in all 
 things a happy medium is the best course to follow. 
 
 We most earnestly advise against playing the so-called 
 popular music which is usually musical trash and is as demoral- 
 izing to the player as it is to the hearer. It is to be remem- 
 bered that the aim of the community orchestra is presumed to 
 uplift the public taste, not to drag it down. 
 
 A celebrated orchestral conductor to whom we in this 
 country are most indebted for an intelligent knowledge of 
 music of the higher class has said that music is popular when 
 it is known to the people. He therefore claimed that it was 
 the duty of the musician to make all good music so well known 
 that it would also become popular. We remember some years 
 ago in a European city hearing Mendelssohn's "Wedding 
 March" perfectly whistled in the street and on looking out of 
 the window was surprised to see that the musician was a little 
 street gamin. So much for popularizing good music. 
 
 In its early stages, at least, it is advisable for the con- 
 ductor of the community orchestra to attempt music that is 
 sufficiently easy so that the whole attention of the players can 
 be given to .the ensemble work rather than to the notes and 
 technic. Thus a confidence can be acquired so that later on 
 when difficulties are met with there would be no hesitation in 
 overcoming them. 
 
 For the acquirement of a general knowledge of the in- 
 struments of the orchestra and their use we' recommend to the 
 amateur conductor Front's "The Orchestra" as a most useful 
 and complete work. 
 
 If any additional information is desired by parties organ- 
 izing or conducting a community orchestra it will gladly be 
 given on addressing the author of this article. 
 
THE CONDUCTOK 
 
 THE relative positions of the conductor of a professional 
 and an amateur orchestra differ quite materially one 
 from the other. In the former the party should of 
 necessity be a highly trained musician who is paid for his 
 work, should be at least a semi-virtuoso on the piano, as well 
 as possess the ability to play fairly well on several orchestral 
 instruments. It is also presumed that he has a body of trained 
 musicians to work with who are thoroughly experienced in 
 ensemble playing thus starting from a point where it is pos- 
 sible to reach artistic excellence in a comparatively short time. 
 
 While it would be a most desirable acquisition if, on the 
 other hand, the conductor of the community orchestra were 
 the possessor of the above qualifications, still it would be most 
 unreasonable to insist that such be the case. Then in the ama- 
 teur orchestra the players are seldom, if ever, highly trained 
 musicians but usually have no experience at all in ensemble 
 work and even sometimes are but little more than beginners 
 on their instruments. In fact, as a whole they should be re- 
 garded by the conductor rather as pupils under a teacher. 
 
 The conductor of the commvmity orchestra in addition to 
 his regular duties at rehearsals should be able and willing to 
 act in the capacity of a teacher whenever it is necessary, ^ince 
 in many of the out-of-town organizations the players, when 
 not self-taught, have had but a limited amount of instruction 
 on their instruments and in some cases have never even heard 
 the large orchestras in our cities. Further, conditions differ 
 greatly as in the case of amateurs who although not being paid 
 as are professional musicians are yet very similarly constituted 
 from a temperamental standpoint. It is therefore incumbent 
 upon the conductor that he exercise the utmost diplomacy in 
 his intercourse with them lest ruptures occur which sometimes 
 
THE CONDUCTOR 7 
 
 happen in these organizations, more often than not from trivial 
 and unreasonable causes, when a simple correction at the time 
 is sufficient to start up a most unpleasant state of affairs. 
 
 We suggest that whether it be a professional or an ama- 
 teur musician who assumes the position of conductor of the 
 community orchestra that his services are given without any 
 remuneration. . This for the reason that since the resources of 
 such an organization would not as a rule be sufficient to per- 
 mit the payment of other than a very small salary to the con- 
 ductor, a good professional musician could not be expected to 
 do all the required work for the small sum it could afford to 
 pay him. As the volunteer who asumes such a position pre- 
 sumably for the pleasure afforded him would not be likely to 
 demur at the amount of work entailed, so would for this reason 
 prove more satisfactory in the long run. .For, paradoxical as 
 it may seem, it is very often the case that the volunteer who 
 works for no compensation is more lavish with his time and 
 services than one who is paid for them. It would seem that 
 the pecuniary element entering into the case — as it were — • 
 dampens the ardor of the worker. This condition of affairs is 
 so aptly depicted in the words of the old Irishman: "It's 
 wurruk if yer paid to do it, but it's pleasure if yer pay for it."' 
 
 The success attained by the conductor of the community 
 orchestra will depend to a very great extent upon the amount 
 of enthusiasm he brings with him to his work and his willing- 
 ness to devote to it a great deal of time and patience which to 
 the volunteer should be a labor of love, otherwise it would 
 prove a burdensome task. 
 
 Enthusiasm is an absolute essential for the success of the 
 community orchestra conductor but unfortunately it is a com- 
 modity that cannot be bought. With enthusiasm and but 
 mediocre material the conductor should be able to mould his 
 players so as to obtain such results that would seem surprising 
 on looking back to the beginning. 
 
 As we have already said, the conductor must be willing 
 to give much more time than that required for rehearsals — 
 
S THE CONDUCTOR 
 
 which is usually but between two and three hours a week, 
 which would certainly not be sufficient for an orchestra of 
 trained professional musicians to keep up on, much less a com- 
 pany of amateurs with but little experience and training. 
 Frequent coachings and drillings, often individually in pri- 
 vate, will be necessary to overcome the many difficulties that 
 will continually make their appearance, as well as to prepare 
 them for their work at the regular rehearsals which should not 
 be allowed to be encroached upon by any individual attention. 
 
 The popular idea of the duties of a conductor is that they 
 simply consist of standing up and waving a baton — or stick 
 as it is popularly termed. Nevertheless time-beating is of im- 
 pprtance in an orchestra of over ten or twelve players although 
 not so in a smaller number. The principles of time beating 
 are not at all as difficult to understand as they might appear to 
 be to the uninitiated. The chief point to bear in mind is that 
 the down beat of thp baton is always on the first count of the 
 measure while the last count is always represented by an up 
 stroke to reach the position to again give the down beat. The 
 intermediate counts are represented by various irregular mo- 
 tions to fill out the counting of the measure which can be read- 
 ily learned by observing the motions of the conductors of the 
 large orchestras or else from any of the several books that deal 
 with this special subject. 
 
