THE MUSICAL SCALES OF THE THRUSHES. 



that we fail to appreciate the expressiveness of a more 

 limited one. But there is a third and primitive mode com- 

 mon to all folk-song, sometimes c.-tllcd the Scotch scale, 

 which is perfectly represented by five of the ebonies of 

 the piano. There is, however, considerable latitude in the 



choice of five tones within the octave. Here is the scale: 

 Pen ta ton ic. Key G*> 



Here it is again in F, A minor, and G : 

 'Thp Pentetonic scale of the 



t Thrush 



Three positions on the staff with but one signature 



Tims, by naively avoiding B flat in the key of F, and F 

 xharp in the key of G the early musician could make the 

 signature of the key of C answer for three additional keys, 

 the third being A minor the so-called relative minor of the 

 key of C. The result is significant, for one should remem- 

 ber that these are primitive modes upon which has been 

 based nearly all music whether it be of bird or man. Our 

 musical ancestors therefore tuned their instruments ap- 

 proximately to the key of C, and by adhering to a penta- 

 tonic scale could palm off no end of tonal variety upon the 

 not too discriminating primeval ear. 

 xxxviii 



