The next thing tow'rds the attainment of the knowledge of mufic, is to be well acquainted with the different meafures of notes, which are under the denomination of time. There are two forts of time, common and triple. Common time is known by fome of the following marks or characters. 126 The first of thefe marks denotes the floweft kind of movement, and contains a femibreve (or as many other notes as are equal to its length) in a bar, and must be held as long as you can diftinctly tell 1, 2, 3, 4. The fecond denotes a movement fomewhat fafter than the former, and contains alfo a femibreve in a bar. The third denotes a brisk movement, and contains but one minim, or two crotchets, &c. in a The fourth mark contains twelve quavers (or (or notes to their value) in a bar; the fifth fix quavers in a bar, and the laft fix crotchets in a bar. The three laft characters are fixed to jiggs, &c. In a flow common time you must divide the bar into four equal parts, telling 1, 2, 3, 4, diftinctly, pusting your hand or foot down when you tell one, which must be at the beginning of the bar, and lifting it up when you tell 3, which must be in the bar. In a quick fort of common time, you may divide your bar into two equal parts, only putting your hand or foot down at the first half of the bar and lifting it up at the fecond half; but you must be exact in moving up and down. Triple time, whether quick or flow, must be divided in three equal parts, telling 1, 2, with your hand down, and 3 with it up: In this fort of time you must keep your hand up but half the time you keep it down. Obferve thro' the whole the down beat at the fint note in every bar. The following are marks of triple time. 3 3 & The first of thefe characters has three minims in a bar, and is the weft triple time in ufe, The fecond contains three crotchets in a bar, and is fixed to minuets, and play'd quicker than the former. The third contains three quavers in a bar, and is the quickeft. The fourth contains nine crotchets ; the last nine quavers. Thefe laft are rarely made ufe of, and then to jiggs. Cc3 Ob Obferve a diminutive note or grace is fet before a real note, and is only meant to prepare that real note, and not reckoned into the time. Alfo when you find the figure 3 fet over three ty'd notes, it fignifies they are to be play'd and reckon'd in the time of two of thofe notes. Note. A point or dot added to any note, whether minim, crotchet, &c. makes it half as long again; and must always be put on the right fide of the note. EXAMPLE of RESTS. Semibreve.Min. Crot. Quav.Semiqua. 2 Bars 4 Bars 8 Bars 16 Bars 24 Bars. Note. A femibreve reft is a whole bar in any time whatever. Sin. Bar.Dble Bar.Repeats Directs.Paufe. DaCapo W A fingle bar ferves to divide the time according to its different measures, whether common or triple. A double bar ferves to divide every strain or part of a fong or leffon. A repeat fig nifies that fuch a part of a fong, &c. must be performed over again from the note over (or before) which it is put. A direct is put at the end of a stave, and ferves to direct to the place of the first note in the next ftave. A paufe fignifies that the note over which it is placed must be held out fomewhat longer than the ufual time. The fame mark alfo denotes the end of a tune. Da Capo fignifies the tune does not end there, but must be begun again, and play'd till aforemention'd come to the mark to denote the end of the tune. you Of FLATS and SHARPS, &c. Thefe characters are very fignificant in mufic, and must be particularly regarded; viz. (b) or Flat; (#) or Sharp; (4) or Natural. If a flat be placed before any note it denotes that fuch note (and all the following in the fame bar on the fame line or fpace except mark'd to the contrary) must be fung or play'd half a note lower than its natural pitch. The fharp is of a contrary nature; for whereas a flat takes away a femitone, or half a note, from the found of the note before which it is fet, the fharp adds a femitone to whatever note it is fet before. example, if a fiat (or flats) be fixt at the beginning of any of the five lines, it not only affects every note on fuch line or fpace but alfo all the notes of that denomination thro' the whole movement. The fame is likewife to be obferved of the fharps. A natural ferves to reduce any note made flat or fharp by the govern ing flats or fharps placed at the beginning, to its primitive found, as it stands in the gamut. For I fhall I fhall next inftance fome felect pieces for leffons, both for the voice and inftrument: But you must be particular in obferving the time, as beforemention'd; for no mufic can be agreeable to the performer unlefs he makes himself mafter of it; neither is it poffible for feveral performers to agree exactly together without it. N. B. The following eight pages of copperplates containeth fix leffons for different inftruments, and three fongs. The fix leffons are adapted to the under-mentioned inftruments; viz. fift. For two French Horns. 3d. For the German Flute. gth. For ditto. 6th. For the Violin.. |