 We have always made it a point to impress upon the 
 player the principle that he should apply in playing his in- 
 strument, i.e., to regard it as a substitute for his vocal cords 
 and sing through it instead of with his voice, and that before 
 playing the note or group of notes he should know mentally 
 how they will sound. This is the secret of success in playing 
 all musical instruments and especially those of the orchestra, 
 and it is to the practice of this principle that we so often have 
 occasion to admire the beautiful tone qualities heard in our 
 large orchestras. 
 
 We lay great stress on the essential that the conductor of 
 the community orchestra be able to employ his ideas of inter- 
 
THE CONDUCTOR tt 
 
 pretatiou cm the orchestra, tudng it as he woiild hia piano or 
 organ. It also goes without saying that he should be well 
 grounded in harmony, counterpoint, orchestration and musical 
 history. If an organist, he should regard his orchestra as biit 
 another oi^n in which each class of instruments would repre- 
 sent the stops. In addition to this the conductor should hare 
 a fairly good practical knowledge of an orchestral instrument 
 of each class — string, wood wind and brass; lacking this he 
 should at least have an intimate knowledge of them and a bow^ 
 ing acquaintance- — so to express it: — ^with all, as occasions will 
 often arise where a technical knowledge of the instinmient will 
 be of great value to assist the player in bridging over some dif- 
 ficulty. Only by such means can he ever expect to attain the 
 highest results. 
 
 The importance of a loiowledge of the piano as an aid 
 to orchestral work is evidenced by the requirement in many of 
 the first rank music schools tiiat the student of an orchestral 
 instrument must also learn to play the piano as a means of 
 broadening his musical knowledge. 
 
 When these principles are fully realized, the conducting 
 of an orchestra loses much of its seeming difficulties and the 
 intelligent musician can expect the best of results in their 
 application. 
 
 We would suggest to the inexperienced conductor liiat 
 it is not possible to appreciate the full effects of the orcheft- 
 tration from his place among the players, as certain instru- 
 mental parts which may sound too loud to him may not be even 
 perceptible to the hearers afar off. This may be due to the 
 non-carrying property of the instrument or to its tone being 
 swallowed up by the others. This ability to judge on the part 
 of the conductor can only be acquired by actual trial and ex- 
 perience by standing off at a distance from the orchestra when 
 it is playing and taking notice of the effects^ 
 
 Doubtless after some experience in this procedure the 
 conductor may become able to judge comparatively well when 
 remaining in his place but certainly never until he has first 
 
10 THE CONDUCTOR 
 
 learned by actual trial from a distance. Still, from what we 
 have heard of some of our orchestras it would seem that their 
 conductors have never acquired this ability to judge of effects. 
 It is possibly on account of this inability that so much of the 
 orchestration is not heard, especially so in the case of the cello, 
 oboe and clarinet, even when a prominency is called for in 
 the score. Considering the pimgency and assertiveness of the 
 oboe this would seem almost impossible, yet we have often 
 failed to hear even a trace of this instrimient though seeing 
 it among the players. As for the cello, its being unheard is 
 easy enough to understand as it is never prominent without 
 an extensive amount of toning down on the part of the rest of 
 the orchestra. 
 
 There seems to be a tendency in too many of our orches- 
 tras at the present time to suppress prominence in orchestral 
 effects and to get a homogeneous and monotonous mass of sound 
 with little or no contrast. Unfortunately however this muffling 
 process, while it is successful with the instruments that should 
 be heard, cannot seem to accomplish anything with the drums 
 which are in so many cases most painfully in evidence above 
 everything else. 
 
 The orchestral conductor should make it a point to com- 
 mit his score to memory and lead without notes. This might 
 — or might not — ^be difficult in the beginning but could soon 
 be acquired. Besides its psychical effect upon the players and 
 hearers the results accomplished in thus being better able to 
 give one's sole attention to the ensemble without being bound 
 down to notes would amply pay for all the time and patience 
 spent in memorizing the score. 
 
 It is essential that the conductor as well as the players 
 hear orchestral music in order to be able to render it artistically 
 even though interpreting it in a different way. Therefore it 
 is advisable to avail oneself of every opportunity to hear or- 
 chestral music in order to learn what constitutes the good to 
 pattern after, as well as to Imow what to avoid in the bad. 
 
THE OECHESTRA 
 
 IT will doubtless be of interest to those not familiar with 
 the subject to know that the modern symphony orchestra 
 of, say, 80-100 musicians playing the highest class of 
 music is made up in the following proportion. 
 Strings : 
 
 16-18 First Violins 
 14-16 Second " 
 10-14 Violas 
 10-14 Cellos 
 8-10 Double Basses 
 1-2 Harps 
 Wood wind: 
 
 2-3 Flutes, one playing Piccolo when called for in score 
 2-3 Oboes, one playing English horn when called for 
 
 in score 
 2-3 Clarinets, one playing Bass Clarinet when called 
 
 for in score 
 2-4 Bassoons, one playing Contra Bassoon when called 
 for in score 
 Brass : 
 
 4 Horns, occasionally 6-8 
 
 2 Trumpets, a 3rd when score calls for it (never cor- 
 
 nets) 
 
 3 Trombones — always slide — ^never valve 
 1 Bass Tuba (E-flat Bass) 
 
 Percussion : 
 
 3 Tympani or Kettle Drums — one player 
 
 1 Bass Drum 
 
 1 Snare " not a separate player for each of 
 
 1 Cymbals r these but the number depending 
 
 1 Triangle upon the score 
 
 1 Carillon or Bells 
 
12 THE ORCHESTEA 
 
 This description of the modern symphony prchestis. in 
 its entirety should serve as a modiel of proportion for the con- 
 ductor of the commimity orchestra to follow as far as condi- 
 tions permit. Not that it could be expected that any small city 
 or town would ever be likely to have an amateur orchestra of 
 sueh dimensions and instrumentation. In fact, we do not 
 think that even in New York City an amateur orch^tra has 
 ever reached such a size in number of players, although pos- 
 sibly it may have done so as to the proportion in the instru- 
 mentation. 
 
