MUSIC. 
sharp, with E for its key. In this manner 
we see the succession of sharps marked in 
Example 17. Minor keys take the signs of 
the major keys, one third above them : thus 
B natural, minor, takes two sharps ; which, 
by reference to the first table, will be seen 
to indicate the key of D major. 
To elucidate what has been above said 
respecting the ascent and descent of an oc- 
tave in the minor key, the reader is referred 
to Example 7th : it is in the key of G mi- 
nor, with two flats, B and E. It is to be 
remarked, that a sharp, prefixed on the 
line, or spare, of any particular note, im- 
plies, that all notes of that name, wherever 
situated, whether octaves above, or below, 
are to be played sharp ; a flat has the con- 
trary effect, causing all to which it relates 
to be played flat. A natural is applied ei- 
ther way; when prefixed to a note that 
should else be played sharp, it causes it to 
be played half a note lower; i. e. natural; 
when before a note that should else be 
played flat, it raises it a semi-tone, /;ausing 
it to be played natural. Those signs of 
sharp, or of flat, which are prefixed at the 
commencement of the stave, govern 
throughout the piece ; while those sharps, 
flats, or naturals, which are found inter- 
spersed among the notes in the music, indi- 
cate that only the succeeding notes of that 
name, contained within tliat bar, are affect- 
ed thereby ; for those in the succeeding 
bars would be played according to the key 
of the piece, unless such accidental signs 
should be repeated in them. Besides, ac- 
cidental signs may be contradicted in the 
same bar ; of which the chrometic passage, 
in Example 8th, will be a sufficient expla- 
nation. 
There are various kinds of notes, all dif- 
ferent in their elevation ; and there are va- 
rious kinds of rests, each corresponding 
with some one kind of note, directs a pause 
or cessation of sound, during such time as 
the note corresponding with such rest would 
occupy in playing, according to the mea- 
sure. Example 9, shows the form of each 
kind of note in modern use. No. 1, is a se- 
mibreve, which, in modern music, is held to 
be equal to a w’hole bar of common time. 
No. 2, is a minim, equal to half a semibreve. 
No. 3, is a crotchet, equal to a quarter of a 
semibreve. No. 4, is a quaver, equal to 
half a crotchet. No. .9, is a semiquaver, 
equal to the fourth of a crotchet. No. 6, is 
a demisemiquaver, equal to the eighth of a 
crotchet : the rests, which correspond with 
these notes, are placed under them respec- 
tively, A bar may be made up of one se- 
mibreve, or of two minims, or of four 
crotchets, or of eight quavers, or of sixteen 
semiquavers, or of thirty-two demisemiqua- 
vers, or of any mixture of those notes, pro- 
vided their aggregate does not exceed the 
value of four crotchets in a bar, for common 
time ; or of three in a bar, for triple time. 
A dot, added after a note, causes it to be 
held half as long again as when not dotted ; 
and when two dots are put, they lengthen 
the preceding note to three-fourths more 
than its original value; at 7, where a dot- 
ted minim and a crotchet make up the 
bar ; at 8, a crotchet, a minim, and two 
quavers ; at 9, a crotchet, four semiquavers, 
a dotted crotchet, and a quaver ; at 10, only 
a’semibreve. The commencement of Ex- 
ample 9 th, is marked with a C, through 
which is a peipendicular stroke : this sign, 
either plain, or so intersected, means com- 
mon-time of four quavers (or their equiva- 
lents) in each bar : when we see it im- 
plies, that there are only two crotchets, or 
four quavers, in each bar, as in Example 
10th, in which every bar will be found to 
contain an equal measure of notes. When 
one or more notes are placed before the be- 
ginning of the first bar, such always are de- 
ducted from the last bar, and, with its 
amount, will be found to form a complete 
measure. At No. 5 and 6, in Example 9tli, 
we see the notes in three several forms ; the 
first are detached, the second four are tied, 
and the rest are all w-ritten in an abbre- 
viated manner. The number of hooks, or 
strokes, affixed to the tail of a note, indi- 
cate its value : tlie more strokes, or ties, 
the shorter the note’s duration : this will be 
seen also to affect the rests of all the shorter 
notes, in the same ratio with the notes they 
represent. Rests, being dotted, are equally 
affected as the notes themselves. Triple- 
time relates to all measures which contain 
three, instead of four, equal pai ts ; and is 
usually known by |, marked at the com- 
mencement, if the measures be of three 
crotchets in a bar ; but if of three quavers, 
then I is prefixed; sometimes we have |, 
which implies nine quavers : this last is al- 
most exclusively peculiar to Irish music. 
Regarding the above points, we refer to 
the explanations. No. 11, 12, 13: in the 
last, it will be seen that a quaver-rest fills 
the place of the quaver, wanting in the mu- 
sic to complete the measure. There is also 
a measure called |, which is generally called 
