First Steps to Thorough Bass, in Twelve Familiar Lessons Between a Teacher ...
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Kt {(o-^^s^ U^iiVLx:iTY| LM:r<AkY nAH 2 1955 J Bfr. Jambs Loeiho, I know of no book in which the elementary principlei of thorough base are made so plain and perspicuoui as in the " Fibit Btbps, fcc.*' published by you. Although originally designed for children, it ii worthy of the attention of musical students generally} and it is decidedly the best work to put into the hands of any person conmiencingtho study of musical sdeBOO with which I am acquainted. L. MASON. SmCoh, i>e6. 18, 1839. Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1839| Br JAMBS LORINO, in the Clork*s Oifice of the District Court of Massachusetts. PREFACE. To |riye a papil of ten yean old any correct ideas of the abstruse science of Thorough Base, is an attempt so novel, that to many it may appear at least useless; and its execution absolutely impossible. But to these and many other objections, which I anticipate as bein^ made to the plan of the following pages, I can only say, that I hare already proved its efficacy by positive experience. The first six of the following Lessons are exactly the same in substance, and nearly the same in language, as' some I have held with two young persons. The last six may, perhaps, require the understanding to be rather more advanced, though I am willing to hope that>they will not be found difficult to be understood at almost any age, by a child in any degree capable of reflection. The progress made by those who have already learned thorough base in this manner has been so rapid (I had almost said astonishing,) that I have been urged to communicate my method of teaching it to the public, by many good judges who have witnessed its effects with surprise ; and though 1 acknowledge this to be an assertion as generally intro- duced into prefaces a^the names of the publishers are inserted in title-pages, it happens, in this instance, to be iv PREFACE. literally trne. The award of the public will alone prove, whether the opinions of these friends were correct ; and on that award most depend the future publication of a continuation on the same plan. It will immediately be obvious to all who read the fol- lowing pages, that in them my sole object has been to make my language as plain, as simple, and as intelligible as possible. I have carefully avoided all technical phrase- ology ; and I have even, in many instances, indulged in tautology and recapitulations which may prove tedious to many. But it must bb remembered that I have not written this to please the class of well informed readers. My only wish is to inform those who are supposed to be entirely ignorant of the subject ; and if I succeed in my endeavors in smoothing its intricacies to one juvenile student, I shall fbet sinc^rer pleasure than I could experience in extorting praise from the sternest critic. This little work is not only singular in being addressed to children, but it also differs from all other publications on the subject of thorough base which I have happened to meet with, as it professes to show, from the very begin- ning, that the science of music owes its chief difficulty to the variety, and sometimes uninteliigibility, of the terms in which it is expressed ; and It is in the instance of chords-^ many different appellations are given to one and the same combination of notes, which very combination, on being analyzed (or as it might be termed dissected^) would appear a natural and familiar harmony. Indeed, so convinced am I of the simplicity to which it is possible to , reduce the theory of this science, that i venture to assert, if its professors would agree amongst themselves to be content to appropriate one single name to each individual thing of which they treat, its principles would not only be mote generally nnderstood, but its practice, by which I PREFACE. V mean chiefly the art of composition, would be rety esien* tially improved. My object has been to exemplify in generals the princi- ples on which the rules of thorough base are formed, without reference to any particular instrument for their application ; so that a child with a pencil and ruler can put the theory of all the rules I have laid down to imme- diate proof. Their subsequent i^rac^ice is, however, abso- lutely necessary, not only for the purpose of giving a readiness and facility in playing chords, but, likewise, that the ear may be early educated to harmony, and both the taste and judgment thereby improved : for this pur- pose, I strongly recommend Corfe's work, as the best. practical exercise for the manual part of thorough base. In some few instances I have referred to the piano forte, as to an instrument in general use, and have represented the pupil as occasionally filling up some exemplifications of the rules under immediate consideration. Blank copies of these examples I recommend should be given to those who are to be taught according to this plan, to be filled up by the learners themselves, in the same way that it is advisable for every pupil to give their oton answers to the little catechisms which conclude each lesson. A little attention to these remarks, and above all, not permitting tlie pupil to proceed to any new lesson till he is quite perfect in the last, are all that is required in the teacher, and is, I flatter myself, not too much to ask from liberal and candid judges. With these conditions I entertain little doubt of these lessons being