The Chromatic Intervals of the Scale.

La Si Do Re Mi Fa Sol La

Let the student test this scale in the matter of its intervals, and he will find that there are four of these intervals not found in the diatonic scale. They are as follows:

Fa to Sol an augmented second of three semitones;
Do to Sol#

fifth of eight

and the inversion of the augmented second, viz. :—

Sol to Fa a diminished seventh of nine semitones.

The word "chromatic" is derived from the Greek, and signifies coloured. It seems to have been applied to the scale rising and falling by semitones only, to signify a larger gradation in shades of tone. Here we have exhibited an octave of the chromatic scale ascending and descending, starting from C; but a scale may start from any other pitch.

This example at once raises another question; viz., why sharps should be used in ascending and flats in descending. In reply to this, we may state briefly (1) that though C#, for instance, is interpreted on the key-board of a piano by the same key as Db, yet C is not of the same pitch in nature as Db, and therefore some violence is done to music by that and similarly tempered instruments; (2) that the sharpened notes are naturally and easily struck ascending, but with great difficulty descending, while the reverse holds good with regard to flattened notes. Hence this introduces a further refinement in the division of the intervals of the scale, shown in the following example,

which bears the name of the Enharmonic Scale, a word intended to signify higher musical quality. The interval from C# to Db, for example, is called a Diesis, or enharmonic quarter

tone.

Long phrases in chromatic movement are not very common. The recitatives found in oratorios and some operas furnish frequent chromatic intervals in melody, while the following is an example of a chromatic sequence in harmony from the overture to Mendelssohn's "Athalie":

Transposition.-Bearing in mind that a scale, air, or melody owes its character and effect, not to its pitch, but to the intervals existing between its sequence of notes, it follows that the pitch of any scale, air, or melody may be altered without altering its character and effect. For example, the major diatonic scale of C in no way differs from the major diatonic scale of E, except in the fact that the latter is throughout a major third higher in pitch than the former. What is more familiar than the fact of a tune being sung at almost any pitch? How often has a hymn tune been pitched too high or too low for convenient singing! Let the Old Hundredth be pitched as it may, we recognise the melody perfectly. Perhaps the student has seen our National Anthem written on different occasions in C, B b, or D.

When a piece is taken from one pitch and placed in another it is said to be transposed. And no musical exercise is so simple to a person well up in the key signatures as that of transposition. Let us take an illustration from a recent (August, 1880) Government Examination Paper. It was required to transpose the following into A (La) :

:

蕤

Here we have a phrase in C. The notes are Do, Sol, Sib, La, Si, Do, Re, Mib, Re, Do, Re, Sol, Do. We place the key signature of A (La) in our stave, and write Do, Sol, Sib, etc., as follows:

That the (natural) on G and C have precisely the same effect as the b (flat) on B and E in the original need cause no surprise or be in the least difficult to understand by any careful student of this course of lessons.

Other Musical Signs and Terms. We may conclude this section of our studies by a few of the more ordinary signs and terms used in musical compositions.

Grace Notes are those notes introduced in a melody, and written in smaller character. They are directions for a little more elaboration in the performance, or what Rossini used to call embroidery. If they are left out, the piece is perfect in time and tune; but introduced, they add flourishes whose time of execution is deducted from that of the preceding or succeeding note. Advanced books deal with various ways of grouping grace notes, and use such terms as "appoggiatura," accraccatura," and "grupetto." The only safe way of getting hold of the correct rendering of grace notes is to hear a first-rate performer execute them.

EXAMPLE, from Gluck's "Iphigenia in Tauris."

99 66

The Turn

over the last two upper notes means that a somewhat similar flourish of three or four notes as that imme

diately preceding shall be performed before each note.

The Tie, or Slur,

indicates that the notes which it groups together must be very smoothly rendered, or it may be that those notes go to one syllable. If this mark unites two notes of the same pitch, they are held on as one note, and the tie is properly so called.

Staccato, a dot over a note, as at B in the second bar, indicates that the note must be sharply struck, but not held on its whole time. Any number of notes in sequence or interrupted may be marked “staccato”; ƒ = forte, or loud; sƒ = soave forte, or delicately loud; p = piano, or soft.

=

Other signs of intensity are ƒƒ = fortissimo, or very loud; pp pianissimo, or very soft; or cres. = crescendo, and means, get gradually louder ; or dim. diminuendo, get gradually softer.

=

over a note permits the prolongation of that note, and sometimes allows the introduction of a flourish.

The Repeat

=

dots before or after a double bar, or

both, direct the repetition of a passage ending or beginning there. D.S., dal segno, directs repetition from a sign, $, preceding it. D.C., = da capo, directs repetition from the beginning.

The Trill, tr., over a note has somewhat the same effect as the turn, only it confines the turn to two notes, the one written and the next below. These must alternate with great rapidity to produce the trill, or shake.

Of compositions, the Ballad originally meant a solemn song of praise, but now any popular song reciting some action or adventure. The Recitative is the reciting to musical tones without fixed time or measure of some action or passion. No predominant key is necessary, but the cadence, or closing part, must fall into a key related to the one in which the succeeding movement begins.

A Chorus is a piece sung by several voices in concert, and follows an air, song, or recitative.

A Glee, a song for several voices in parts.

A Duet, a piece for two performers.

A Trio, a piece for three performers.

A Quartett, a piece for four performers.

An Air, or Aria, the principal melody of a tune.

A Fugue, a chase or succession in the parts. The chief thought or sentiment in the piece is taken up alternately by the various parts.

A Canon is a perpetual fugue in which the different parts begin one after the other and repeat incessantly the same air. An Opera is a dramatic composition set to music for performance on the stage, scenery and dresses being, of course accessories. Properly, opera should have no speaking except to music, and should consist of songs, choruses, recitatives, etc. An Oratorio is a musical composition on some Scripture subject generally, and consists of airs, recitatives, duets, trios, choruses, etc.

EXERCISES.
I.

1. Point out the differences between the Do and the La scales. 2. What definition can you give of a major as distinguished from a minor scale?

3. Point out the successive steps by which the minor scale assumed the form commonly called the diatonic minor.

4. What do you mean by the term relative, as applied to the major and minor scales?

5. Write the signatures for the minor keys of E, Bb, G, G*, A, C.

II.

1. What do you mean by chromatic ? and when are intervals so called?