Year: 1869

NO. VII.


I NOW come to the subject Of the syIla-
bles, Do Re Mi &C., their use and appIi-
cation. The progress of music met with
a check, which lasted for years, in the
adoption of a system of instruction
which spread far and wide, and is still
being used, and which proved a great
hindrance to a true and genuine ad-
vancement. mean the making use of
these syllables as the method of learn
to read music, instead of using them,
only as the means of promoting a fine
expression or enunciatiOn of language.


This was adopted in Boston, but since
then, corps Of musicians having made
that city their home, a much better
method has been firmly established
there. But this false system still ling
ers in the west, and feel called upon to
enter my protest against it.


"ThOugh the Syllables, are in them
selves unmeaning, yet being intended
in book of vocal instruction to convey
and facilitate the pronunciation of words
Of real import, the student should be-
stow particular attention to every direC-
ton relating to them, Cookies Vocal In
structOr). 1t is my opinion that the VOW
el sounds in these syllables are the basis
Of pronunciation in all languages.


Woodbury. in his instructions, in his
popular work, the Lutte of Zion, SAYS,
" Eight or ten years of experience has
proved to us that, generally speaking,
more can be learned by classes, if the
sylla6les are not changed. We are aware
that this will not meet the appreciation
of all our teachers; but those who have
given it q fair trial will fully indorse the
above. Here we would also enter a
protest against the change of the vowel
sound of the syllables where an acciden-
tai is introduced. 1t brings a long train
of evils that requires months of labor to
eradicate. One reason why our chOirs,
and even select societies, almost always
fail on the accidentals is owing to the
habit of changing the syIlables and their
vowel sounds. The system of changing
the syllables is not known in the best
schools of Europe; and we predict that,
ere many years pass away, the elements
of the art in this country will throw of
these trammels, and find itself free to
soar on, in its glorious mission to fallen
man." These remarks are by a widely
known teacher who used the method,
which he now condemns, for years, and
of course knows what he is talking
about.


They are of great use in aiding us in
the enunciatiOn of full and rich vowel
sounds, but are not of the least use in
teaching us to read music. They are as
Interchangeable as the letters, indeed in
France and Italy letters are not used at
all, but the notes are named by the syl-


lableS alone.


Music must be read by figures, and in
no other way can we designate intervals,
than by figures. The tonic or key note is
always one of the scale, and any child
at all veTsed in music, can tell you that
the common chord is the first, third and
fifth of any note or key, to which may
be added the octave or eighth. The chord
of the seventh is formed of the common
chord with the seventh added. We read
of major and minor thirds of ffths and
sevenths and Octaves. All these are ex-
pressed by figures, not by syIlables. All
melodies consists of scales, or parts Of
scales, and parts or the whole of the COM
mon chord and chord Ofthe 7th and 9TH
er chords growing out of these, and as
the composition or harmony of music is
governed by figures we must come to the
| conclusion that the easiest and most cor
rect way, is to learn it from the begin
ming in this way. The figures express r
meaning which is obvious, the syIlables
have no meaning at all. We must have
a knowledge Of the chord of the 7th and
also of mOdulatiOn or change of key
Keys change by fifths. For instance,
take c for a beginning and it changes by
shaTps, to its fifth above viz. G.; and by
flats to its fifth below viz. F.; and so on
in regular order. This knowledge well
established in the mind renders it easy
to read music by figures, and it is gained
by study of the chords and intervals and
by a daily practice in singing the scales
and chords. The eye soon becomes ac-
custOmed to the intervals or distances
of the notes and the voice being prac-
ticed in following the eye enables us to
make the correct sounds. Having learn
ed this method we are then enabled to
practice new music without difficulty.