S17 



SCALE. 



SCALE. 



313 



That is to say, a diatonic scale on D, for instance, only keeps D, E, G, 

 A, B, or notes very near to them, of the diatonic scale, and requires 

 the insertion of notes between F and G and C and D, which the 

 avoidance of repetition of letters requires us to denote by FS and 

 CS, and not by Gb or Db. In the preceding keys then, we have five 

 sharps mentioned (though really seven notes of the kind, two between 

 C and D, two between F and O, one between each of D and E, G and 

 A, A and B) and one flat (between A and B). Where are the other 

 two sharp* ! If we construct diatonic scales upon FS and CS we shall 



i: (,: A3 B C D$ ES F'J, (six sharps, . Fl) 

 <: D: i~ K; O; A; El C'l (seven sharps, . ( :) 



with not precisely the same notes as before, but very near to them, 

 excepting two noten which are new ; one between E and G (called El), 

 and one note between B and C (called BS). But on which of the values 

 nd d in the table are these scales to be constructed, and why 1 

 Again, as to the flats, if we construct diatonic scales on Bb, and on 

 each new flat as it is successively introduced, we shall find that our 

 nomenclature gives us new keys, a* follow* : 



scale, and it is thus seen that if the sharps be derived from the 

 major diatonic scales of the different notes in the fundamental 

 diatonic scale, and the flats solely from the minor scales which have 

 been judged admissible, the result is an enharmonic scale in which 

 the enharmonic interval is everywhere the same, namely, the interval 

 by which three major thirds fall short of an octave. 



If an instrument could give all the above sounds, the same music 

 played in different keys would have slightly different effects. We 

 remember to have seen a statement of the supposed characters of 

 the different keys, which would be useless here, on account of its 

 not describing the scale which was supposed to be the basig. We 

 might suppose beforehand that of two keys, the one in which "some 

 prominent consonances are a little flatter than in the other, would 

 partake, in a slight degree more than the other, of the plaintive cha- 

 racter which distinguishes the minor keys. But, in the first place, 

 instruments in general, and particularly the piano-forte, on which the 

 greater part of music first comes into existence, have not two notes 

 interposed between each note of the diatonic scale, but one only, which 

 must serve both to sharpen the lower, and flatten the higher. Next, 

 the preceding scale would be found not very tolerable in some keys, 

 particularly if laid down on an organ. Some TEMPERAMENT, that is, 



