First of all, please check the Tempo calibration on your piano to the
'arrow' pointing on the scale.  To do that use a roll, not too important,
and using a good marking pen put a mark on the roll after 3 feet from the
beginning.  Then put another mark measure at 4 feet from the beginning
and again at 8 feet and 10 feet.

Start the roll and time these intervals.  The Tempo figures on rolls
that say "70"  mean 7 feet per minute, "80" is 8 feet per minute, and
so on.  On different player pianos there might be ways to adjust the
pointer to correspond to the scale on the roll frame.

Regarding what the Tempo says on the roll.  If you are playing a
'Blues' tune, say of a lady crying and repeating the words, then it
should be slow, never at a galloping pace.  A march tune should be at
a good pace of what a person can march to without getting tired after
half a mile.  The "quick-step" pace should be what you are comfortable
to dance to.

Regarding the tune "Tiger Rag", all the bands I have heard playing it
race this tune.  Why?  In one band the clarinetist could hardly get in
the required notes.

The Tempo on the roll as listed might not be what is 'reasonable'.
The roll company can make mistakes when marking the tempo pace.

When I started making 88-note rolls the distance of the bars were
short, resulting in the Tempo was down to "Tempo 30".  If there are any
slight errors in making the roll perforations in a particular bar then
the error is heard when playing as, say, a 'jerky' movement.  If the
distance between measures (bars) is longer, then this error really does
not show, but then this same tune would be played at "Tempo 75".

Where tremolo perforations on the roll, some might be just one
perforation long and if played too fast you will barely hear them
played, if at all, so adjust the Tempo to make them sound.

Steve Bentley
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada