of the Musical Scale. 313 



very language of music ivriters, or the notation of music it- 

 self, may be still in that barbarous and unrefined state as to 

 want the power of expressing more than those tuelue sounds; 

 and that organs and all imperfect itistruments are limited to 

 that, or even to a smaller number of notes within the octave 

 — -the trumpet, horn, &c., for instance: and let it be recol- 

 lected, that vocal and perfect-instrument Performers never 

 have attempted, and I may add never will or ought to attempt, 

 to execute any system of sounds limited to twelve notes within 

 the octave, because all such are utterhj incon'iistent with 

 perfect harmony'*, did performers possess the power of ex- 

 actly accomplishing or giving such temperaments, but which 

 it is evident that they do not. Although the number of tem- 

 peraments, or intervals, necessary for accomplishing perfect 

 harmony appear thus numerous, in performances where no 

 tones are actualK\/?aW, yet it follows, from the excellent 

 writings of Mr. Maxwell, that, were one of the parts in a 

 concert, the bass for instance, to be performed on a certain 

 system oi fixed tones (which it will be seen is quite con- 

 sistent with perfect chords), that the number of notes would 

 in this case not much exceed 6o within the octave to effect 

 perfect harmony, or the avoiding of all temperaments there- 

 in, in modulating through 24 keys. If it should be objected, 

 that the best performances by voices and perfect instruments 

 do not always present us with perfect chords, I answer, that 

 carelessness and deficiency of skill in the performers, to- 

 gether with the want of any common principle or pre-con- 

 cert, on many occasions, as to which part, or note, shoulji 

 lead the cgnchords, occasion frequent attempts, by dlife- 

 rent performers, perhaps of the same part or instrument, 

 at suiting their harmony, or being led by a different note 

 or part, whence it is easily perceived that numerous ano- 

 malies must arise ; but after all, these performances with 

 all their defects, many, if not all of which are remediable by 

 instructions from such an instrument as I have alluded to in 

 page 206 (of which I may say more hereafter), are inconr 



• Which is .1 definite and att iiii:ibie tiling', by tlic judpirtnt of tJ\e c:ir 

 only, of Ya»lly more value, in tlie delight it alTonU, tliaii ;uiy Umptrarnent of 

 harmimy whatever. 



ccivably 



