On Musical Temperameni. 95 
the other: there can be no doubt that the greater part of the 
temperament ought to be thrown upon the latter. Hence it 
becomes an important problem to ascertain, with some degree 
of precision, the relative frequency with which different con- 
sonances occur in practice. Before proceeding toa direct in- 
vestigation of this problem, it may be observed, in general, 
that such a difference manifestly exists. Ina given key, it 
cannot have escaped the most superficial observer, that the 
most frequent combination of sounds is the common chord on 
the tonic; that the next after this is that on the dominant, and 
the third, that on the subdominant. Perhaps scarcely a piece 
of music can be found, in which this order of frequency does 
not hold true. Itis equally true that some signatures occur 
oftener than others. ‘That of one sharp will be found to be 
more used, in the major mode, than any other ; and, in general; 
the more simple keys will be found of more frequent occur- 
rence than those which have more flats or sharps. These 
differences are not the result of accident. The tonic, domi- 
nant, and subdominant, are obviously the most prominent notes 
in the scale, and must always be the fundamental bases of more 
chords than either of the others; while the greater ease of 
playing on the simpler keys will always be a reason with com- 
posers for setting a larger part of their music on these, than 
on the more difficult keys. It is observable, that the greater 
part of musical compositions, whether of the major or minor 
mode, is reducible to two kinds: that in which the base chiefly 
moves between the tonic and its octave, and that in which the 
base moves between the dominant and subdominant of the key, 
The former class, in the major mode, are almost universally 
set on the key of one sharp; the latter, generally on the na- 
tural key, or that of two sharps. In the minor mode, the for- 
mer class have usually the signature of two flats, or the natural 
key; the latter, that of one flat. Hence the three former 
keys will comprise the greater part of the music in the major 
mode, and the three latter, of that in the minor mode, in every 
promiscuous collection. But if we were even to suppose each — 
of the chords in the same key, and each of the signutures, of 
equally frequent occurrence, some chords would occur much 
OL. 1. 4+ 
