AN ESSAY bN MUSIC. 



J65 



tluccd by a combination of ibj thm and me- 

 lody. Harmony requires for its execution 

 and perception a greater degree of cultiva- 

 tion both in the performer and in the hearer 

 than melody alone. Colemporary sounds 

 niav, from the due proportion of the times of 

 their vibrations, give a similar pleasure to 

 that of melod3', when the mind, considering 

 them in succession, finds them capable of a ' 

 ready comparison. But the characteristic of 

 harmony is the regular, and at the same lime 

 diversified, motion of the air, which arises 

 from the combined vibrations, and which 

 appears to be well calculated to produce the 

 pleasure that the mind derives from the per- 

 ception of symmetry. In this point of view, 

 a concord may be considered as a single 

 sound, distinguished from a discord by a su- 

 perior qualiiy of tone ; in the same manner 

 as the tone of the harmonica is more agree- 

 able than that of a newsman's horn, as the 

 note of a nightingale is sweeter than that of 

 a frog, and a smooth rich voice more pleas- 

 ing than a hoarse and nasal croaking. Thus 

 the harshness and disagreeable quality of a 

 single sound may also, on a more nice exa- 

 niination, be sometimes found to consist in a 

 want of harmonious proportion in those se- 

 condary notes, which generally enter into its 

 composition. This quality of sound, some- 

 times called its tone, register, colour, or i'an- 

 bre, might be considered as a fourth compo- 

 nent part of music ; it depends on the law by 

 which the parts of the sounding body, and 

 the particles of the air, are governed with re- 

 spect to the velocity of their progress and re- 

 gress in each vibration, or in different succes- 

 sive vibrations. No doubt, much of the plea- 

 sure derived from music depends on it; but as 

 it is capable of little diversity on the same 



instrument, it is seldom considered in treat- 

 ing of the theory of music. Tlie various 

 combinations of the stops of the organ and 

 harpsichord, the use of the harmonics of the 

 harp and violin, the bowing nearer to or fur- 

 ther from the bridge, the application of 

 muffles of various kinds, the change of the 

 aperture of the lips in wind instruments, the 

 choice of vowels and consonants more or less 

 adapted to the powers of the voice; and in 

 full pieces, the judicious introduction of dif- 

 ferent voices and instruments, as subservient 

 to the general effect ; all this relates to the 

 quality of sound, and whoever adequately re- 

 lishes tiie works of the great modern masters, 

 will be fidiy competent to judge of its prac- 

 tical importance. 



Be the causes what they may, natural or 

 habitual, simple or compHcated, it is certain 

 that a very great majority of mankind expe- 

 riences pleasure from music : this pleasure is 

 a social pleasure, and, connected as it is with 

 sentiment and passion, it is a rational plea- 

 sure. The pursuit of musical excellence, if 

 properly conducted, an>ply exercises the fa- 

 culties, at the same time that it forms a de- 

 sirable variety, when intermixed with lite- 

 rary or professional employments. To call 

 it an amusement onl}', betrays an ignorance 

 of the nature and difliculty of the study; so 

 far is the science of music from being of a 

 light and superficial nature, that, in its wliole 

 extent, it is scarcely less intricate or more 

 easily acquired than, the most profound of 

 the more regul.tr occupations of the schools : 

 and even practical perfection in music re- 

 quires so much intense and laborious appli- 

 cation, such a minute accuracy of percep- 

 tion, and so rapid an association of various 

 sensitive ideas, with other ideas and mecha- 



