342 



THE POPULAR EDUCATOK. 



meet the eye, and which is by far the most important thing in 

 the science of music itself) but dimly expressed. Hence the vast 

 variety of sol-fa systems, figure systems, tetrachordal systems, 

 etc., which have sprung up, every good teacher feeling the ne- 

 cessity of marking the key-note and the notes related to it more 

 visibly. The most successful modern teachers of sight-singing 

 have adopted a similar plan. Thus the Rev. J. J. Waite, who 

 taught some thousands of English people how to sing, did so by 

 means of an interpreting notation of figures placed under the 

 other notes, figure 1 standing for the key-note, 2 for the next, 

 etc. We have watched Mr. Waite's pupils, and have found 

 them singing, not from the crotchets and quavers on the staff, 

 but from the figures below, which they find incomparably easier, 

 because those figures are to them a notation of key-relationship. 



In Scotland, the well-known educational writer and publisher, 

 Mr. Gall, of Edinburgh, has adopted a figure notation for many 

 years ; and in Ireland we find Dr. Bryce using both the figures 

 and the sol-fa syllables, in his exercises, to set forth the rela- 

 tion of notes, while the old notation sets forth the pitch. For 

 the present we shall do the same, but soon we shall teach our 

 pupils to do without the syllables, and to use intelligently the 

 established notation alone. 



Our pupils will now study with care the following exercises on 

 the mental effects of DOH, ME, and son. Let them be as scru- 

 pulous as ever in the self- discipline of learning the tune, piece- 

 meal, by " heart " (or by " hear it," as Cobbett used to explain 

 the word), until they can sol-fa it all by memory, pointing on the 

 modulator the while. 



EXERCISE 20. THE WELCOME BACK. KEY C. M. 138. 

 (Words by ELIZA COOK. Tune, OLD ENGLISH.) 



2. When the world has spent its frowns and wrath, 



And care been sorely pressing, 

 'Tis sweet to leave our roving path, 

 And find a fireside blessing. 



Oh t joyfully dear, etc. 



When once this simple tune is learnt, it should bo sung very 

 qwcUy and lightly, and yet with a perfect and distinct enuncia- 

 tion of the words. Let every motion of lips, tongue, and teeth, 

 by which the words are produced, be very decided and sharp. 



3. What do we reck on a dreary way, 



Though lonely and benighted, 

 If we know there are lips to chide our stay, 

 And eyes that beam love-lighted. 



Oh.' joyfully dear, etc. 



We should sing so as to make ourselves understood by a 

 listener. Try the experiment. If our pupil is wise, he will 

 still continue to neglect the staff, and confine his attention to 

 the sol-fa syllables and to the modulator. 



