SONS IN MUSIC. 





UBS80N8 IN MUSIC. V. 



'I'll r learner must bo careful not to let his thoughts be confusec 

 by the <l < of the word "tum-" in ordinary rnunioa 



language. You will meet with the phrases "common time,' 

 " triple time," etc. The word " time," then, refer* to thi 

 orderly reourrenco of accents the meature. In the phnMM 

 "quick tini.-." " nlow time," etc., it means rate of movement, the 

 speed with which the accents recur. And when we an re- 

 quested to " keep tho time," it ia commonly meant that (though 

 we may have been correct in the rate of movement, and accurate 

 in tho recurrence of accenta) we have not given the exact proper- 

 tiona' note. It is known that tho swings of the 



name pendulum are of equal length in time, whether they are 

 long or nhort in respect of the distance traversed ; and that the 

 longer the pendulum, tho tilower ita movement ; and tho ahorter 

 the pendulum, the quicker ita movement. Thin given us the 

 means of regulating tho " rate of movement " in music aa well 

 .IM in clockwork. There is an internment called a " metronome' 

 or measure-ruler, the pendulum of which can be lengthened or 

 ic<l according to a graduated scale, so aa to awing any 

 required number of times in a minute. Let each awing of the 

 metronome correspond with an aliquot or " pulse " of the 

 measure, or in tho quick senary measure, with the loud and 

 medium accents. Then, if the number at which the weight ia 

 set, on tho graduated scale of the metronome, be given in the 

 signature or title of the tune, it will indicate to others the rate 

 at which that tune should bo sung. Thus, "M. 66," placed at 

 tho hood of a tuno, signifies that, while this tune is sung, tho 

 metronome should swing at tho rate of sixty-six swings a 

 minute ; and that each aliquot of the measure should keep pace 

 with a swing of the metronome. The larger metronome, which 

 is kept in motion by clockwork and " ticks " to every accent of 

 the measure, costs thirty shillings and upward that which 

 Ktrikes a bell on the recurrence of each stronger accent being 

 much more expensive. The smaller metronomes, which simply 

 oscillate without noise, arc sold at four shillings and upward, 

 and there are even cheaper instruments than these which 

 are sold at sixpence or eightpence. Each teacher, however, 

 and scholar too may make his string pendulum, which will 

 answer tho end very fairly. For this purpose fasten a penny or 

 some such weight at the end of a piece of string. Then, at four 

 inches and five-eighths from the weight, tie a double knot. 

 Hold the string by this knot, and the weight will swing at the 

 rate of 160 swings a minute, and make your pendulum corre- 

 spond with M. 160. At 6J inches tie a single knot, and that 

 length of pendulum will correspond with M. 138. Tho double 

 knots may mark the distances most used, and the single knots 

 those used occasionally between them. The rest of the pen- 

 dulum may be constructed to the following table S. standing 

 for single, and D. for double knot. 



1st D. at 41 inches from weight =*= M. 160. 

 1st S. at 6J in. *= M. 138. 



2nd D. at 9J in. = M. 112. 



2nd 8. at 1 foot 1[ in. = M. 96. 



3rd D, at 1 foot 7! in. = M. 80. 



3rd S, at 2 feet 6| in. = M. 66. 



4th D. at 3 feet 10J in. *= M. 50. 



A silk tape with the metronome figures marked at the proper 

 distances would bo preferable to the string. A lath of wood 

 might bo graduated in a similar manner, with holes punctured 

 for the points of suspension, but it would require different dis- 

 tances according to its own weight. 



Tho "string pendulum" which is hero recommended for its 

 convenience of measurement by a common carpenter's rule, is 

 slightly inaccurate, though quite near enough to the truth for 

 all practical purposes. Some such instrument should be used 

 by every pupil. Though it need not be always used for the 

 exercises, it should be constantly referred to as a standard, and 

 strict attention should be given to it in the earlier lessons. 

