52 



THE POPULAE EDUCATOR 



any law by which such mental effects are chiefly regulated ? 

 To these questions we answer, that many circumstances may 

 modify the mental effect of a note, but that it is mainly pro- 

 duced by the principle of key -relationship, in connection with 

 rate of movement. We believe that every note of the scale 

 (whatever may be the pitch of the key-note) has a peculiar 

 "mission" of its own to the human mind a proper mental 

 effect, which circumstances of pitch, quality of voice, rhythmical 

 arrangement, peculiarities of expression, etc., may modify, but 

 cannot efface. Let us take an example, and look at it in these 

 various lights. It cannot be doubted that the last note in the 

 following phrase, from Dr. Calcott's well-known glee; produces 

 a mental effect peculiarly appropriate to the word to which it is 

 set. That note we call LAH. The question is, How comes 

 that note to produce a sorrowful impression on the mind ? 

 What is the law. if there is one, by virtue of which that note 

 possesses its power ? Let the pupil, to the best of his ability, 

 sing the phrase : 



s .f :m .r 



tri - bu - ta - ry 



1 :- 



tear. 



Try first the various conditions of pitch. Take a higher 

 sound, say G, for your key-note or DOH, and sing the phrase 

 again. You will notice that the mental effect is modified, but it 

 remains essentially the same. Again, while in the key of G, 

 sing the phrase, taking the lower LAH, instead of the upper. 

 The effect on the mind is more gloomy, but it is still the same 

 effect. It is not the mere lieight in pitch, then, that gives to 

 the LAH its peculiar characteristic of sorrowfulness. The differ- 

 ence between the same tune set in a low and in a high key is 

 undoubtedly great, but the special effect of each individual note 

 remains of the same kind. Next try the effect of what is called 

 in French " timbre," or different qualities of sound, upon this 

 note. Let the phrase be sung by a rough voice, a clear voice, a 

 hard voice, a mellow voice, etc., or let it be played first on a 

 flute, next on a trumpet, and again on a violin. Such changes 

 will certainly modify the mental effect. One voice or instru- 

 ment may be better than the other, but they will all agree in 

 expressing, on the note LAH, the sorrowful sentiment, and, if 

 they sound the note correctly, they cannot help doing so. This 

 mental effect is therefore independent of the mere qualities of 

 sound, and is governed by some other law. Let the next expe- 

 riment be in relation to interval, for some persons might imagine 

 that the " distance in pitch " between RAY and LAH, called a 

 fifth, produces the mental effect. Therefore sing the word 

 ' tear," when you come to the close, thus : 



or thus 



or thus 



You will find that every change produces a modification of the 

 idea, but the idea itself belonging to LAH remains still the 

 same. Interval, therefore, is not the law which governs mental 

 effect. In a similar way you may try whether singing the same 

 sound to different words or syllables, or with different modes of 

 "expression" (as loud, soft, etc.), will produce any material 

 changes. And when you have found that none of these various 

 conditions of the note can rob it of its own peculiarly emotional 

 character, then try another and most important experiment. 

 Vary the rate of movement. Instead of singing the plirase slowly, 

 sing it as rapidly as though it were a jig. You will then under- 

 stand why wo said that key-relationship, in connection with rate 

 of movement, was the chief cause of mental effect. The note 

 seems, now, to express an abandonment to gaiety, instead of 

 sorrow. But notice that LAH, sung quickly, always produces 



this second mental effect, and that no other note produces the 

 same effect, however you may quicken its rate of movement. 

 There is still, therefore, a law presiding even in this " duplicity " 

 of mental effect. This note LAH (sixth above or " minor third" 

 below the key-note) is now proved to possess twin mental effects, 

 the one showing the grave, the other the gay side of a certain 

 motion. So is it with every note of the scale. " Key-relation- 

 ship " gives it a certain acceptance with the mind, and " rate of 

 movement " has a certain way of modifying that impression. To 

 prove, however, that the key-relation into which a note is thrown, 

 by the sounds which have beon heard before it, is the principal 

 producing cause of mental effect, we must try another experi- 

 ment. Take the same sound, as to absolute pitch, and vary its 

 key-relationship. Strike the " chord " and scale of B, for instance, 

 and then the note B, at length, noticing its mental effect. Next 

 strike the chord and scale of A, followed by the same note B 

 (the same in pitch), as a long note. Notice, now, its effect on 

 the mind. How changed ! Try, next, the chord and scale of 

 G, and observe the note, in the same way. How changed 

 again ! Try other keys, and you will find that every change of 

 key-relationship makes a change in the reception which the 

 mind gives to that particular sound of unaltered pitch. If you 

 wish to prove this to an incredulous friend, tell him that you 

 are about to play to him, on the flute or piano, a number of long 

 notes, and that, without looking at your playing, he is to tell 

 you, as well as he can, what notes they are, and describe their 

 mental effect. Then play to him the following phrases, and ask 

 him, at the close, whether the notes were the same, or, if not, 

 how they differed. Unless he takes care to keep singing the 

 note B all through (which would be a physical rather than a 

 mental test), he is sure to suppose the notes different. Of course 

 you must be acquainted with some instrument to perform this 

 experiment. The violin will give it most accurately. 



KEY B. 



I d.r:m.f I s.d:ti.li 



KEY A. 



KEY G. 



KEY FJ. 



Id.r:m.f|s.d 1 :t.l Ills: If :!:- 



KEY E. 



Id.rim.fls.d'rt.l 



KEY D. 



