448 Mr. Farey*s proposed, new experimental Organ. 



By so contriving the parts of the Instrument intended for 

 Temperament Experiments, that the connection of each of the 

 12 Finger-kevs, could readily be shifted to different pipes, an 

 artificial Comma apart, in succession, these important questions 

 in Timing, might at once be ascertained ; viz. 1st, whether the 

 same Person, in repeated tuning, can always produce the same 

 identical Notes, throughout the 12?; and 2d, how far any two 

 practical Tuners, agree in their results, in this respect?. 



For insuring impartiality, and real experimental results in these 

 trials, the tops and moutlis of the Pipes, and all such parts of 

 the Instrument might he kept closed and locked, which indi- 

 cated,, what the particular Notes were, which practical Tuners 

 might thus select, by help of the blank sliders which they should 

 have to move, while Tuning: and then, each One who should 

 undertp.ke to experiment in this way, might be allowed sufficient 

 time, to deliberately and alone in a room, or only with such as- 

 sistants as they might choose, in the best way satisfy themselves, 

 which they could, as to every Note. 



When this was done, a Committee of the Subscribers, or pro- 

 per Persons appointed by them, should open the Instrument, and 

 after writing down the 12 selected Notes, by means of the num- 

 bers of artificial Commas, (which would serve on all occasions as 

 designationsybr each of the individual Pipes and Notes) the ac- 

 curacy of tune, of each of such selected Notes, should be tried, by 

 means of two, three or more of the Notes, above and below, which 

 stand in relation thereto, as 6ths, 3rds, Vlths and Illrds, in pre- 

 ference to Vths or Octaves; because, small errors, are, by these 

 less harmonious of the Concords, more strikingly shown and de- 

 tected, than by means of the more harmonious of the Concords, 

 Ists, Vlllths or Vths. Every result of such checks, on the tune 

 of the Instrument, being noted down and preserved. 



In this way, a great body of useful^ac/5 on the subject, might 

 be collected ; and perhaps, premiums might be offered among 

 different practical Tuners, for such as could, in their Tuning, 

 come the nearest in these trials, to any given System throughout ; 

 the Mean-Tone, the Isotonic, or Dr. Smith's Equal Harmony, 

 for instance. And other Premiums, for those who could most 

 exactly repeat their own particular mode of Tuning, in two or 

 three successive Trials, &c. &:c. 



I am, sir, yours, &c. 



37, Ilowland-street, Fitzroy-square, JoHN FaREY, Sen. 



June H, 18:7. 



CII. A 



