New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-06-28
SYMPOSIUM ON HARMONY.
THIS BRINGS THE MUSIC TEACHERS SEES
SION TO A CLOSE.
DR. CLARK SAYS THAT THE ART OF COMPOSITIONS
WAS NOT ARRIVED AT BY scIF-N-
r1FC DEDUCTTON.

WAS NOT ARRIVED AT BY scIEN-
r1pTc DEDUCTION.
TIE nth days session Of the Music Teachers
National Association began early yesterday morn
ing at the Waldorf-Astoria with meeting or the
Executive Committee 10 consider anars o. IND
portance 10 the society A committee was Ap-
poin.ed to investigate alleged m.sappropria-
ton OF g. 100 by OF the officials and 10 see 'a'
an amendment 10 the constitution was drawn " !"
nrov1de for the addition OF other officers. sucn rs
honorary president. secretary-st-large. etc.
At 9 o'clock Nine A Pupin gave lecture and
demonstration on the Advantages arc POSSIBLE
ties OF the Janko Keyboard" with Illustrations
from Iiszt Chopin and others. Nine Flp,n sara
IN nsrt: In this unitarian new Invention
must pass the test OF certain c. -ons 'lch ~
Does II give any advan ~ - '' "'Vs ana
long-established usage? IT, ID. CO
ing when the supreme ques
enable US so TO control nature .i '''
soul may express It's deeper ca sn''
asp,rations? The object % fn'"'
music Music urdersta' 500 ' or .@
harmony OF the spheres caught "irs "''" "'-'"
than our own When wish e.. sader ,As musi-
as Il is written should not the mechanical con
trvances be made as easy as possible. Da' Janko
keyboard is designed save time and iaDor-to
save the woul1-be pianist from years ~ patent
o. impatient practice OF finger exercises ana tech-
meal studies whose sole aim IS 20 accustom the
hands and fingers TO the awkward position o.
levhoard which has twenty-four different keys
The old keyboard was a gradual evolution. "hAe
the new one is new creation At hTst we" il
presents confused and not altogether pleasing af-
pearance and the eye is bewildered ana GazzI"i
by the rapid alienation Of black ana white. "ut
q closer acquaintance reveals the logic % its con-
st-ucton and deeper study declares the simplicity
OF It's rules OF manipulation. The dominant char
acteristic OF the Janko keyboard Is repose no
acrobatic feats perplex the NOVICE mechafhca'
action is reduced minimum. and. most IN
of oil ar exercises
Ferdinand Dunkley. OF Albany. spoke next on
practical Harmony Teaching.
II suppose" ne said, most OF US have e1peri
enced trials and tritulations in teaching harmony
The average pupil finds It dry. tedious ana uhi"-
terestng and at the end Of two years Re" nave
assimilated anything OF real value. There are a
few gifted creatures who seem TO have an 'htu'u'e
understanding OF the mysteries OF haiihoHS ANu
melody. But many person endowed Win iNN
steal and poetic nature. who Is perhaps an accom-
pllshed player singer makes sorry "orh ol mar
uony.
"A successful warfare has OF late years been car
ried on by some OF our principal teachers against
the 'etude superstition and we are not nearly so
convinced as We used to be that p'anisuc salVhuoh
depends upon faith In Czerny' CraHei anu
Clement Let us make a similar warfare against
the superstition that the figured bass ana the "Ve
species OF counterpart are the essential means ~
which we must make musicians OF our pupns'
Counterpoint confessedly ignores harmony. Fup'lS
they can do"
Professor Dunkley then concisey outlined a course
~ lessons 10 he recommended and closed by play
ing little song composed by one Of the young
"i Dr. Hugh h. Cisrk Of Philadelphia devoted HI,
remarks 10 the consideration OF means OF teach-
z want al the outset" he said, TO discriminate
distinctly between two things. theory OF mar
Inony may be phys cal. that is. based on the ascer-
tained laws OF sound. Such theory uhdouDteul!
has its own place but only IN the material aspect
Il
mony may be psychological; that Is. based on .he
gated il would be OF inestimable value could II be
proved But such Is the a nian e ss, mar the
most elementary principles OF such theory are
yet in such shape as 10 compel universal
.'Husicians all know that the mass Of rules. pre-
scriptions and prescriptions that made up the BODY
OF what We may call the art Of composition were
not arrived at BY scientific deduction or induction
centuries Of experiment. The art % musical con
structon resembles those decisions o. ' ., lie, liz.
deduced from the practice of those whose eminence
IN the art qualified them to stamp these practices
1T seems to me that the first duty incumbent on
II possible this OF prescriptions In such order
and sequence that their acquisition by the student
may be facilitated and that their mutual depona-
In the absence OF any satisfactory theory we are
constrained 10 adopt what scientists can WORK
Ssrhe establishing Of these generalizations is a
matter OF detail. The arrangement Of the details
Is the most important feature. the object being 10
MAKE edcn step III the pIOCtNS nv H0tt~'ci
sion OF the last and, above all. 10 arrange the
steps that the pupil will never have more than the
one new thing at time to claim his attention.
Too much technique makes musical mechai ~. IS
not artists" said Sas Pratt in an Interesting tax
on the practical Application OF Harmony 70 Inc
study OF the Plano" ,
Start out by teaching that the keyboaid or
piano organ Is composed Of twelve halI-s'epsss
for 1t is with these constructed into whole ahn nan
steps that all music is composed -,
Mr.. Pratt demonstrated by means of charts how
after the building OF scales chords are constructed
and spoke the advantage Of knowing choros a,,o
applying that knowledge 10 the STUDY OF o,eR ,anp
music. He said that three-fourths OF inc aiiiion
0na In piano nlavin1 are In the mind. IL - L@SA