The Daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1845-1850, 1850-03-04
THE EUHARMoNIc. ORGANIC. II.

every scale perfect, it makes them all alike; and il is
supposed that the different keys have in nature, pecu-
barites which distinguish them from each other
| While admit that all scales viii be alike with the
exception of pitch, We deny most pontedy that there
is any intrinsic difference in KEYS except their PITCH
We know very well that upon any given instruments as
flute, carionet violin, there is in truth something
IN the quality of the principal notes in each KEY arising
rem their different modes of productions which gives
somewhat various hue colour the several scales.
nus any one accustomed to the flute readiIy distng
ulshes music in E. from that of E flat. So upon the
violin, 1t is not difficult perceive the difference be-
tween the key of in sharps and that of in flats
But all our experience goes show that, with mixed
band, whether Of the training field or the orchestra
Is impossible to determine the key of piece of music
by any other means than its pitch. Many persons can
tell by the the pitch Of sound within quarter Of
a tone. All musicians have more or less capacity to
Judge of pitch by the Hence upon the recognition
OF the key in this way, is thought that it owing
something else than the ptchsomething which char
acterizes the key and gives character different from
every other. iEt
If there be difference, that is not dependent upon
pitch alone then it must be in temperament. But what
is temperament! Is It's character defined! Does the
chord of fiat always have precisely the same temper
ament! Is its fifth always just so much too fiat? and
is its third always just so much too sharp? If
SO, how much? and by what authority is it made so,
and not otherwise? If so, again. why is it that this
key is absolutely intolerable upon organ tuned as
they usually fifteen years ago, and why is it that
now it is comparatively easy be bonnet No musician
in Worcester will deny that there is most marked diff
ference between the chord of that kew as Civ
: by the Organ the Church of the Unity, and that
belonging to the Second Parish. Which is right
i Which has the authorized temperament Which con
forms to nq4re''? We say they are both unnatural,
simply because they both d,scordant And no system
i of tuning will make sharp good fifth to D flat,
while it has at the time to stand for the third in
/. E major
This idea of the natural peculares of the different
scales, otherwise than consisting in PITCH arises en-
d trey from the necessity to which have been hitler
to subjected of tempering all keyed Instruments Ger
tain methods of temperament have teen in vogue at diff
erent times, and like other fashions have changed and
uctuated, and in given place to different methods
If there be foundation for tempered scales
if demands hem how does come to pass that Sc
many different systems of tuning have successyey beer
p HI idsHioh-pTouuclhS as must acknowledge, such
- widely differing results! At one time organs were
tuned to be pretty goodin the Keys
u and inevitable consequence, be so nsulerab,
eu bad in others that these last totally disnsoa AZ
ed another time the meantime temperament was employed
which gave the major chords perfect but the other in
cd vxtrvury the present time VIZ
have the equal temperament, i'll which every interval
49, alike false and unsatisfactory.
= I IL.
tuning, that all the difference which there rea y is he
:, TIVE key and another arises entirely from temper
ament-and have shown that this temper nent diff
Cd fers very widely different systems of tuning Hence
scale has uniform characterbut is one thing to
day and another thing next year. 1t is one thing on th
organ and totally different thing that. And so it il
40 unNed and unsettled forever Now there is no diff
in Guilty in determining fundamentally what the prope
nd sounds Of the scale of And if as is commended
ss the scale of E. is naturally different from this there
rs can be difficulty determining automatically wha
mathematician attempted fix the ratios of any par
les ticuar scale! On the contrary is it not time that thu
precise ratios have been asceraned ora musical scale
in general, without fixing it specially?
- 1t is believed that little reflection will satisfy an,
that this idea of intrinsic qualities in scales ohe
a than PITCH is mere notion mbbed from the empera
which has been ofnecessiy applied to keyed nstru
T. ments
Other difficulties which have been suggested, will b.
considered hereafter. F. H.