 When you have learnt to sing the notes of a tuno correctly, then 

 set your metronome swinging, and practise singing the tune at 

 the proper rate, or " in the right time." After considerable 

 practice has taught you to keep tho accents at regular and 

 fqual distances, you will only need your pendulum to give yon a 

 correct idea of the " rate of movement," before you commence 

 singing a tune. An accomplished solo singer, or instru- 

 mentalist, need not confine himself to strict clock-time, but 

 should vary tho rate of movement according to the emotional 

 VOL. I. 



expression. Ton, however, are a loaf way from that position, 

 and ahoold carefully practise Yourself with thi* instrument 

 until yon have established in your mind and -ar * sense of time. 

 It in not an a*y thing for an unpractised singer to keep 

 on equal rate of movement throughout a tun< 

 he must learn to do it, and we are penmaded that a careful and 

 frequent OM of the pendulum U the beet tneaiu hitherto pro- 

 posed for tho attainment of this power ; bat it U eaetomary to 

 recommend the practice of " beating tame." To those who nay 

 wish to adopt this plan, the diagrams below explaining tho 

 method of " beating time " for the different measure* may be 

 of use. But to many persons this is only a hindrance. Let as 

 keep in mind that the object to be gained is first a mental per- 

 ception of equal movement, or the regular reoarrenoe of the 

 pulses ; and secondly, a mental command, by which the minoissj 

 of the larynx are made to obey the conception* of the mind. 

 Both these may be gajned by careful practice, <KenipHne. and 

 effort on the part of the pupil. If a regular movement of the 

 muRclea of the arm is easier to him than a regular movement 

 of the muscles of the larynx, then let him ose the first as a 

 guide to the second not otherwise. It is, however, frequently 

 necessary, when many sing together, that the leader of the 

 band should beat time, either with a wand, or by the movement 

 of his own hands. Th tenary measure may be beaten in the 

 same way as the binary. 



THE BIVAKT 

 XEASCRE. 



Down (!) Up (:) 



THE TKIXAKT 



MEASURE. 



Down (!) Right (:) 



Up (:) 



THE QfATEEBAST 

 MIAOW. 



Down (!) Left (:) Eight 0) 



Up(:) 



" To enable a number of performers," Biys Dr. Bryce, " to 



'xep time, it is usual for a leader to guide them by a precon- 

 certed movement of his hand. This is called beating time. 

 . . Though it is most essential that every learner should be 

 made to keep time that is, follow his leader it is by no ""TTf 

 necessary that he should at first be able to beat time, that is, 

 act as leader. It may be said that he requires to keep time 

 when singing alone. This is true. But if his mental conception 

 of time cannot guide him to a correct and regular movement of 



;he muscles of the larynx, neither will it guide him to a correct 

 and regular movement of the muscles of the arm. On the con- 



arary, by making him first to regulate the motion of the arm by 

 mental feeling of time, and then to regulate the motions of 



us organ of sound by that of his arm, we give him two things 



o do instead of one, and therefore double the chance of going 

 wrong by the very measures we take to keep him right. There 

 can, therefore, be no greater practical blunder in teaching than 



lie premature attempt to teach tho beating of time to those who 

 are yet struggling with the difficulties of the scale ; and, 'mta^ 



f being any assistance to them in keeping time, it is the most 

 effective hindrance." Dr. Barney, in his "Dissertation on the 



dusic of the Ancients," prefixed to his " General History of 



onsic," seems to have proved satisfactorily that one of the 

 greatest improvements of modern music is, that we have learned 



to keep time with less external flourishing and hammering than 

 was necessary in ruder ages, whose music was little more than 

 an exaggerated way of marking the feet of the poetry to which 



t was sung. He concludes his account of the operations of the 

 ancient Corypheus, or leader of a choir, in the following words : 

 " It was not only with the feet that the ancients beat the 



ime, but with all the fingers of the right hand upon the hollow 



f the left; and he who marked tho time or rhythm in this 

 manner was called ' Mann-ductor.' For this purpose they used 



yster-shells and the shells of other fish, as well as the bones of 

 animals, in beating time, as we do castanets, tabors, etc. Both 

 He*ychius and tho Scholiast of Aristophanes furnish 



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