A MUSICAL KEY. 
with time or a ‘‘ rhythmic beat” ? Yes, not only one bird, 
but forty! Here is the song of the Black-billed Cuckoo: 
at Neale i 6)e) ied odie. 9 a OL URIS sein, o'hle eo ciee a eet wee 
Ampere iss the sRODIE. Us se.) cae), 0's'e | jes):my\ ome: elem 
And here is.the Flicker 2... ccccctcvccovcvecseecs 
And the Black-throated Green Warbler . . eee 
And-the Nashville Warbler... .!." ss: ‘se 
And the Whip-poor-will . .. ai ai ol ms ae 
Not one of the little fellows above ever gets his rhythm 
mixed up with that of the other fellow. 
The next step is to become familiar with those mechani- 
cal divisions of tone which the musical staff represents. 
Tones of course are separated by regular intervals.* 
The simplest demonstration of well-separated tones in 
connection with the rhythmic beat will be found in the 
song of the Peabody Bird : 
> > > 
ld Sam Pea-body, Pea-body, Pea-body, 
This little fellow frequently sings an interval of ‘‘a 
fifth,” that is, he sings A, perhaps, and jumps over B,C, 
and D, to E. ‘The musical staff shows this as clearly to 
one who can not read music as it does to one who can: 
This time beat 1s the one commonly used by writers, 
ie idests, Je9e Se 4b St.e8 1b Bees 
{26 ie 
182636 465666 162 & 36 465 & 6& °182.& 36 
The following 1s the perfected form, 
Modensto! gees # An ie 
* The little bird does not always correctly heed his intervals, he 
very often sings sharp or flat; but, strictly speaking, no person 
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