323 . 
M U S 
from this, that, fo far from being of difadvantage to 
teachers, this plan will enable them to advance their pu¬ 
pils much more rapidly, and give them that time for the 
formation of tafte, and the ftudy of the more difficult 
fpecies of compofition, which .would otherwife be un¬ 
avoidably loft, both to their pupils and tbemfelves, in 
the molt vvearifome drudgery. Can it be for a moment 
doubted but that manifeft improvement would be more 
likely to induce parents to perfevere in obtaining inftruc- 
tion for their children, and children to perfevere in their 
ftudies, than embarraflments at every ftep, and fcarcely 
any appearance of progrefs after repeated leifons ? And 
is it not obvious to experience, that, wherever real facility 
is held out for improvement in agreeable but difficult ac- 
compliffiments, there is an infinitely greater number de- 
lirous of dedicating their time to them, than when the 
moll difpiriting obltacles lie in their way ? Is it not alfo 
an infult to the underftanding and honefty of a profefibr, 
to fuppofe him more interefted in retarding the progrefs 
of his pupils than in advancing them, when the com- 
moneft intellebl cannot but be aware that fame and con- 
fequent profit depend on ability to produce able fcholars, 
and not on throwing hindrances in the way of talent, and 
totally difcouraging timidity ?” 
We are now to defcribe the Chiroplaft.—The firft part 
of the apparatus is called the gamut-board. This is an 
oblong board, which on one fide has drawn upon it two 
ftaves of five lines each ; one for the treble, and the other 
for the bafs; which being placed over the keys of the 
piano-forte, each note will be over its correfponding key. 
The other fide of the gamut-board reprefents the chro¬ 
matic and enharmonic fcales. The fecond part of the 
apparatus is the pofition-framie, which confifts of two pa¬ 
rallel rails, extending from one extremity of the keys to 
the other ; to the ends of thefe are fixed two check-pieces, 
which, by means of a bral's rod and extending-fcrew, are 
attached to the inftrument. The rails mull be adjufted 
fo as to admit the hands of the pupil palling between them 
nearly asfaras the wrifts, being lb regulated as to prevent 
any perpendicular motion of the hands, though fuffici- 
ently wide to allow a free horizontal movement when re¬ 
quired. The finger-guides are two movable brafs plates, 
■with five divilions, through which the thumb and four 
fingers are introduced. Thefe divifions correfpond per¬ 
pendicularly with the keys of the inftrument, and may be 
moved to any fituation by means of the brafs rods. To each 
finger-guide will be found attached a brafs wire, called the 
wriji-guide, the ufe of which is to prevent the wrift being 
inclined outwards, which would difplace the thumb. 
“ By an early and frequent ufe of this apparatus,” fays 
the inventor, “ it is evident that the learner inufi become 
habituated to a proper pofition of the body, and a graceful 
motion of the arms ; and the fingers mvjl acquire an in¬ 
dependent motion, and equality of power, rarely accom- 
plilhed by other means.” 
The above account is from the “ Companion to the 
Chiroplaft,” publillied by Mr. Logier in Dublin and in 
London about the year 1814. The fame w r ork contains 
the ground-work of his method of inftrublion, with Am¬ 
ple leflbns adapted to the progreffive improvement of the 
pupils. The “ Sequel to the Companion,” publilhed in 
1816, comprifes a feries of leifons compofed on thofe ori¬ 
ginal fubjebls, contrived fo as to be played either alone 
as diftinft leffons, or in full concert with others, being- 
grounded on the fame lucceffion of harmonies ; the varia¬ 
tions embracing nearly every defcription of palfage. At 
his mufical academy in Dublin the author “ makes ufe, 
in one room, of fourfquare piano-fortes, two grand ditto, 
two harpfichords, and a fmall organ, the latter to fupport 
the harmony by i'uftaining the chords.” One or two pu¬ 
pils are placed at the fame time at each inftrument. By 
playing together the different leflbns adapted to their ca¬ 
pacities, a complete (Irilh) band is formed, capable, it is 
laid, of great effedt. The original fubjedts in the former 
work are here written in fmall notes, with the variations 
Voi-.XVI. No. 1114. 
