MUSIC. 



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regular teachers who have not had a special musical " extended " or " complete " Modulator is used, 



education. - ; -= Al - - * - ^ -' " ' ^ ' 



1. It is the best possible introduction to an intelli- 

 gent understanding of the staff notation. 



The Notation explained. The basis of the Tonic 

 Sol-fa notation extends nearly as far back in 

 the past as the staff itself. The syllables were 

 invented by Guido Aretina, in the eleventh 

 century. The initials of these syllables are 

 used as signs of the tones. It will be observed 

 that one of the syllables is changed (si to te). 

 There are several advantages in this change, 

 which musicians will quickly recognize. The 

 sensible plan of giving an English instead of 

 an Italian spelling of the syllables will also 

 universally commend itself. For the tones 

 above the octave the figure 1 is placed at the 

 top of the letter, and the figures 2, 3, etc., for 

 still higher octaves. Octaves below are indi- 

 cated by figures at the bottom of the letters. 

 Intermediate (chromatic) tones are indicated 

 by using the vowels for sharps, and a for 

 flats, asjfe, re, ta, ma, etc. An examination of 

 the Modulator will make all this clearly un- 

 derstood. Fixed pitches are represented in 

 this system, as with the staff, by the letters 0, 

 D, etc. The pitch at which Doh is to be taken 

 is defined as "Key 0," "Key E|>," etc. 



The central feature of the Tonic Sol-fa sys- 

 tem is the Modulator. This is a truthful repre- 

 sentation of music to the eye, which the staff 

 is not. The staff represents the intervals be- 

 tween the tones as equal, whereas the whole 

 art of music is based upon the fact that they 

 are not. The Modulator is a chart that repre- 

 sents the scale, showing the correct intervals 

 between the tones by the distances between 

 the syllables. It not only represents the rela- 

 tions of tones in a single key, but with the 

 side-columns it shows the relation of keys to 

 each other. The central column represents 

 the principal key of a piece the Tonic. The 

 first column on the right represents the First 

 Sharp Key, or key of the Dominant. A sec- 

 ond column on the right would represent the 

 Second Sharp Key, or Dominant of the Domi- 

 nant. The first column on the left represents 

 the First Flat Key, or key of the Sub-Domi- 

 nant; a second column would represent the 

 Second Flat Key, and so on. Thus the great fact 

 of the key relationship of tones and the rela- 

 tionship^ keys is set before the eye as direct- 

 ly, as fully, and as simply as possible. A com- 

 plete familiarity with the Modulator is neces- 

 sary to understand the notation fully. The 

 pupils are drilled to sing the tones as the 

 teacher points on the Modulator, and by this 

 practice the Modulator is soon photographed 

 upon the mind, so that it stands behind every 

 note the pupils see in the book. The notes do 

 not appear on a level to the pupil, but seem to 

 move up and down to their places on the Modu- 

 lator. The Modulator that is herewith given 

 as an illustration, shows only the Tonic col- 

 umn, with its first sharp and first flat keys. 

 In the practical working of the system, an 



is invaluable in the study of classical music 

 with its endless variety of modulations. 



When a transition (change of key, commonly 

 called modulation) occurs during the progress 

 of a piece, it is indicated by a double note, 



