- Book music
Book Music is a medium for storing the music played on European
mechanical organ s. Similar topiano roll s, but book music is made from thick cardboard, containing perforated holes representing the musical notes to be played, with the book folded zig-zag style.In 1892, organ maker Anselmo Gavioli patented the "book organ," a series of folded sheets of cardboard, which allowed air through holes punched on the pages of the folded book, to make the pipes of the organ sound. [ [http://www.lifeofguangzhou.com/node_10/node_35/node_116/node_610/2007/09/21/119035799827462.shtml Life of Guangzhou - Brief Introduction of Automatic Musical Instruments ] ] Because of its thin construction and hence tendency to flex, meaning that maximum air-power of the blower was restricted,
music roll s were never popular inEurope . The development marked a turning-point in the history of the mechanical organ, and made Gavioli until their demise in 1910, the most famous and prolific fair organ builders. [ [http://fairgroundfollies.com/gavioli_organ.php Gavioli Organ ] ]Book Music was the most commonly used medium for large instruments. Used extensively by
fairground and street organ makers, book music was also used byHenri Fourneaux in 1863 in his Pianista. [ [http://www.uk-piano.org/piano-gen/players-and-self-acting-pianos.html Player Pianos and Self-Acting Pianos - by Bill Kibby MIMIT ] ]One of the advantages of book music is, that it can be mechanically interpreted, by having so-called "keys" (levers on springs with an upside down "V"-shaped hook at the end) run underneath the book, which will mechanically open valves, whenever a hole in the book passes by.Paper rolls on the other hand are "key-less" and are generally only read by pneumatic pressure or suction. Some mechanical organs, particularly those of German manufacture by firms such as Gbr Bruder and Ruth play keyless cardboard book music, operating pneumatically.
The disadvantage of book music is the size and weight to store music. The advantage of book music is that it is sturdy and not subject to expansion and contraction with
humidity . This allows for large books to be manufactured, allowing musically versatile capabilities.References
ee also
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Punched card - Book music was originally developed by taping a stack of punched cards together.
*Punched tape
*Player piano
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