56 THE NATURE OF MUSIC 



that music springs from one source, not from two 

 sources. At the basis of music there is unity, not a 

 duahty as many think and teach. Music started with 

 one harmony, the Major Tonic-harmony, and all sub- 

 sequent harmonies are traceable through a chain of 

 relations back to the first. Major and Minor are two 

 modes, but Major preceded Minor and Minor was 

 derived from Major. Major and Minor are therefore 

 not two tonalities, they are two modes of one tonality, 

 hence the unity of tonality. Tonality is the sum of 

 tone-relations, and music began the development of 

 tonality with the regnant Tonic-harmony of the Major 

 mode. Again: rhythm and harmony are two ele- 

 ments, but in tone, in melody, in music, the two are 

 indivisible, one, hence unity. If there be any duality 

 it should be cadence and repose. But is this duality ? 

 No. Cadence and repose are the two inseparable 

 and interdependent elements of the unity relation. 



The simplest songs of birds, the simplest specimens 

 of primitive human music, the improvised songs and 

 intoned calls of children, the intoned cries of street- 

 venders, all these songs, calls and cries are based upon 

 the genus consonance, our Major Tonic-harmony. 

 Since in evolution birds antedate man, we may assume 

 that the birds were the first singers, concert-givers and 

 music-teachers. Japan, for example, has few or no 

 singing birds, therefore no feathered music-teachers. 

 Perhaps this explains why Japan is a nation without 

 song. From a collection of bird-songs observed by 

 me and accurately written both as to rhythm and 

 harmony, a few are here selected and arranged in 

 three groups which exemplify three stages of develop- 



