MUSIC. 



101 



The simple scale is usually called the Diatonic, to 

 distinguish it from other scales, in which the octave 

 is divided into different elements. The intervals of 

 this scale are not all equal, but are some of them 

 nearly the double of others, the larger intervals being 

 called full, and the smaller semi, or half tones. We 

 say that the full tones are nearly double of the semi 

 tones, but as in common musical instruments furnish- 

 ed with keys, the full tones are just double of the 

 semi tones, and, as it will be conducive to simplicity, 

 it will be best, in the mean time, to consider the in- 

 terval of a full tone as exactly double of that of a 

 semi tone. The notes in the octave are denoted by 

 the first seven letters of the alphabet being employed ; 

 therefore, if C be the letter denoting the key note of 

 the scale, we will have, C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C, re- 

 presenting the whole octave. The first and last 

 notes are denoted by the same letter ; for the eighth 



j note in the scale may be regarded as the key note of 

 a second scale, entirely similar to the first. 



From the key note to the first tone above it, there 

 is the interval of a full tone ; from the second to the 

 third is also a full tone ; but from the third to the 

 fourth there is only the interval of a semi tone. 

 From the fourth to the fifth, from the fifth to the 

 sixth, and from the sixth to the seventh, the intervals 

 are all full tones ; but from the seventh to the eighth 

 the interval is a semi tone . There are thus five full 

 tones, and two semi tones in the scale, and em- 

 ploying the letters before alluded to, we may repre- 

 sent the scale thus, 



i i i i i i 



C, D, EF, G, A, BC, 



in which the spaces between the letters are small 

 where the semi tones occur. The scale represented 

 on the stave will stand thus : 



The character placed at the beginning of the stave 

 denotes the letter G, and is placed there to show 

 that the tone which G represents is on the second 

 line. The note C on the ledger line below the stave 

 is that of the middle C on the key board of the piano 

 forte, and mathematicians have found, that to pro- 

 duce this note at concert pitch, there will be required 

 240 vibrations in the second of time. And thus the 

 absolute pitch of this note having been determined, 

 the pitch of all the rest is also established. To avoid 

 the inconvenience of many ledger tones, other clefs 

 are employed, in order to represent the pitches of 

 notes lower than those denoted by the clef we have 

 been considering. Let six lines be drawn below the 

 stave on which the G clef is placed. The nature 

 and use of these clefs will be easily understood by 

 what follows. The tenor clef stands on the line oc- 

 cupied by the note middle C, the treble clef on the 

 third line above this, and the bass clef on the third 

 line below ; and thus the pitch of each of the. clefs 

 is determined. The treble or G clef is always set 

 upon the second, and the bass or F clef upon the 

 fourth line of the stave. But the position of the 

 tenor or C clef is variable, as it may be placed upon 

 any of the lines except the fifth. This variation in 

 the place of the C clef, however, cannot be the source 

 of any misunderstanding as to the pitch of the notes 

 on the stave to which it is attached, if it be borne 

 in mind that all the lines above it belong to the tre- 

 ble, and all below it to the bass clef. It is denomin- 

 ated tenor, when on the third counter tenor. In the 

 music of the Italian and German masters, we find the 

 C clef placed upon the first line, the clef is then 

 denominated soprano, and the music suits treble 

 voices. 



The various clefs are shown below on their staves, 

 and the place of the middle C of the piano forte 

 shown in all the staves, from which it will be easy 

 to determine the value of the notes on each. 



COUNTER TENOR. 



The range of a piece of music will not, however, 

 be always such, that its key note shall be C, and at 

 the same time come within the limits of the instru- 

 ment or voice by which it is required to be performed. 

 For instance, a melody written on the scale of C might 

 even have some of the notes as low as G beneath 

 the stave, in which case it would be impossible to 

 perform it on the common German flute, which pro- 

 duces no note lower than D. Now, betwixt the 

 lowest note of the melody and the lowest note which 

 the flute can produce, there is the interval of a 

 fifth ; it will therefore be necessary to raise the air 

 five notes before it can be brought within the com- 

 pass of this instrument. If the melody be raised five 

 notes, the key note will be no longer C but G, and 

 we now proceed to examine how the same relation 

 of intervals can be preserved as in the scale of D, 

 which has been already explained. Taking then 

 the key note G, we have 



-*- 



=WI=F 



lit, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th. 



The characteristic feature of the diatonic scale is, 

 Jhat the intervals between the third and fourth, 

 seventh and eighth, are semi tones, and all the rest 

 full tones. Accordingly, in the above scale the in- 

 terval from G to A ought to be one full tone, and it 

 is so in the natural scale. The interval from A to B 

 ought likewise to be one full tone, and it is so in the 

 natural scale. From B to C, or from the third to 

 the fourth, ought to be one half tone, and the inter- 



