Prof. A. M. Mayer's Researches in Acoustics. 507 



their compass), and, secondly, we have determined throughout 

 the musical scale the relative intensities of the sounds (of 

 simple tones) when obliteration of the sensations of higher 

 (simple) tones supervenes. The powerlessness of one sound 

 to affect the sensation due to another sound lower than itself 

 in pitch greatly simplifies this problem. 



4. Applications of the Interferences of Sonorous Sensations to 

 Determinations of the Relative Intensities of Sounds. 



Quantitative analysis of the compound tones of musical 

 instruments is now the great desideratum of the composer. 

 It is only after we know the relative intensities of the com- 

 ponents of typical musical tones used in orchestral perform- 

 ances that we can so regulate their intensities as to give those 

 qualities of sound which the composer desires to be heard. 

 Thus it at once becomes evident that the instruments used in 

 orchestral music should be very differently constructed from 

 those used for solos or quartets. In orchestral instruments 

 certain characteristic upper partial s (overtones, harmonics) 

 should predominate in order to find expression in the midst 

 of other and graver sounds. Such orchestral instruments will 

 therefore have exaggerated peculiarities in their qualities of 

 tone which will render them unfit to be played on alone and 

 uninfluenced by other orchestral notes. It is surely not hope- 

 less to anticipate that empirical rules may be attained, which 

 will guide the musical-instrument-maker to the production of 

 those special qualities of tone required in orchestral instru- 

 ments. It is fortunate that the very phenomena of the inter- 

 ferences of sonorous sensations will assist in the much-desired 

 solution of the problem of measuring the intensity of a sound 

 (simple tone), either when existing alone or as component of 

 an ordinary musical (compound) tone. On this subject I am 

 now engaged. It is evident (by way of illustration) that, so 

 far as concerns the measure of the .relative intensities of 

 sounds of the same pitch, this problem has already received 

 the simplest solution by merely placing these sounds at 

 various distances and obliterating the sensations they excite 

 by means of a constant and standard sound of a lower pitch. 

 But I reserve a description of this work for a more formal 

 publication. 



