6G4 . REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 189fi. 



CONCLUSION. 



Certain differences of oi^inion exist among historians ot music as to 

 the scale adopted by primitive peoples in their earliest efforts. One 

 class thinks it finds in the laws of sound a relationship between notes 

 of different pitch, which harmonize with each other and make a concord 

 of sweet sounds, and demonstrates a scale natural to all men and there- 

 fore universal, applying as well to the savage as to the enlightened; 

 that is to say, tliey believe that when the savage has become suffi- 

 ciently practiced in music to employ a scale of any kind, he will use 

 that belonging to modern and civilized music because that scale is 

 natural to man. Other i)ersoiis deny this, and express their belief 

 that primitive peoples either did not recognize this concord, or else did 

 not desire it. 



These differences of opinion have not been adjusted. When one 

 party shows primitive instruments on which the modern scale can be 

 produced, or shows primitive music written on the modern staff, they 

 are met with the assertion that this is, or may be, the result of straining 

 the instrument to produce the given note. 



Neither myself nor my associate, Mr. Upham, have taken sides in this 

 controversy, recognizing our role to be that of gathering facts rather 

 than indulging in speculation, that our facts may be used by both par- 

 ties, thus serving in some degree to elucidate these disputed questions. 



Great care has been employed in ascertaining the tones or pitch 

 indicated in the staves, that they should represent the normal scale of 

 each instrument. They could be manipulated so as to give a tone 

 higher or lower than normal. Particular pains have been taken to 

 represent ui>ou the staff the notes obtained, by using average force in 

 blowing, and to avoid the temptation to raise or lower the pitch, in 

 order that the intervals might be more easily represented on the staff 

 or more satisfying to the ear. 



The fact that it is rare to find two instruments from a given locality 

 which produce the same tones indicates at least that their construc- 

 tion (musically) was not based on any established or recognized scale. 

 With most of them the intervals and scale appear to have been purely 

 accidental. What results might be obtained if all prehistoric instru- 

 ments could be brought together and studied it is impossible to say. 