1 c. 
in a larger character underneath. To execute the latter, 
particularly thole with crofs-hands, it ffiould feem that 
the chiroplaft with all its paraphernalia mull be taken off. 
Mr. Logier, having fully eitablilhed his fyftem in Ire¬ 
land, and having been joined by Mr. Webbe, a member 
of the Philharmonic Society, proceeded to London, and 
invited the members of that fociety to an examination of 
the pupils taught upon the new fyftem. After fome tri¬ 
fling bickerings and difputes about form, an examination 
of Mr. Webbe's pupils and his own was entered upon, 
in the prefence of a committee of fourteen members of 
that fociety, and feveral other very eminent profeffors 
and amateurs, on the 17th of November lait, (1817.) The 
committee of the Philharmonic Society had very properly 
informed Mr. Logier, “ that they had agreed not to give 
any opinion upon the new fyftem at the moment, but that 
after the examination they would meet and confult toge¬ 
ther.” 
Mr. Logier has juft publillied (Jan. 1818.) “ An Au¬ 
thentic Account of the Examination,” from which we fhall 
make an extradl or two. “ Mr. Webbe’s pupils, w ho were 
entirely beginners upon my fyftem of inftrudlion, were firft 
brought forward. Of thefe children, the longell learners 
were of betwixt four and five months only, the full date 
of Mr. W’s eftablilhment; and others of lei's than two. 
While thefe were engaged in playing the early leffons in 
the Chiroplaft, my own pupils, who were alfo entirely 
beginners in my academy, from the date of its eftablifti- 
ment, viz. two years and a half, performed correfponding 
leflbns of confiderable advancement and execution. Theie 
performances were received by the committee, generally, 
with every apparent teilimony of entire fatisfa&ion. This 
difplay of fatisfabtion, was however, greatly enlarged, 
when even thefe early ftudents in Mr. Webbe’s academy 
came to the exhibition of their acquirements in theory ; 
viz. a thorough acquaintance with the properties of all 
the keys, even to the full extent of the double-lharp and 
double-flat mode ; a perfebl knowledge of the conftrubtion 
of the fcale, proved by the ready infertion of all the femi- 
tonesin their proper places ; a prompt decifion upon what 
fliarps or flats, or double iharps or flats, were necefl'ary to 
the formation of the major chord upon any given bafs, &c. 
At the end of this little exhibition of Mr. Webbe’s pupils, 
he received the hearty congratulations of various gentle¬ 
men of the committee,for iiaving brought about, by my plan 
of inftruclion, a degree of attainment in theory quite un¬ 
precedented for children fo young, and who had learned 
fo fhort a time. I received, at the fame time, many grati¬ 
fying compliments upon thefe early and extraordinary 
refults of my procefs. The children then refumed for a 
while their little concert, in the fame order as before ; 
Mr. Webbe’s pupils playing their moft advanced leflbns, 
wherein it appeared that thofe who had learned longeft, 
viz. betwixt four and five months, had already dilmifled 
the chiroplaft. Here ended the exhibition of Mr. Webbe’s 
pupils. 
“ I now brought forward my own pupils alone, to dif¬ 
play their advancement in the theory of mufic. Their 
firft efl'ay was to connebt together all the major and minor 
keys, with their bell arrangement of progreffion ; which 
having written (o rapidly and correblly to a certain ex¬ 
tent, as to convince the committee that they were equally 
ready to write them throughout 5 they proceeded without 
delay to play them through the whole circle of the twelve 
keys. I wrote next, for their exercife, the afeending 
fcale; requiring them to let to it inverted baftes, and to 
harmonife it throughout. Having done this, firft, in Am¬ 
ple chords, they afterwards added fundamental feveriths, 
wherever they were admifiible, and then further varied 
the harmonies by forming difibnances in fufpenfion. I 
then let for them the defeending fcale in the bafs, requir¬ 
ing them to proceed in harmonifing it through the fame 
ftages as before, of firft fetting the Ample chords, after¬ 
wards adding the fundamental fevenths, and laltrly, in¬ 
troducing difibnances by fufpenfion. Thofe who have 
4 N , frequently 
