"On the Sunny Side of the Street" Pianola Player Piano Roll

[dontheshark]

The piano is playing on the principle of reduced air (Vacuum Pressure) When the pedals are pumped, air is being removed from the system, and the governor keeps the tempo steady.

[vanvlitp]

Great piano roll arrangement. Weber's are awesome pianos, especially the older ones before they got bought out. The reason player pianos tend to play too fast is since the air leaks more in the stack (bellows that play the notes), we tend to pump more air to achieve sound volume. But harder pumping drives the air motor (crank shaft driven by perfectly good bellows) too fast, which rolls the piano roll. Players were originally quite effortless to pump and were advertised with babies pumping.

[cbkidder]

@vanvlitp the air governor should control the speed no matter how hard you pump

[bh4bhwgm]

That's a great tune but you are playing it to fast. It is swing....slow it down about half that speed and it will have real beauty.

[benvdd100]

If you would've read the information left to the video and are familiar with the principal of a player piano you would realise just how stupid that remark was ;). He's not playing it himself, the piano is playing it for him :)

[Shangas]

I have to laugh at that, and yet I also wonder. It's true, the tune isn't actually 'played', it's worked by the bellows...but perhaps what he was talking about was that the bellows were being pumped too fast? And I agree...wonderful song. One of my favourites.

[pianoman1984]

and if you would know a bit about player piano's you'd know you still have to play them, though it's different from playing the piano it's still hard to play a roll properly so it sounds musical

[protte225]

@bh4bhwgm Certainly not half the speed; that would be far too slow for the stye of this rendition. It seems so many of the popular songs of the day were arranged for the player piano in a similar foxtrot style for dancing, regardless of their original mood. Actually, I enjoy this style, especially when rendered on Ampico rolls and pianos, or other reproducing pianos which provide variation in dynamics.

[JamesPriceJohnson]

who is the artist? Plz Respond i love this piano roll

[Cheesetubes]

Duo arts are great.. Personally I love all the fun of the ones that you can put expression into yourself while you play it, but I guess thats just me.

[SETclocks]

Most of these rolls have two suggested tempos printed at the beginning, the faster one being for dancing. This roll is definitely played at dance tempo and was arranged to provide a steady, rhythmic beat. Not bad at all.

[pipeorganphil]

I'd like to see that in a display trailer on the back of my motor home and drag it around the vintage rallies.

[tassielou]

Yes it is a little too fast.

great tho

[chem100]

Nice piano! TOO FAST! Slow it down to where you can imagine yourself singing it with feeling. About 20 percent slower should do it. The piano needs to be tuned. However, it has a very nice sound, rich and resonant.

[0597534]

Nice! Brings back the good ol' days of Charlie Chaplin! thanks for posting!

[Muzecman]

I want one of these someday. With the pedals too. I like these old players, lots of character. Bet it keeps you fit too.

[jim02026]

The roll that you are playing must be the earlier QRS version. Can you tell me the who played this arrangement and the cat. number on the roll? I have the later swing version played by J. Lawrence Cook on QRS 8753.