 The conductor of the community orchestra should mode- 
 i-ate any top high expectations and descend to the realization 
 that one cannot pick and choose too exactingly but must do as 
 the old adage tells us: "to cut one's coat according to one's 
 cloth." Another old adage that says: "One cannot make a 
 silk purse out of a sow's ear," is equally applicable to the 
 affairs of an amateur orchestra as any material that is poor 
 without the likelihood of betterment had best not be chosen, 
 for one bad player can mar the results of a very large number 
 of good ones. 
 
 So we advise that the community orchestra be limited to 
 but a few players in the beginning and gradually grow from 
 this nucleus. In starting out we would advise in instrumen- 
 tation for the community orchestra the following: three or 
 four violins playing first parts, a cello and double bass, flute, 
 clarinet and conjet — if a trumpet is not obtainable — a piano 
 and a reed organ blown by the feet. With this combination 
 of instruments the conductor would be able to attempt much 
 that is written for the orchestra, the main limitations being 
 the ability of his players. 
 
 At this early stage it would be advisable for the conductor 
 to play the piano parts until the newly formed ofcheatra. has 
 made sUfScient progress and the number reached at least twelve 
 when he could then assume the baton. In conducting from 
 the piano he would be following the example of the great 
 
THE OBOBBSTBA. 13 
 
 musicians of the past who always sat at the harpsichord — the 
 piano of tiieir time. Thus taking part in the ranks the con- 
 ductor will be brought into an intimate relation with his 
 players, most valuable at this time when the foundation of the 
 orchestra is being laid. When the personnel of the orchestra 
 has reached twelve in number the conductor should give up 
 the piano to the regular pianist and this instrument should be 
 retained permanently as a component part of the orchestra. 
 The value of the piano in the orchestra is now fully realized 
 for the tonal qualities it imparts to the ensemble as well as 
 for the support and maintenance it contributes to all the in- 
 struments. Inasmuch as the piano gives, and often beeps up, 
 the intonation it should therefore always be in time and not 
 of the tin pan variety so commonly found not alone in oUt-of- 
 town but also in too many of the orchestras in large cities. 
 Evidently this point is often overlooked and the results fully 
 demonstrate the fact. 
 
 We have advised that a reed organ be included in the 
 instrumentation of the community orchestra. It is an unfortu- 
 nate fact' that this instrument is not as a rule a favorite with 
 musicians and we are inclined to regard this as largely a mat- 
 ter of prejudice that is entirely unreasonable. We do not wish 
 to be understood as championing the little, wheezy, nasal-toned 
 instruments one hears so often badly played in the country 
 church, but the instruments that we have in mind are the large 
 styles with many stops which give full, round tones, which if 
 one tries to get music out of them will find no difficulty — any 
 failure being the fault of the player. Despite the disfavor in 
 which the reed organ is held by some musicians it would be no 
 more just to discredit it on account of the results so often ob- 
 tained in the ineffectual attempts to play it, lihan to ban the 
 violin from the domain of music because of the bad playing 
 one so frequently hears on it. I^iszt's opinion of this instru- 
 ment, and it was an American organ to which he referred, 
 should be of some weight in this connection. He is quoted as 
 saying of it: 'Wo instramemts ao enrapture the player as 
 
14 THE ORCHESTRA 
 
 these." He judged the organ from his own playing on it and 
 there are many who judge it from the results of their playing. 
 
 The reed organ that we would advise for use in the or- 
 chestra should be of a first class maker, of large size with at 
 least six or seven sets of reeds throughout and with all the 
 accessories complete. Such an instrument would be an invalu- 
 able adjunct to the orchestra in binding the parts, strengthen- 
 ing the sustained tones, and enriching and giving body to the 
 strings. In addition to this, it would prove a most desirable 
 substitute for the lack of the second and third wood winds 
 which but few amateur orchestras are fortunate enough to 
 possess. 
 
 The artistic employment of the knee swell and full organ 
 knee lever are most valuable in crescendos and diminuendos 
 of which effects this instrument is to the highest degree 
 capable. It should be borne in mind, however, that as the reed 
 organ is an instrument of very weak carrying power, its tones 
 are easily absorbed and smothered by the other instruments, 
 hence we always advise the player not to be at all timid in 
 bringing out his part. It is indeed a serious loss to music that 
 the reed organ — of the type we have specified — has not been 
 made more of in this country and given the opportunity to 
 broaden and expand in accordance with its capabilities in 
 rendering the highest form of musical expression which would 
 entitle it to its proper place in the domain of music. 
 
 The reed organ, when used with the orchestra, should be 
 one that is blown by the feet of the player as only thus is it 
 possible to obtain its characteristic musical effects. This is as 
 essential as it would be for the violinist to bow his instrument 
 himself. When the reed organ is blown by another party or 
 by motor the quality of tone of the instrument is entirely dif- 
 ferent and loses all individuality, becomes dull and mechanical, 
 and the opportunity for expression, which is the chief charm 
 of the instrument, is lost. 
 
 These views are based on over forty years' playing as well 
 as on a close study of these instruments. So we claim, and 
 
THE ORCHE STR A 1 5 
 
 know by experience, that by an intelligent and skilful use of 
 the blow pedals a degree of expression can be obtained from 
 our American organs (in which the wind is sucked through the 
 reeds) almost approaching to that of the French harmoniums 
 (in which the wind is blown through the reeds). These latter, 
 by tEe way, are considered by musicians to be the most respon- 
 sive and capable of expression of any of the instruments the 
 tone of which is produced by use of the blow pedals. 
 
 Much of the music now published for the orchestra has 
 parts for the harmonium (reed organ), but where there are 
 none we would advise that the conductor write them for this 
 instrument. 
 
 The First Violins are the mainstay of the orchestra. In 
 fact, it is the presence of violins which make an orchestra. An 
 organization which consists of only wood wind and brass is 
 termed a band. 
 