found generally useful. It now only remains for me to say a' few words on the rules which I have laid down as first principles. In almost every instance, I have taken for pay authority, in them, some writer of acknowledged reputation. Rameau, Rousseau, Alembert, Fasquali, Callcott, Corfe, and Dr. 1* VI PREFACE. Btuiby, have been thoie whom I have generally followed| thongh I have not always given the names of the particu- lar authors from whom 1 have taken my quotations, in order equally to avoid an air of pedantry in myself, and a possibility of confusion to the scholar. In the elements of all sciences it is, perhaps, of as much consequence to avoid mistake as to give knowledge ; as it is more difficult to clear the mind from the wrong deduc- tions arising from one false idea than to engraft on it many new ones. I therefore hope the learned in the science of thorough base will give this little book the benefit of their criticisms, not so much for the sake of its author as for the benefit of those young friends for whose advantage it is particularly intended. M. P. THE PUBLISHER OF THIS WORK HAS ALSO PRIRTXD A TREATISE ON HARMONY. By Catsl. With Additional Notes and Explanations, by L. MAtoir. A MUSICAL GRAMMAR, in foor parts. By Da. Caloott. THUROUGU.BASE PRiMER. By J. F. Bnaaowas. THE MUSICAL CYCLOPEDIA. By William S. Pobtxb. Bo- commended by Profeaaors Mason and Webb. AN EASY GUIDE TO VOCAL MUSIC, chiefly with aTiewto Ffalmody. By JoHir TuEHxa, £•«. FIRST STEPS TO THOROUGH BASE LESSON I. EXPLANATION O^ THOROUGH BASE* Pupil, What is thoroogh base t Teacher. It is the science of music. It con- tains the rules for composition, and shows how harmony and melody are produced. Pupil What do you mean, by harmony and melody ? I thought they were the same. Teacher. Harmony is a combination or union of several sounds, agreeable to the ear; as a word is a combination of letters, which, though perhaps not each jdistinguishable separately, make altogether one complete, distinct eound; and 8 FIRST STEPS Melody i§ a succession of difierent sounds, mak- ing a continued tune, or theme, in the same way as many different words form a complete sentence* Pupil. Then, I suppose, learning thorough base in music is something like learning to spell in a language. Teacher. Yes. But it is also like learning the grammar of a language, because it teaches the proper order in which all the parts ought to follow each other ; besides, thorough base is, as it were, an abridgment of music ; for instead of the notes being all written down separately, those in the base only are written, and the accompanying notes in the treble are expressed by figures placed over the base. Pupil. And would it not be just as easy to write down a note as a 'figure 7 Teacher. Not quite so easy ; for sometimes a single figure denotes a whole chord. Pupil. What is a .chord % Teacher. A chord is two or more notes played together. Of course, every note in the gamut may be played wfth many other different notes, and so may make many different harmonies. But I have not time to tell you more of thorough' base. to-day : for the next lesson, I will teach you some of the chords ; that is to say^ if you understand and remember all I have told you already. Pupil. O, yes, I remember it all I Teacher, Then tell me what is thorough base 1 Afus. The science of music. — Ques, What is harmony ? Ans. The union of several sounds. — Ques. What is melody ? Ans. A succession of sounds^ — Quts^ How is thorough base written t An$.' Iq figures.*— Ques. What is a ohord t Am$. • TO THOROUGH BASE. 9 Two or more notes played together, and their sound is harmony. [These questions and answers are merely put down to show the manner of teaching by recapitu- lation ; but it is recommended that the pupil should give the answers from his own unaided recollections.] LESSON II. THE COMMON CHORD, t Pupil. Will you tell me more about chords ? Teacher, You must first understand that, in ' thorough base, the relations of notes to each other depend on the distances at which they stand from each other. in the scale. Now if I write the notes of the scale and number them, you will find C is the third above A, and E the fifth above A, and so on. Pupil. But, if I played E an octave higher than in the above example, it would be a great many more than five notes above A. 10 FIRST STEPS Teacher. Yes. But in thorough' base you are only to consider the notes as they relate to one octave. So if you play any A you please in the base, all the E*s in the piano forte are considered as its fifths/ Do you understand that ? Pupil, I know you say that it is so ; but I do not know why it is so. Will you tell me 1 Teacher, The reason is simply this. Because the octave of every note is nothing but the repeti- tion of the note itself in a different pitch ; or rather because the same sounds recur at the dis- tance of a certain number of intervals, in the same way as the days of the week come in regular rota- tion. Pupil, Oh ! yes ! I know what you mean. Sunday comes again on the eighth day ; and A comes again on the eighth note. Teacher. And, therefore, it is called its octave ; for octavus in Latin means the eighth. Now to prove the identity of sound, you may play on the piano forte two C's, for instance ; and if it is in tune, they will make but on^ clear, steady sound ; but if you play D and C together, the sound will jar, and produce what is called discord.