512 Musical Intonation and Temperament. 



most important. The principles of its intonation demand our first at- 

 tention, because all accurate intonation of the voice depends on that 

 of the Viol. One form of this instrument will illustrate all the 

 others ; and for this purpose we select its best form, the Violin. In 

 playing this instrument, the correct mental conceptions of pitch, ne- 

 cessary in all musical execution, are here mechanically aided and 

 corrected by the fixed sounds of the open strings, to a degree of 

 accuracy otherwise unattainable in a perfect instrument. The open 

 strings are Sol 4 , Re 6 , La 6 , .Mi 8 , each an exact fifth above the prece- 

 ding. Two only of these, Sol and Re, are found in the natural key, 

 or key of Do. In the key of 1# La comes in, and in 2#s all are 

 used. In Sifts Sol disappears ; Re in 4^fs ; in 5#s Mi only is left, and 

 in G and more sharps no open string remains to be appealed to, ex- 

 cept the \) 7th in the key of 6^8. The flat signatures are less favored 

 than the sharp. The key of lfj has but one open string, and the 

 others none at all. Here the performer is Left all afloat, and perfect 

 accuracy is impossible. His only alternative is to play every note 

 comma higher than its true place, and by this means he has one fixed 

 sound in 4fjs, beyond which the keys are only used for occasional 

 modulations, as also are the extreme sharp keys. 



The best key for the Violin, then, is 2#s; and in 2 or more \js, 

 correct playing can be attained only by false tuning, making the 

 whole i istrument comma flat. The Viol might perhaps be improved 

 by :• Iding one or more movable nuts to each string, each shortening its 

 length one 80th, and raising its pitch comma. Six false nuts distri- 

 buted among the four strings would give four open strings in all keys, 

 from o #8 to 1 '\) inclusive, and one open string in all the keys from 8 #s 

 to 1 ! s inclusive. 



We will consider next the human voice — the gift of our kind Crea- 

 tor to near]} every human being; and, in respect to its powers, the 

 most important of musical instruments. Having no fixed sounds of 

 its own, absolutely perfect intonation for any length of time, independent 

 of an instrument, is impossible. An approximation to this is the most 

 important point in all musical instruction, and yet one which is rarely 

 considered in a philosophical light. I may, therefore, bo pardoned for 

 noticing it a little more particularly than would otherwise be necessary. 



The great point to be aimed at is a mental excellence, not a.j>hysi- 

 cah Let the mental conception be correct, and correct execution will 

 follow of course. This is in a degree true of all musical execution— 

 in vocal music pre-eminently so. 