 No matter what the individual proficiency of the players 
 of the first violins taken singly may be, when eight or ten are 
 brought together to play, drilling in a body separate from the 
 rest of the orchestra is absolutely necessary to attain the best 
 musical results. Several factors must be given attention and 
 their observance rigorously insisted upon ; these comprise : abso- 
 lute unanimity of attack, uniform bowing, like fingering and 
 phrasing, accents and dynamics — these at all times and in all 
 cases without any exception whatsoever. Special technical 
 exercises intended to bring out all these points or to correct 
 faults should be selected by the conductor and used by him in 
 drills for the improvement of the ensemble work as well as 
 for the development of tone quality. 
 
 It should not be considered by the amateur violinist as 
 any reflection upon his ability to require this drilling for it is 
 a regular procedure in the professional orchestra and it is 
 by such means that the excellence we are so wont to admire in 
 the first violins of so many of our symphony orchestras is ob- 
 tained. In short, the first violins should be as perfect in their 
 
16 THE OROHESTIU, 
 
 playing as possible so that when they come to rehearsal th^ 
 will be the support of the other instruments of the orchestra. 
 An amateur orchestra possessing good first violins has much to 
 be congratulated upon and most decidedly has a very great ad- 
 vantage over others not so fortunate. 
 
 The Second Violins are in many cases the "thorn in the 
 flesh" of the conductor of the amateur ordiestra. 
 
 A questiom that we are frequently asked by conductors of 
 amateur organizations is, "What can I do about my second 
 violins?" which in truth is a difficult condition on accoimt of 
 the peculiarity of the situation. Even in the best of our ama- 
 teui' orchestras one can usually distinguish to a greater or less 
 extent a discordant hum very like the distant sounds of a large 
 city which as a rule can be attributed to the faulty intonation 
 of the second violins, ^he reason for this is not at all difficult 
 to account for. 
 
 Naturally every fairly good amateur violinist aspires to 
 play first violin in the orchestna, for which we cannot honestly 
 blame one, for the second violin parts, especially in modem 
 popular music, are most decidedly dry and uninteresting. Still, 
 with all the dryness and monotony of these parts, thay are not 
 by any means easy to play because they so largely consist of 
 double stops which require a very good violin technic to play 
 them in tune. Thus we have a poor player attempting a more 
 or less difficult part, which accounts for the trouble with the 
 second violins. We would say, however, that in the case of the 
 classics and higher class modem music the second violin parts 
 are .apt to be on a par with the firsts, the only difference beipg 
 their characterization as "seconds" which is sufficient to "stick 
 in the crop" of the amateur wlio does not care to play "second 
 fiddle." Sometimes in the amftteur orchestra as a sort of "sop 
 to Cerebems" all are classed under the simple heading of 
 violins. This while it settles the question to a certain extent 
 as to the existence of any feeling on the part of the seconds, 
 still, as the two are seated apart there is a sort of barrier be- 
 tween the two classes. 
 
THE dRCHESTRA 17 
 
 The fact remains, however, that if poor violinists are per- 
 mitted to play with the seconds in the orchestra it will always 
 be handicapped on account of the disaords they will make. 
 Therefore our advice is under no circumstances whatsoever to 
 take poor violinists into the orchestra as it will tend to dis- 
 courage and demoralize the good players from trying their best 
 to attaia musical success. Comparatively speaking the violin 
 is to the orchestra what the life blood is to the animal economy. 
 When the blood is tainted the structure cannot remain in per- 
 fect health. 
 
 A means of obtaining good players in the seconds, which 
 is sometimes successful, is to require a certain period of pro- 
 bation with the undertanding that all vacancies in the firsts 
 will be filled from the seconds, dependiag upon ability and 
 seniority in the service. This plan would be practicable in 
 the case of a first class amateur orchestra where the supply of 
 applicants would exceed the demand for membership. In some 
 of the music school settlements in our large cities the orches- 
 tra is divided into classes each graded according to the capa- 
 bilities of the players. When those aidong the juniors become 
 sufiiciently proficient, be or she is gi-aduated to the next higher 
 and so on. In the case of the community orchestra where there 
 would be a large number of mediocre or poor violinists some 
 plan of this kind on a small scale might be considered. 
 
 In starting a new community orchestra we advise that in 
 the beginning no second violins be taken into it until some 
 shovsdng has been made which would then possibly be an in- 
 centive for good players to join it in this capacity which they 
 might not be willing to do at the start as success breeds success. 
 
 In the meantime the piano and organ wiU amply fill in 
 the parts lacking, as is done in the small orchestras in the 
 higher dass movie theatres, many of which orchestras, by the 
 way, are really excellent. Still it should be the aim of tho 
 conductor to ultimately acquire second violins for the com- 
 plete filling out of the string quartet which is a most desirable 
 as well as important element in orchestral music. Neverthe- 
 
18 THE ORCHESTRA 
 
 less we advise for the welfare of the orchestra that until satis- 
 factory players can be obtained for the second violins who can 
 be drilled and coached in their parts to play in tune there 
 should be none at all. 
 
 Though violas are essential for the completion of the 
 string quartet, players for these instruments are not any too 
 plentiful even in the amateur orchestras of our large cities. 
 So if the out-of-town community orchestra cannot obtain play- 
 ers for the viola, as a substitute we suggest that violins be 
 strung with viola strings which would fairly well take their 
 place. The chief trouble here would be the necessary loose 
 tuning of the C string, causing this string to lose much of its 
 sonority and power on account of the violin being smaller 
 than the viola. It should, however, be the aim of the conductor 
 to obtain as soon as he could the real thing in violas. 
 
 We assume that the community orchestra has already a 
 cello and a double bass for they are among the most important 
 constituents of the orchestra and absolutely indispensable for 
 the complete and artistic rendition of orchestral music. If a 
 double bass is still lacking and not obtainable, as a temporary 
 makeshift not by any means satisfactory, its absence can be 
 bridged over by an additional cello playing the bass part. But 
 if there is only one cello in the orchestra it should play its own 
 part and no other. 
 
 No instrument is more capable of enriching the tones of 
 the ensemble even when it is not individually perceptible than 
 the cello, which is the soul of the orchestra. With the excep- 
 tion of some very meagi-e solo work which it is permitted to 
 play occasionally, it would seem that all the delightful morsels 
 of orchestration for this instrument, intended by the composer 
 or arranger to be given prominence, are now too often more or 
 less smothered, where in fact the cello is only seen but not 
 heard. In many of the orchestras outside of the very large 
 ones we have to look for the cello to know whether there is any 
 at all. 
 
THE ORCHESTRA 19 
 
 Another discouragement for the student with the cello is 
 the miserable part accorded it in so much of the present day 
 orchestration. It would therefore seem reasonable to assume 
 that the paucity of cello students that is complained of in our 
 music school settlements is due to such causes as these. We can 
 however predict that sooner or later it will reach a position 
 similar to that in which are now the obsolete instruments, the 
 viol di gamba and the viol d'amour which are practically un- 
 known except to a few of the musical world. The question 
 now is whether our musicians are going to permit this beauti- 
 ful instrument to pass out of the domain of music. Even 
 now we notice a falling off in the quality of playing of the 
 cello on the very rare occasions when its tones are heard in our 
 orchestras. An experience of many years with the cello 
 prompts these views. 
 
 Pitch. Before taking up the subject of the wind instru- 
 ments something should be said about pitch for it is the wood 
 winds especially that decide the pitch of the orchestra. The 
 conductor should see to it that the wood winds — comprising the 
 flutes, oboes, clarinets and bassoons — with which the piano and 
 organ should absolutely agTee, are uniform in their pitch. The 
 rest of the orchestra tune from any of these although in the 
 large organizations the oboe gives the "A" from which all the 
 rest tune. This has been the prescribed right of the oboe from 
 time immemorial. 
 
 In the wind instruments — both wood winds and brass — the 
 pitch is considerably affected by temperature, cold lowering 
 and heat raising it. Warming by the breath in playing also 
 raises their pitch, therefore the player should be continually on 
 the lookout for any variation, regulating it when the slightest 
 change makes its appearance. 
 
 Faulty intonation, so often complained of in the wind in- 
 struments, we attribute very frequently to ignorance and 
 neglect of these conditions. In some cases, however, it is due to 
 a deficiency in the audition of the player which we have found 
 can often be remedied if not completely restored by individual 
 
20 THB XJlSXMEtln^RJi 
 
 drilling in the parta to be played, 8upplanent«d with a course 
 in sight singing, ear training and tone thinking. In fact, we 
 suggest such courses of training for the whole personnel of the 
 orchestra as a most eflfectual means of enhancing and better- 
 ing the results as a whole. 
 
 During the past two centuries musi<!al pitctb has varied 
 alternately from low t» high and high to low to the extent of 
 seven semitones or over one-half an octave. This variation 
 consists of from A 370-567 double vibrations;. In 1834: an 
 agreement was reached among musicians and musical instru- 
 ment makers abroad adopting a uniform pitch of A 440 double 
 vibration which is now extensively used by the principal or- 
 chestras and bands. It is known as the Philharmonic pitch. 
 The term high pitch is used for the A 455 which is still found 
 occasionally in very old instruments of the wood wind family. 
 The low pitch of A 435, which has also had its advocates and 
 been used quite extensively at times, is not a favorite in the 
 orchestra o;i account of the required laxity of tuning of the 
 strings by which they lose much of their brilliancy and sonor- 
 ity. It has now been practically supplanted by the A 440. 
 
 The correct intonation of the instrument is entirely de- 
 pendent upon the ear of the player and variations can be 
 effected in various ways as, for instance, in the flute by roll- 
 ing the barrel toward or from the lips, in the oboe and clarinet 
 by either too loose or too tight holding the reed ^vith the lips, 
 and in the brass instruments according to the tension of tiie 
 lips or manner of blowing — shallow or deep. 
 
 Only a true ear can determine whethei- or not a note is 
 correct in pitch, therefore if the orchestral playes has not this 
 ability it behooves him to acquire it if possible. 
 
 Correct intonation can best be cultivated by a course of 
 study in sight singing, ear training and tone thinking. Sight 
 singing enables one to give sound to the note seen ; ear train- 
 ing to determine pit«h aurally, and tone thinking the ability 
 to obtain a m^taJ j^roeption of the souod berfore beiug played. 
 
THB ORCHESTRA 21 
 
 It (should be remembered that in ear training there is either 
 absolute determination of pitch which is the aMlity to recog- 
 nize a sound individually as a definite note, or relative deter- 
 mination of pitch which is the ability to recognize a note by its 
 relation to others in the scale. 
 
 In teaching these studies to his players the conductor 
 should bear in mind that he is not dealing vdth children and 
 that they must have something that appeals to the reason and 
 presupposes the student to be the possessor of common sense, 
 which is more than can be said of some of the methods em- 
 ployed. We mention this for the reason that many methods 
 of teaching these studies savor too much of the nursery which, 
 while they may be most excellent for young children in pilot- 
 ting them through this work, in the case of the young grown-up 
 or adult would so disgust them that they would give up in a 
 short time, regarding the matter as too trivial to spend their 
 time on and not caring, at their age to start prematurely at 
 what would seem to them to be second childhood. In fact, we 
 know of cases of students who might have made good being 
 driven from the study of music in their youth by their teachers 
 employing silly, senseless measures to illustrate their work. 
 
 We therefore advise that in all teaching whether it be of 
 the scales, intervals w chords, that numbers (not names) only 
 be employed to draignate the notes, which method fulfills all 
 purposes far more satisfactorily than any of the others which 
 only tend to distract the attention of the studfent from the 
 subject. 
 
 The Flute is a very important constituent of the orches- 
 tra. This instrument lacking^ in the orchestra much of the 
 music written for it cannot be rendered with satisfactory re- 
 sults. The flutist should also be provided with a piccolo which 
 is called for in certain pieces on account of the piquancy and 
 brilliancy it imparts to the general eifect Flutes are made 
 of both metal and wood. Kegarding the merits of each, there 
 are divers opinions as to their qualities, some claiming that 
 
22 THE ORCHESTRA 
 
 wood gives a mellow tone and others that metal contributes 
 brilliancy. While it is possible that there may be something 
 in these claims still in our experience we have heard all these 
 emanating from flutes of both materials. In fact, we are in- 
 clined to consider that the tone quality of the flute depends 
 more upon the player than the material the instrument is made 
 of, nevertheless our choice has always been in favor of wood. 
 
