MUSIC

If a dot be added to the right hand of any note, thus Or, it increases its duration exactly one half. The duration of a note is measured by the musician from habit, and is regulated by beatii^ time; that is, by the elevation and depre ion of the hand or foot quicker or slower according to the nature of the music performed. A musical piece is divided into measures, which are equal portions of time; and the vertical lines which so divide it are called bars, single lines taking merely that name; and the two thick ones at the end of a strain double bars. Thus,: I ^^ 11. Every measure must contain a certain number of notes according to the time marked at the beginning of the movement; and that time is of two sorts, — common time and ti-iple time, — in which two all others originate. The first is of two sorts: 1st, that in which each bar is equal to a semibreve in duration; 2d, that in which a minim in duration is equal to a bar. Those common times in which a semibreve is the measure are marked by a C after the clef at the beginning of the staff; thus. has a bar through it, thus measure, thus When the C O sa - crnm con-yj - vi is called ali a breve, but it is now usually written by dividing the breve into halves. There is another sort of movement now very rarely used; it is very quick, and it is thus marked, ^ The other characters of common time are —g — a'~o~' signifying that there are two crotchets in the bar, of which (the denominator) four make a semibreve. Triple time is so called from the bars being divisible into three parts: it is beat with the hand down at the beginning of the bar, raised a little in the middle, and quite up at the close of it. In this time the denominator of the figures placed at the beginning of the staff is a measure of a semibreve: thus, if 2 be the denominator, the measure is a minim, because two minims make a semibreve; if 4, the measure is a crotchet; and so on. Hence signifies three minims in a bar; —x~Z three crotchets;... g— three quavers. So again with multiples of 3 for the numerator: ^^f— signifies three crotchets; 3— ^^^ quavers; nine quavers; nine semiquavers; ^ twelve quavers. Other sorts of triple time are used; but if the reader keep in mind that the denominator always expre es the division of the semibreve, and the numerator the number of those divisions in each bar, no mistake can ever arise. There is a certain stre laid on some part or parts of every bar, which is called accent; hence each bar or measure is divided into accented and unaccented parts: the accented are the principal, and those on which the pathos and spirit mainly depend. The beginning and the middle, or the beginning of the first half of the bar and the beginning of the latter half, in common time, and the beginning or first of three notes in triple time, are universally accented parts of the measure; so the first and third crotchet of the bar are on the accented part of the measure in common time. In triple time, where the notes, as we have explained, go by threes, the note in the middle is unaccented, and the first and last accented; the accent, however, on the first is so preponderant, that the last is almost accounted as though it had none. It is on account of accent that it is frequently nece ary to begin a movement with only part of a measure. Thus in the Welsh tune Griffith ap Cwnan, — (As written.) (§)^-c.jr3lJ71^^^ it will immediately be seen that the alteration of the accent entirely changes (As changed In accent.) the character of the air. When the last note of a bar (as in the last bar of the lower example) is connected with the first of the following bar, so as to make only one note of both, it is called syncopation. This is also sometimes used in the middle of a measure; also when a note of one part ends in the middle of a note of the other: the latter, however, is called binding or legature. A rest is a pause or interval inserted when silence is required in the part to which it is written, which silence is to be preserved during the time denoted by the species of rest used. The following are the rests that are used: — #:?! Crotchet. Quaver. Semiquaver. Demisemlquaver. It has been already noticed that in the ascent of a note to an octave, there are between the third and the fourth note, and between the seventh and the octave, semitones instead of whole tones; and this is what is called the diatonic scale. It must therefore be evident, from this inequality, that supposing it were nece ary, for the sake of the voice's compa or any other cause, to commence a piece of music higher or lower than it was originally written, the mere shifting the notes higher or lower on the lines and spaces would not represent the same relative proportions in all the intervals; because the places of the semitones would remain the same en the staff, whilst their position with respect to the notes would be altered. An expedient is therefore wanted by which the places of the notes may be raised or depre ed the value of a semitone. The former, that is raising them, is effected by placing sharps before them, thus jj; and the latter by means of flats, thus b. If we want to restore any note that has been thus treated to its original place, it is effected by means of a natural, thus tj. Two other characters are also used, — the double sharp, th us X) which raises a note two semitones; and the double flat L)b, which equally depre es it. Upon keyed instruments, such as the pianoforte and organ, these sharps and flats are represented by the short black keys, and there is no distinction between Dfl and Eb, and such want of distinction is an imperfection in the instrument; for, as we have before hinted, there is not a strict mathematical equality between the semitones of the diatonic scale. The number of these flats and sharps at the beginning of a staff affect all the notes of the line or space on which they are placed, and are termed the signature. If, in addition to these, in the course of a movement any other occur, they are termed accidental, and only affect the notes which they immediately precede, and those also in the same bar; but if in the same bar any note after having been accidentally raised, on being repeated is preceded by a natural, such natural restores it to its original place. The ornaments of musical melody are called graces; the principal of which are the appoggiatura, the shake, the turn, and the beat; with the mordente, beat, slide, and spring peculiar to the Germans: those of musical harmony are the arpeggio, the tremando, . The appoggiatura, which always occurs on the accented part of the measure, is^ a small note placed before a large one of longer duration, which it usually deprives of half its value; thus. (f>c^iil^°lr-[:'v wherein the small notes are appoggiaturas. Occasionally, the appoggiatura is only one quarter of the note it precedes. The shake is a quick alternate repetition of a note with the note above it, the mark tr being placed on the lower. and the upper one not expre ed; thus ^^ pe,fonned | ^J [TXT f P When there are a series of ascending or descending shakes, the Italians call it una catena di trill i. What the Germans call the pa ing shake is thus marked <::; over the note where it is intended.thus ^ performed r The mordente of the Italian school is used similarly; 3E 4 [s. 804]