Musical Intonation and Temperament. 519 



inadequate to the wants of the musician. The deficiencies are in a 

 degree supplied by partly stopping the mouth with the hand. This 

 makes a "perfect instrument" of it, but greatly injures the quality of 

 the tones. 



Another class of imperfect instruments vary their pitch by lateral 

 openings closed by the fingers and by keys. These are always inac- 

 curate in pitch, and as you diminish this objection by more openings, 

 you injure the quality of every tone of the instrument. 



It is needless to pursue this subject farther. We see it beset 

 with difficulties on every side. Are they insuperable? Theoreti- 

 cally they are not. An organ can be made to execute perfect into- 

 nation, but the bulk, the expense, the liability to get out of order, and 

 above all, the labor of tuning — to be forever recommenced as soon 

 as completed — furbid the hope of practical success until a new era in 

 mechanics. The attempt has been made on stringed instruments 

 with frets, as the Guitar — but that instrument is not in itself of im- 

 portance enough to justify the attempt, and the momentary variation 

 of its strings forbids the hope of entire success. 



Composers have themselves thrown obstacles in the way by 

 writing their music expressly for imperfect intonation — not only of 

 keyed instruments, but even of the violin. And, in fact, it is said by 

 good authority that k\v or no performers on this noble instrument 

 execute their notes with even as great accuracy as well-tuned im- 

 perfect instruments. 



To sum up the whole matter, we conclude that although perfect 

 intonation may be the subject of rigid mathematical inquiry, and its 

 approximation may furnish full scope for the ambition of genius for 

 ages to come, its full attainment is not to be hoped until we strike 

 our harps of gold, and sing that song which no one can learn but the 

 Redeemed from the Earth. 