 There are two mechanisms for the fingering of the flute 
 — the old, well-known key system and /that of Boehm by 
 which latter a good player can surmount the most difficult tech- 
 nical passages with perfect ease in any key with equal facility 
 as well as obtaining a tone of the greatest beauty. Without 
 any question the Boehm system should be the preference when 
 purchasing a flute as the old system bids fair in time to take 
 its place among the obsolete. 
 
 The Clarinet is not only one of the most important in- 
 struments of the orchestra but it is in fact absolutely neces- 
 sary. Its beautiful quality of tone, facility of execution, ex- 
 tended range of compass and capability for expression make 
 it of such value to the orchestra that its absence greatly limits 
 the selection of music that can be satisfactorily rendered. The 
 community orchestra which lacks this instrument is precluded 
 from much of the best in its repertoire. 
 
 The clarinet is termed a transposing instrument, i.e., the 
 note it sounds is different from the one written, depending 
 upon the key of the instrument of which there are several in 
 various keys. 
 
 If the Albert system, or any of its modifications, is chosen 
 by the orchestral player he should be provided with two clari- 
 nets, one in B-flat and one in A-natural. Two instruments 
 are necessary on account of the difficulties met with in playing 
 the remote keys where the fingering is most complicated and 
 to some well nigh impossible. The clarinet parts in orchestral 
 music are often technically difficult, therefore by the use of two 
 instruments a greater ease and facility is permitted in playing 
 
THE ORCHESTRA 23 
 
 in all keys. In the case of the Boehm clarinet these difficulties 
 are overcome ia the construction of the instrument so that one 
 clarinet in B-flat with a low E-flat key will suffice. However, 
 parts written for the A clarinet will have to be transposed. 
 
 An amateur clarinetist is not always obtainable in a small 
 city or town. Therefore in such a case, as this instrument is of 
 great imgortance, it would be advisable that someone be pre- 
 vailed upon to take it up for the purpose of playing it in the 
 orchestra. 
 
 If the purchase of a clarinet is contemplated a few words 
 of advice might be opportune as there are all kinds for sale 
 and a poor one is dear at any price. We would especially warn 
 the would-be purchaser to beware of all cheap musical instru- 
 ments. Even in the highest class clarinets there are some 
 shortcomings but whatever these may be, they are not due to 
 any fault in their making but rather to the fact that the in- 
 strument as a class has not yet reached its fullest development. 
 These shortcomings, however, can be overcome to a very great 
 extent by practice and an acquaintance with one's instrument, 
 learning how to bridge over the difficulties and how to humor 
 it. The defects in a poor instrument, however, will be of a 
 kind that cannot be overcome, try as one may. It will remain 
 a continual source of annoyance and regret to the player. 
 
 In choosing a clarinet of the Albert system, or any of 
 its modifications — which by the way is less expensive and 
 many good instruments are made with this fingering — it should 
 not have less than fifteen keys and four rings to obtain the 
 best musical results. While every additional key or ring in- 
 creases the cost of the instrument, still at the same time it so 
 greatly facilitates the execution and the smoothness of the 
 playing that it amply compensates for the greater expense. 
 However, the Boehm clarinet is considered by musicians to be 
 the nearest to perfection and is the instrument to be chosen 
 especially if the player contemplates any professional work, 
 when there should be no hesitation whatsoever in the matter of 
 selection. 
 
24 THB ORCHESTRA 
 
 It should be borne in mind, however, that the Albert and 
 Boehm systems differ very greatly in their fingering, so much 
 so as to make it impossible for one accustomed to either to 
 chaage to the other without requiring considerable practice to 
 become familiar with new conditions. This would be an im- 
 portant point to be considered in the case of one already play- 
 ing the instrument, but for one taking up the clarinet for the 
 first time the Boehm system should be given the preference. 
 
 The Oboe is a valuable acquisition to the orchestra. Due 
 to its great wealth in overtones it imparts a richness of timbre 
 to the ensemble as well as being of importance for solo pass- 
 ages and orchestral effects in general. It is, however, our 
 opinion after many years' experience in playing this instru- 
 ment that it is top much of an imdertaking for an amateur 
 to attempt to learn to play it who has not unlimited time under 
 his control for practice, or where instruction or advice are not 
 easily available. While we grant that the tone of the oboe 
 is most delightful to the ear of the true musician and also a 
 very interesting instrument to study, and to play — ^when one 
 knows how to do it — it is not by any means easy to acquire 
 by self-teaching. The reed which is the sound producer of 
 the instrument is fickleness in the highest degree, in fact is 
 very like the little girl in the story who "when she was good 
 was very, very good, but when she was bad was horrid." 
 
 The Bassoon is a rare instrument among amateur musi- 
 cians and it is very unlikely that a player for it can be found 
 outside of a large city and even there they are few and far 
 between. It is an acquisition to an orchestra, its characteristic 
 tone lending a charm to the wood wind and supplying a most 
 sonorous bass as well as the beautiful vox humana notes of the 
 upper register in obligate and solo passages. Kather than dis- 
 pense with its part in the score, when a player for the instru- 
 ment cannot be obtained, a very satisfactory substitute for the 
 bassoon will be found in the Tenor C Saxophona 
 
 A few remarks on the practice of the i-eed instruments 
 should be of aid. 
 
THE ORCHESTRA 25 
 
 The continued use of the reed, be it of the oboe, clarinet 
 or bassoon, for any length of time becomes very fatiguing to 
 the lips of the player. Therefore the periods of practice should 
 be limited to not over half an hour at a time — and even less 
 than this in the beginning when necessary — ^with generous 
 rests between. This practice should be mainly devoted to the 
 technic of the reed and tone production, which latter is 
 regarded by musicians as the most important factor in the play- 
 ing of these instruments. 
 
 The technic of the fingering is also, in its way, of the 
 utmost importance as to correctness and exactness inasmuch 
 as in some cases the misplacement of a single finger, especially 
 in "cross fingering," would be sufficient to result in conse- 
 quences most foreign to the intent of the player and disastrous 
 to the musical tone. This technic, however, can be acquired by 
 silent practice on the instrument without the reed or the oboe 
 in contact with the lips but simply held in the position of 
 playing with the fingers going through all the technical 
 manipulations, thus doing away with the increased lip fatigue 
 caused by false notes due to making mistakes in the fingering, 
 saving the nerve and ear wear and tear, as well as being most 
 conducive to the comfort of one's neighbors. We advise this 
 even in the face of the opposition of some who do not favor 
 any form of silent practice, who, by the way, are very often 
 of the good old-fashioned kind who advocate going around the 
 block to go next door. As for the objections generally made 
 against silent practice that there is a possibility of the player 
 getting the wrong notes, we certainly admit it and even go 
 further to say that there is every likelihood of his doing so if 
 he does not keep his wits about him and know what he is 
 doing. Nevertheless we contend that anyone who is fairly 
 proficient in tone thinking and is aware mentally what sound 
 should result from the key manipulated and exercises care 
 that only the right note or key is played will derive results 
 from this method of practice that will make him enthusiastic 
 equal to that of the writer in his experience with it on the oboe. 
 
26 THE ORCHESTRA 
 
 The Saxophone's presence in the symphony orchestra is 
 a mooted question as some favor . it while others do not. Al- 
 though it has been occasionally given a place in the scores of 
 some of the great composers, still it is not as yet accepted as 
 a member of the orchestral family. We are inclined to think 
 that the disfavor in which it seems to be held by musicians is 
 not due to any fault in its tone quality but rather to the com- 
 pany into which this instrument has fallen and on account 
 of the menial capacity in which it is so frequently employed. 
 Its being heard too commonly in vaudeville has not tended to 
 elevate it, while its almost general use in jazz music has done 
 much to reduce it to the level of the banjo and instruments 
 of this class. A great misfortune for the saxophone, to our 
 mind, is the ease with which it can be learned which has tended 
 to "popularize" it. Yet for all the disadvantages that at labors 
 under, still the saxophone is an instrument worthy of better 
 treatment by the real musician and capable of good work if 
 given the opportunity to do it, and we are inclined to believe 
 that its addition to the regular orchestra would do much to 
 lift it from its present environment. 
 
 We see no objection to the legitimate use of the saxo- 
 phone in the orchestra, for its characteristic tone qualities 
 which would be a valuable acquisition for certain orchestral 
 effects, in playing parts written for it by the composer but not 
 as the general substitute for other instruments as reconamended 
 by its too enthusiastic admirers. We would, however, prefer 
 to hear it used as a substitute for much of the too generously 
 lavished solos by the comet, which we consider the saxophone 
 would replace far more musically and appropriately. 
 
 In the use of the saxophone it should be remembered that 
 when the instrument sounds an octave lower than the written 
 notes the part should be played an octave higher to obtain the 
 desired effect. 
 
 The many small orchestras in the moving picture theatres 
 at the present time, consisting of string, wood wind, piano and 
 
TPB OBCHESTRA 27 
 
 organ, some of which play a good class of music in a very satis- 
 factory manner, demonstrate that the brass instruments are not 
 indispensable by any means for the rendition of all orchestral 
 music. Quite a contrast from that in the past when it would 
 seem that the average musician's penchant for the brass in- 
 strument was such that, with too many at least, their ideal or- 
 chestra started primarily with the comet, followed by a second 
 comet, trombone — very often valve — with drums and traps, 
 with all the rest left to chance to shape itself as best it could. 
 
 IsTevertheless the brass instruments are essential com- 
 ponents of the symphony orchestra, having a musical function 
 to perform where they are in proper proportion and employed 
 —as in the best organizations — in an artistic manner. There- 
 fore as we follow the symphony orchestra as a pattern for the 
 community orchestra it behooves us to give some attention to 
 these instruments which we should not condemn on account of 
 their so often misuse by the ignorant and inartistic musician. 
 
 The first brass instrument admitted into the community 
 orchestra will probably be a cornet but which should be re- 
 garded as a substitute for the Trumpet which is used in all 
 symphony and grand opera orchestras and, in fact, wherever 
 a better class of music is played. The only reason why the 
 cornet has ever taken the place of the trumpet is on account 
 of the much greater ease with which it can be played although 
 at the same time with a sacrifice of tone quality. 
 
 The Comet has never been a favorite instrument with the 
 real musicians on account of its dull, colorless quality of tone 
 as compared with the trumpet or or with the soprano saxhorn, 
 lacking as it does the clearness and brilliancy of the former 
 and the sweet mellowness of the latter. Prout in his book 
 "The Orchestra" characterizes the tone of the cornet as "coarse 
 and vulgar." The tone of the trumpet blends more satisfac- 
 torily with the other instruments of the orchestra than that of 
 the cornet which stands out above the others and can never be 
 subdued entirely. 
 
28 THE OROHBSTIVV. 
 
 A trumpet player not being obtainable there would be 
 but little likelihood of there being any trouble in procuring a 
 comet player for if the town has a band there would probably 
 be several available. From this number the best all round 
 player should be chosen who has a true intonation and we ad- 
 vise that there be but one cornet in the orchestra imtil it has 
 reached a sufficient size to warrant a player for second. In 
 fact we do not advocate any increase in the number of brass 
 instruments until there are at least six first violins in the 
 orchestra when a second cornet (or trumpet) and a slide trom- 
 bone (not valve) can be added with advantage to the orches- 
 tral ensemble. We specify the slide as preferable to the valve 
 trombone, having in mind the words of Prout on this latter 
 instrument: "It will be an evil day for the orchestra if this 
 instrument should ever supplant the noble slide trombone." 
 Furthermore we would enjoin on the conductor that no more 
 than one trombone should be ever used in an orchestra of less 
 than forty players. 
 
