New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-07-01
FOLK MUSIC IND TIE NATURAL SCALE.
a PROBLEM NOT TO BE SOLVED by IxsrRU-
MENTS


MENTs.
TO the Editor Of The Tribune.
sir: III the review # \ Journal Of American Eth
nology and Archaeology Ly j. Walter Fewkes which
l find in The Tribune Of today it is remarked OF
musical fact mentioned in that work that this would
have interesting bearing on the evolution Of the
modern scale, which, because Of is mathematical prop
critics, hasy writers have for 50 long set down the
scale Of nature" From this remark IL would be
natural infer that the only ground for suppOsing the
datouic and chromatc scales TO have any foundation
in this constitution Of nature Is the mathematical
atOn Of their inteNIs and may be that the position
has been supported by the writer's the subject only
by such an inference. Bat there IS fact which ought
be very familiar 10 musicians which affords more
satisfactory foundation for that belief than any mere
inference Any mouthAiece instrument, Ike the trum-
pet OF cornet produces the harmonic tones lbs in
the lower octave, and 1-3-5-s in the upper, II the
player can produce the eight which he usually 90
In B-hat instrument Transporting the three OF the
upper octave 10 the lower, have the harmonic
intervals OF the datonc scale upon an unmpeachable
natural basis and it p necessary only to fill in the
intermediate tones, which is easily Done a. follows:
We have the minor third from three TO five, by sub
tracing which from the major third we have The semi
tone or We find il again by sounding the major third
above i've which gives seven a semitOne below eight
six we find by sounding the minor third below eight
and now We have sol-la-sdO But beginning with one
and sounding the same intervals have again dOre-
rni.fa. and only changing the names, We repeat the
same intervals in sounding the remainder Of the octave,
sol-lasido and we have the datOnc scale complete,
and little less than directly from the hand of nature
Evidently it would te impossible to use such an in
sr1ment without soon falling into the use OF the da-
tonic scale and the cOrnet, with its three valves, Is
only a sufficient number Of instruments in different
KEYS 70 enable the player 10 produce all the tones
what he does with the valves being only to change
his instrument 10 lower key by frightening the tube
The matter derives some interest from recent article
nv AR SPENCER on The Origin % Nusic' from which
il appears that some high authorities have supposed
that music had It's origin in the expression Of human
emotions: but probably the most inveterte evolu-
tionst would have to admit that the power of rams
horn or a bnglcweed to emit the harmonic tones by
mora change of the manner OF blowing IS sufficient
i"oof Thai h has its foundation pretty deeply lad Ii
The intrinsic nature OF things. o. H. "iLDA~7'
New-YOrk, June 81, lo0l.
Whether or not the fact that simple tuoe can
mo made ~ emit the intervals in the common chord
~ modern harmony is proof that the diatonic
scole If occidental music is the scale Of nature.
,cc do not care 70 argue. That 1t is scale
founded on natural law admits Of no doubt. The
Question 50 far rs folk-mus!c is concerned, IS
whether or not the practice Of peoples is founded
uuon IT, This is not he case. Many other
scalea are in use jusequently we have no
ouarrel with our corr pondent-Edl