Page images
PDF
EPUB

4

tones, and be represented by three notes.

GUIDE TO MUSICA! NOTATION-MELODIOS.

Such divisions are called TRIPLets,
and are usually indicated by the figure 3, over or under the notes.
NOTE-Rhythmic exercises, designed to illustrate the subject of this chapter, should be introduced as
they are needed. The following may be regarded as examples.

[ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors]

§ 17. As figures are used to designate the kinds of measure, so also figures
are used to designate varieties of measure. The figures being written as in
the representation of fractions, the kind of measure is designated by the nume-
rator, and the variety of measure is designated by the denominator.

NOTE. Varieties of measure merely furnish different signs for the same thing. To the ear they are
the same, to the eye only do they differ; the movement or degree of quickness depending not in the least
on the kind of notes, which represent no positive, but only a relative length.

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

CHAPTER IV.

VARIETIES OF MEASURE.

§ 16. Different notes may be used to represent the parts of measures in each

kind of measure; and these different usages of notes are called VARIETIES OF

MEASURE.

MELODICS THE SCALE, ITS NAMES AND SIGNS.

NOTE.-Before any explanation of the scale is attempted, or definitions or signs are given, let the scale

itself, or a part of it, be presented, by being sung slowly and distinctly by the teacher, beginning with the

pitch C, to the syllable la. Let it be repeated until the class have obtained a clear idea of it, after which,

and not before, they may be required to sing it. Careful attention should be given to quality of tone,

which, with everything belonging to taste, should be cultivated from the beginning. When the scale has

been thus taught, or when the pupils have become so familiar with it as to have some correct apprecia-

tion of it as a connected series of tones, and can also sing it with tolerable accuracy, names, definitions,

and signs may follow.

§ 18. The Scale. Musical sounds or tones, when considered with respect to

the relation of pitch existing between them, are arranged in a certain series

called the SCALE; thus the scale is a succession of eight tones, in a certain

order of relative pitch.

§ 19. Names of the Tones of the Scale. The tones of the scale are named from

the names of numbers, beginning with the lowest, thus:

ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT.

§ 20. The Staff. The relative pitch of tones is represented by a character

called the STAFF.

§ 21. Degrees of the Staff. Each line and each space of the staff is called a

DEGREE; thus the staff contains nine degrees, counted upwards from the low
est, there being five lines and four spaces.

§ 22. Added Lanes and Spaces. The compass of the staff may be extended by additional lines above or below, called ADDED LINES, or LINES ABOVE, or LINES BELOW, or SPACES ABOVE, or SPACES BELOW. Added lines are also sometimes called LEGER LINES.

§ 23. Syllables. In elementary singing-exercises, or as helps to beginners, the following syllables are used in connection with the tones of the scale, and are applied to them, as follows:

Written. Do, Re, Me, Fa, Sol, La, Si, Do.
Pronounced. Doe, Ray, Mee, Fah, Sol, Lah, See, Doe.

§ 24. Absolute Pitch. Letters. Absolute pitch, or the pitch of tones independent of scale relationship, is indicated by letters, as A, B, C, D, E, F, G. 8 25. Cas One of the Scale. Key of C. In the first steps of musical study,. C is taken as the pitch of the tone one, or as the basis of the scale, and the scale is then said to be in the key of C. The order of the scale-tones in the key of C is thus C is one, D is two, E is three, F is four, G is five, A is six, B is seven, C is eight.

8 26. The Scale as represented on the Staff. The scale may be represented on the staff in various positions; the two following are the most common: 1st, the tone one being represented by the added line below; 2d, the tone one being represented by the second space.

§ 27. Clefs. To determine the position and pitch of the scale as represented on the staff, one of the letters is used as a sign or guide, and when thus used is called a CLEF.

§ 28. Clef-Letters. The letters commonly used as clefs are F and G.

NOTE.-The letter C is also taken for a Clef, and when thus used it has three positions, but since it is not much used, it is not thought necessary to explain it here.

8 29. The F Clef is placed upon the fourth line, and determines the pitch of that line to be F.

8 30. The G Clef is placed upon the second line, and determines the pitch of chat line to be G.

Norn. It should be understood that a clef is merely a letter differing in shape from its ordinary form.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]
[ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

§ 31. A melody or tune may proceed not only by the regula ly successive steps or degrees of the scalo, but also by skips.

§ 32. The easiest and most natural skips are those which occur between the tones one, three, five, and eight.

NOTE-The pupil should be exercised in these tones, or in skipping from one to another until they become so familiar with them as to name them when they hear them, or to produce them when they are named or called for by the teacher; and from this they should be led to the practical knowledge of each

.

Cull the flowers 'Mong the bow-ers. Sweetest posies Pinks and roses,

While the thrushes In the bush-es, This warm weather, Sing together

CHAPTER VII.

EXTENSION OF THE SCALE, AND CLASSIFICATION OF VOICES. § 33. When tones higher than eight are sung, eight is to be regarded also, as one, of an upper scale.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][graphic][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][ocr errors][subsumed][merged small][merged small]
[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

NOTE.-Besides the above, there are other distinctions, as BARYTONE, between the Base and Tenor, and MEZZO SOPRANO, between the Alto and Treble. The Treble is often called SOPRANO.

§ 37. The F clef is used for Base, the G clef is used for Tenor, Alto, and Treble, but when used for Tenor it denotes G an octave lower than when used for Treble or Alto.

NOTE. This different use of the G clef for Tenor, and for Alto or Treble, should be clearly illustrated and explained.

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

NOTE. A true knowledge of intervals can only be communicated through the ear. Names, definitions, or illustrations, may be given while the pupil obtains no correct idea of the thing itself, which can only be acquired by a careful listening to tones and comparison of them. The ear alone can appreciate or measure intervals. The subject is one which cannot be understood until the ear has been considerably trained; this is the reason why it has not been presented earlier in this course. After intervals have been taught, the following definitions will be easily understood.

§ 38. The difference of pitch between any two tones is called an INTERVAL. Thus, the difference of pitch between one and two is an interval.

§39. In the regular succession of the tones of the scale, there are two kinds of intervals, large and small.

§ 40. The large scale-intervals are called STEPS; and the small scale-intervals are called HALF-STEPS.

§ 41. The intervals of the scale occur in the following order :-between one and two, a step; between two and three, a step; between three and four, a halfstep; between four and five, a step; between five and six, a step; between six and seven, a step; and between seven and eight, a half-step.

NOTE. The terms tone and half-tone are in common use to designate these intervals; but as the application of the same word both to sounds and intervals is inconvenient, the discontinuance of the term tone and half-tone is recommended, especially in teaching. As the word ladder (scale) is used for designating the series of tones called the scale, it is quite natural to carry out the figure, and borrow from the ladder the word step by which to designate scale intervals.

CHAPTER IX.

THE MINOR SCALE.

[blocks in formation]

Names. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. Eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
Pitch.
A. B, C, D, E. F, G, A. A. G, F, E. D, C, B, A.
Syllables La, si, do, re, mi, fa, sol, la. La, sol, fa, mi, re, do, $1, la
NOTE-The explanation here given refers to the natural Minor Scale only, the artificial Mino: 41.9
will be explained hereafter.

« ՆախորդըՇարունակել »