 The addition of two French Horns to the orchestra would 
 be a most desirable acquisition, the only difficulty being that 
 it will be hardly likely to obtain players for this instrument 
 in a small city or town. The French horn is the musician's 
 favorite of the brass instruments, the glorious tone of which 
 cannot be dispensed with from any orchestra which aspires to 
 be musically complete. The horn performs a double capacity in 
 orchestral combination in blending harmoniously with the wood 
 wind and closely assimilating with the brass instruments as 
 well as for its beautiful solo effects. It is, however, an instru- 
 ment that is not easy to learn to play and requires especial 
 musical aptness to succeed with it. Its embouchure is difficult 
 to obtain and also necessitates considereable practice to retain 
 it. This might exact more time and work than the average 
 amateur could care to or afford to spend. But in such a case 
 rather than dispense with the horn parts, a substitute would 
 be preferable, for which purpose the Melohom, so-called, has 
 been recommended although it is not the equal of the French 
 
THE ORCHESTRA 29 
 
 horn — especially as to the characteristically incomparable 
 upper notes of the latter. 
 
 When the community orchestra has reached the number 
 of thirty or more we suggest the addition of a Bass Tuba or 
 E-flat Bass with a player who can maintain a subdued tone 
 without blaring. To one not familiar with the use of the tuba 
 with a small number of instruments this suggestion would 
 seem to savor of veritable musical heresy and at one time we 
 would have been of the same mind at such a suggestion. Our 
 conversion, however, was brought about after hearing a tuba 
 used in a small theatre orchestra of but eight players and on 
 first seeing the instrument, before hearing it, were actually 
 disgusted at what then seemed to us to be such bad taste. How- 
 ever, after hearing it we were most agreeably surprised as the 
 eifects were really delightful and from that time on we have 
 been a strong advocate for the employment of the tuba — of 
 course artistically played — in small combinations of musical 
 instruments for its organlike tone of a quality which is not 
 even obtainable from the double bass as excellent as this is. 
 
 That misused, ill treated and anathematized instrument, 
 the Drum, performs a very important part in orchestral music 
 and when used in an artistic manner can be most effective. To 
 many persons the drum is regarded as but a means for mak- 
 ing a noise and in fact we have heard it used in orchestras 
 where it would seem that the player was under the same im- 
 pression and was trying to drown the music rather than take 
 part in it. There are few towns, if any at all, that are not well 
 supplied with drummers, good, bad and indifferent — even 
 sometimes too many for the peace of the town. However, ar- 
 tistic performers on this instrument are few and far between. 
 Therefore we do not advise this entrance of the drum into the 
 commtmity orchestra until, the number of its players has 
 reached at least twenty or twenty-five and then not unless the 
 drummer be a musician who does not aspire to be a soloist. 
 
 When the drummer can realize that his instrument can 
 never be unheard even in its most piano passages and that it 
 
30 THE ORCHESTRA 
 
 is in these that the drum is the most effective, it will then be 
 possible to insure artistic results in his playing. We have 
 heard the drum used in very small combinations of players — 
 not over four or five — with the most delightfully artistic re- 
 sults, but the drummers have been virtuosos on their instru- 
 ments. 
 
 The Bass Drum is a most effective means of strengthen- 
 ing the accents and the Snare Drum for dynamic effects in a 
 crescendo roll from piano to forte finishing the climax note 
 with a stroke of the bass drum and cymbals. 
 
 The Tympani or Kettle Drums are, however, an entirely 
 different proposition from that of the bass drum for here we 
 have real musical instruments which are tuned to distinct 
 notes as directed in the score — usually the tonic and dominant 
 although not necessarily so. The tympani can be added to the 
 orchestra after the number has reached twelve. 
 
 In the seating of the orchestral players we advise taking 
 pattern after the plan of the symphony orchestra as near as 
 possible with the material at hand. 
 
 The first violins are placed at the left of the conductor 
 in rows of twos extending backward. The second violins are 
 correspondingly placed at the right with the violas in the rear. 
 The cellos sit directly in front of the conductor with the wood 
 wind — ^flutes, oboes^ clarinets and bassoons — behind them and 
 behind these are the double basses. The piano and organ are 
 at the left rear while the brass instruments — trumpets, trom- 
 bone and/ tuba — and drums are at the right rear. The horns 
 occupy a place between the wood wind and brass. 
 
 A few words on the subject of practice which the average 
 amateur musician is not prone to overindulge in. Home prac- 
 tice is absolutely necessary to entitle one to make any preten- 
 tions to play on a musical instrument. It is not fair to the 
 rest of the players of the community orchestra to come to 
 rehearsals unprepared to do at least one's best. 
 
 Two hours a day practice is little enough and will never 
 make one a virtuoso as it barely sufiBces to keep up the 
 
THE ORCHESTRA 31 
 
 player who is already familiar with the repertoire. If this is 
 all that can be given, the whole time should be spent in tech- 
 nical work including sustained notes and scales. 
 
 As an incentive and encouragement for diligence in prac- 
 tice on the part of the players we would say that after the 
 ability to play a musical instrument has been acquired it neces- 
 sitates less work to keep it up than to learn it. From this 
 time on all extra work contributes toward a higher excellence. 
 
 We advise that all public performances be devoted en- 
 tirely to the musicians of the orchestra and if there are solos 
 they should be given by its members. Outside talent engaged 
 for solos reminds one of the expression of an old countryman 
 when there was an elocutionist on the programme of a musical 
 entertainment, that it was a good thing to "vary the monot- 
 ony." In all such cases where there is a soloist from outside, 
 the orchestra is regarded by the audience as secondary, which 
 is most discouraging for the players. 
 
 It is incomprehensible but a fact nevertheless that a singer, 
 no matter how poor, will cause an audience to go into ecstacies 
 while they will sit unmoved like blocks of wood through the 
 playing of a fine instrumentalist. 
 
 We may be charged as exacting throughout this pamphlet 
 too much in our ideal for the community orchestra. However, 
 let us bear in mind the old saying, "that which is worth doing 
 is worth doing well." 
 
 In closing we would say that we will be glad to receive 
 any suggestions that would be of value in the preparation of 
 future editions of this pamphlet.