46 



BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 



[bull. 61 



Tables 9 A, 10 A. — Continuing observation of the tones with reference 

 to contiguous tones, we note in Table 9A that 69 per cent of the songs 

 begin with a downward progression. Table lOA shows the entire 

 number of progressions in the song, 64 per cent of which are down- 

 ward and 36 per cent upward. This is in accordance with Table 2 A, 

 which shows that many of the songs begin on high intervals, and 

 with Table 4A, which shows that the last tone is the lowest tone in 



Downward Upward 



Fig. 10. Downward and upward progressions. 



a majority of the songs. This is a further indication that the general 

 trend of these melodies is downward. (See fig. 10.) 



TaUesllA, 12A. — An interesting point shown in Tables llAand 12A 

 is that the descending intervals are smaller than the ascending intervals. 

 Thus it is seen that only 19 per cent of the downward progressions in 

 contrast with 36 per cent of the upward progressions, are larger than 

 a minor third. This is due in part to a peculiarity of these songs in 

 beginning on a high tone and descending, then returning to the original 



Interval of a — 

 Fourteenth... 



Fifth 



Fourth 



Major third.. . 

 Minor third. . . 

 Major second . 

 Minor second . 



Percentages 

 20 25 



30 



35 



Fig. 11. Size of downward and upward progressions. 



pitch or to one almost as high, and again descending by small intervals. 

 Figure 11 shows all the intervals which occur in these songs and are 

 represented in Tables llA and 12A. Only 5 per cent of the intervals 

 are larger than a fourth. The minor third constitutes 30 per cent of 

 the number, the major second (interval of a whole tone), 41 per cent, 

 and the minor second (interval of a semitone) , 3 per cent. Tliis small 

 proportion of semitone intervals does not tend to encourage the 

 theory that Indians habitually use intervals smaller than a semitone. 



