The Litchfield County post., 1827-10-04
FOR THE COUNTY POST.

M. Snith,-As it was not my design when be-
gan these communications to con6ne myself to any
gular succession of subjects, but only to notice such
ideas as might from time to time, present themselves,
will therefore at this time present you few thoughts
on the subject of singing by note.
And first l would observe that an erroneous opin-
ion seems to prevail among many, and some of them
are those who have some Knowledge OF music that it
matters not, if singer only gets the correct sound ny
what means he gets it. Now sir this reminds me of a
certain school-master whom once knew, who taught
Arithmetic precisely upon the same plincipIe.-Ih's
man, when he found any of the questions on the sys-
TEN of Arithmetic of which he made use, were too
hard for him, which by no means a very uncom-
mon occurrence; would by placing a number OF fig
upon the slate; and by dividing, and multiplying,
and subtracting and adding, at length succeed in
obtaining precisely the answer which his book re-
quired. And he too very much inclined to be-
eve that since he had obtained the answer it was no
matter how he came by it. But the public soon dis
covered that his system not which was like
y to prove very extensively useful because he could
give for the he pursued and just such
opinion would they form with regard to music were
arithmetic. Now those who have learned to sing
only by playing keyed instrument in much better
situation. 1t that if such have a correct in
regard to time and have learned the of the keys
they may succeed in learning to sing piece correct
ly, but it would take such person age to learn in
that to sing piece Of music independently Of
an instrument rather to learn it without first learn
ing it upon the instrument. The fact is, those who
learn to sing in this only learn by rote, they
can give no for the sounds they make and can
form no correct idea Of the intervals, any than if
they were learned from flute or from another per-
sons voice. 1t is almost endless task to learn in
this way the intervals upon all the scales as they must
all of them be learned as a separate key, and remcn-
bered as such, and this must all be done without any
system and without any distinct idea of the construc-
ton of the scale from first to last.
This would be like attempting to learn the English,
any other language merely by looking at each word
in the language until could be remembered withouta
the same time having any knowledge of the letters Of
which those words were composed. Still! perhaps
some will enquire the why the intervals the
degrees cannot be remembered as well without any
system of notation with itY
some OF the reasons are uleSe,-l ne ucBTeeS upon
the scale are not alike of them greater than
the Others and every change Of signature removes the
lesser degrees semtoDes lesser part Of the staff
Hence arise the different keys in music every acc
dental, excepting the ascending sharp sixth, and sew
enth, in the minor scale, producing new key. Thus
in the major key of c, the semtones are in what is
styled their natural place. to wit between B and c
and between E and F. Now suppose we sharp F,
which by the way must be first sharped before any 9TH
er letter. shall then discover semtones to stand
B, c, and F, G, or in other words our key will be
major Now the key ofC major and the key of G
major are entirely different, and this difference is
" occasioned BY removing the semitone F to G..
A person might be perfectly familiar with the former
KEY 50 as be able sing at sight any thing that
might he written upon it, and this perfect acquaint-
ance with it If it was learned merely by roe or by
the appearance the eye upon the staff, would only
render the latter key difficult, for the mere hab
| il of placing the semitone at F would be almost
! insurmountable barrier to It's removal TO G.. This
can be sufficiently proved to those singers who in
any measure scientific, by the difficulty they find in
correctly sounding those notes in any piece Of music
which are affected by accdenals. But to give anoth
err example; suppose your meditation be from the
l kew C major to major. This is produced by simply
placing fat on B, and then your semtones stand
! + and ) B.-Eerc the question arises in the minds