Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1905-04-13
TONES AND COLORS.
Discovery of Remarkable Phenom-
enon by Scientist.
Rays OF Light Which Produce Ger
tain Colors Correspond kxnctly
with Certain TOnes-Uss in
Musical Instruction..

It has been the dream Of poets that
some subtle, sympathetic relation ex-
lists between tones and colors; that the
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 Philadelphia professor to
trace this phantasy to it's source; to
materialize the vague impressions OF
dreamers and to reduce them to mat
ter of science says the New York Her
aid. 1t has long been common knowl-
edge that our conception OF both musl-
cal tones and cOlOrs is due to the effect
of vibrating waves of movement but it
is something new to learn that there is
a 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 can harmony.
1t is amazing to learn that the seven
colors of the rainbow exactly CORE
spond with the seven notes of the
gamut, and that red, being the domi-
nant, has to the other cOlors the same
comparative refrangibilty, or "wave
lines" as the dominant in any chord
has to the other notes in the scale. 1t
will blend artstically and pleasingly
only with such colors as represent
notes which in music may be harmon
iously used with he dominant
1t is claimed by the discoverer of
this phenomenon in science, and he
has devoted the last 20 years to the
study of relationship between tone and
color, that the rays of light which pro-
duce red at the base of the spectrum,
correspond exactly with sound waves
responsible for do" the keynote at
the base of the tonic scale. Orange
corresponds with ere" yellow with
mi" green with ia" 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 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 of centrifugal force,
while midway and in perfect harmony
is mi the yellow. the sweet but un-
"third' of the scale These
three cOlors combined form a 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 training of
little children. at an age when their
minds are especially susceptible to i'm
pressiOnS OF sweet sounds and bright
colors. when the intelligence is mainly
working through the medium of their
senses.