Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1903-04-16
TONES AND COLORS.
Discovery of Remarkable Phenom-
enon by a Scientist.
Rays of Light Which Produce Ger
tain ColOrs Correspond Exactly
with Certain TOnes-Use in
Musical Instruction.


| harmonizing of one and the artistic
blending of the others appeal to the
| same sense of the beautiful; that
sweet sounds and pleasing color
effects are very much akin. 1t has re-
manned for a Philadelphia professor to
trace this phantasy to its source; to
materialize the vague impressions of
dreamers and TO reduce them to a mat
ter of science, says the New York Her
aid. 1t has long been common knowl-
edge that our conception of both musi-
cal tones and colors is due TO the effect
Of vibrating waves OF movement, but it
is something new to learn that here is
close and exact sympathetic rela-
tionship between the notes of the scale
and the colors of the spectrum; that
the same system of nature governs
each and that discords arise in i'll
matched hues from infringement OF
the same rules which govern the COM
bination of sounds according to the
science we call harmony.
1t is amazing to learn that the seven
coiors of the rainbow exactly CORE
SpOnu with lne seven nOltS Vi Tie
gamut, and that red being the domi-
nant has to the other colors the same
comparative refrangibility, or wave
jines," as the dominant in any chord
has to the other notes in the scale. 1t
will blend artistically and pleasingly
onty with such colors as represent
notes which in music may be harmon
l.. /
1t is claimed by the discoverer of
this phenomenon in science, and he
las devoted the last 20 years to the
study of relationship between toncand
color, that the rays OF light which pro-
ducc red. at the base Of the spt ctrum,
correspond exactly with sound waves
responsible for do" the keynote at
the base Of the tonic scale. Orange
corresponds with ire" yellow with
mi" green with "fa," blue with "sol,"
purple with ''la" and violet with 'si"
Before scientific experiments and re-
search established these facts. argues
the professor, impressionists, poets
and painters felt this close union be-
tween tone and color. Artists knew
that a warm splash of red. giving an
impression of prominence and near
ness to the eye, would dominate the
whole picture. DO" the tonic in
music, is recognized as the centripetal
force. Opposite in effect is the cool,
limpid blue, which is in agreement
with sol" the clear ringing fifth" of
the scale. the tone ofcentrifu~al fierce,
while midway and in perfect harmony
- mi" the yellow. the sweet but I'M
Cbtrusive third" of the scale. These
three cOlOrs combined form most
pleasing group, while the correspond
ing tones form the tonic chord, the
basis Of all harmony.
This remarkable science. or theory.
whichever it may properly be called, |
has been put to practical purpose in |
the artistic and, musical trimming ct |
lirtle children, at an age when their |
minds are especially susceptible to inn
pressiOns OF sweet sounds and bright |
colors, when the intelligence is mainly
working through the medium of their
senses.
For this purpose an ingenious ar
rangement Of col0red balls and sticks
has been devised. by which the first
instincts of harmony are inStilled into
children who have scarcely learned
their alphabet. AT the same time they
become acquainted with the artistic
of colors.
While certain sequences or com
binations of colors are being exhib-
tied, sympathetic melodies and chords
are heard, and the little ones quickly
learn to associate the two. After
awhile they will sing tunes hitherto
unlearned or unheard by them. mere
~ following the exhibition of the diff
ferent colors, which to them have be-
of tone. For instance. should the fol-
lowing sequence of coiors appear:
Red, Red, Orange, Violet, he'd, Orange.
elbow, Yellow, Green, Yellow, Orange,
Red, ..
Orange, Red, Violet, Red,
hey would instinctively recognize the
melody of MY Country, 'Tis of Thee"
md heartily join in singing. To have l
aught this by musical notation would
lave been impossible.
When they have grown older the or
linary method of musical tuition is
Iided by the printing of each note in
is corresponding color. This is
laimed to show the essential unity of
he scale in all its different positions
IN the staff, to give pictorial repre-
entation of the modulations from key
o key and greatly to simplify the
tudy of harmony by showing at
lance the reel character of the chord.
The Wardweil family, of Detroit,