42 



BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 



[BULL. 81 



In musical notation, with C, second space bass clef, as a funda- 

 mental, this part of the series is as follows (fig. 2). 



It is noted that the first overtone is an octave above the funda- 

 mental and the second is 12 tones (fifth in the first higher octave) 

 above the fundamental, while the fourth overtone (third in the second 

 higher octave) supplies the major lliird, completing the tones of the 

 triad or common chord of C, the funchimental tone. 



$ 



m 



i^ 



Fundamental 1st 2.1 3d 4th ovortones 



C c g (•' o' 



I'^Ki. 2. Fundamentul and first four overtones. 



We will now turn to the Indian songs under analysis. Figure 3 

 indicates the intervals on which the songs begin, omitting groups of 

 less than 1 per cent, shown in Table 2A. Twenty-one per cent begin 

 on the octave (first or third ov(^rtolle), and 23 per cent, liaving a com- 

 pass of 12 tones above the keynote, on the twelfth (second overtone). 

 Tims, if the keynote were C, as in figure 2, the octave is c, and the 

 twelfth g. But before proceeding further let us note the range of the 

 human voice, also the fact that the ear seems to accept tones an 



Percentages 

 15 



Degrees of scale — 



Twelfth 



Eleventh 



Tenth 



Ninth 



Octave 



Seventh 



Sixth 



Fifth 



Fourth 



Third 



Second 



Keynote 



Fig. 3. First note of song -its relation to Iceyiiote. 



octave apart as being the same tone.' Not all voices have a range 

 of 12 tones, and a large majority of the songs under analysis have 

 a comptiss smaller than that nunil)er of tones. With the songs 

 beginning on the twell'tii sliould l)e inchukHl, therefore, those on the 

 lifth, which (supposing the keynotes to be C) would be G, an octave 

 lower than the tone designated as g. Twenty-four per cent begin 

 on the fifth above the keynote, making a total of 47 per cent begin- 

 ning on this interval of the scale. Few voices have a range of two 

 octaves, but two of these songs (Nos. 195, 202) begin on the second 



' "It is very easy to make a mistake of an octave."— Helmholtz, op. cit., p. 62. 