* Pupil. I remember when you tuned your harp last night, you made the £ flat on the harp, sound just the same as the £ flat I struck on the piano forte. Teacher. Now, then, you comprehend why the distances of notes are reckoned only according to their relative situations in an octave ; and not with reference to the extent, or compass, of any particular instrument. Pupil. Yes ; and I will always remember that E is the fifth to A.. TO THOROUGH BASE* . H Teacher: It is always the fifth above A. But you need not give yourself much trouble in remem' bering the distances of notes, as you can always count them on your fingers ; and you know you are very fond of pretending to play on the table when you cannot open the piano forte. Only recollect whilst you are drumming your fingers dn the table, that in thonMigh base ^th the first and the last notes are to be reckoned. Pupil. Oh I now I think I know the mean- ing of writing thorough base in figures instead of notes. If I was to write A in the base and put a 5 to it, it would be just the same as writing £ to it ; would it not ? Teacher, Yes, exactly. Pupil. And has every note a chord belonging to it? Teacher. Every note has many chorda bekmg^ ing to it. Pupil. And how are all the chords made ? Teacher. That is a comprehensive question ; for each separate chord is made in a different manner. In one respect only all chords are alike ; and that is, they have all some one root note, or fundamental base. Pupil. What is fundamental base ? Teacher. The term fundamental base may be applied either to that succession of base notes which serves for a foundation tp a whole melody, or to tne particular note in a chord from which the relationa of the remaining notes are taken. Pupil And does " root note" and " funda- mental base" mean the same thing ? 12 FIRST STEPS Teacher. Yes — a root note to a chord is its fundamental base : this root note is sometimes transferred from the base to the treble Pupil. Then how can it be called the funda* mental base ? Teacher. Because it is still the foundation of the harmony. Sometimes it is played both in the base and in the treble ; but it is always to be found somewhere in every chord, and is the ground work of the whole ; just the same as in the picture books of "Little Henry," and " Little Fanny," it is always the same little child at the bottom, though its dress and accompaniments change very often. Pupil. And sometimes they alter so, one would scarcely know them to be the same. Teacher. Well : the first " dress" of the root note is its common chord, or the chord of three, five, eight, written this way 5 ; and that means, 8 that when the third, the fifth, and the eighth (or octave,) of a base note are played together, they form the common chord of that root note. Now suppose I played C in the base, what would be its common chord ? — You can tell me by counting the notes on your fingers. Pupil. C, one ; D, two ; E, three ; F, four ; G, Five ; A, six ; B, seven ; C, eight. Teacher. You need not count beyond the fiflh ; for you know the octave is always the same as the root note : so then £, G, and C, make the common chord of C, thus : TO THOROUGH BASE. 13 '1^- -r 8 ^ Now give me some examples of common chords to these notes. These examples are to be repeated on all the different notes till the pupil can readily find, and name the proper thirds, fifths, &c. by counting them on its fingers. The correct chords are sul^ joined to prevent any mistakes. ?53=Ei£3[ES:*?Ei 358 358 358 Ttachir, Now, before we close this lesson, let me prove, whether you remember it — How are notes reckoned? Ans. By their distances from each other in an octave. — Quts, In counting these distances, a^e both the first and last notes counted? Ans. Yes.— Qtics. What is the root note, or fundamental base of a chord ? Am. The particular note which is the foundation of a chord, or from which all the other sounds of a chord pro- 2 14 FIRST STEPS ceed. — Ques, Is it always played in the base ? An$. No : it is sometimes played in the base, sometimes in the treble, and sometimes, in both. — Ques. Must it be found somewhere in every Chord ? Ans. Yes.* — Ques. What is a common chord ? Ans* The third, fifth, and eighth of a root note. LESSON III. THE POSITIONS OF CHORDS. Teacher, Now, do you perfectly understand what a common chord is ? Pupil. Yes. ^ It is the third, fifth, and eighth of a base note played along with it. Teacher. Just so. And because those are COMMON chords^ it is -not necessary to write their figures over their base notes, though all other chords have their figures marked. Now if you saw a note in thorough base written plain, 'without any figure to it, what chord would you play to it 1 Pupil. Its common chord. ♦ In some cbordf, as for instance, that of the 3 tiie<* proper root of the harmony is not pleasing to the ear, and is, therefore, usually omitted." (Vide Calcott's Musical Grammar.) As it is, however, my wish at present being only to make the pupil thoroughly under- stand the first principles and general rules of thorough base, I avoid mentioning the exceptions to them, for the sake of being more dis- tinctly understood, and correctly remembered. The exceptions, liowever, to this rule are very few, and only found in discords, wber^ «the leading note is sufficiently powerful to ^ide the ear to its Pfoperiw^.'^ (Calcott,) TO THCmOUGH BASE. IS Teacher. Very well. Now then, you iriust QflderstaDd next, that every chord may be played in as many different positions as it has notes. Bring me that box of wafers, apd choose for me out of it three of different colors. PupiL There is a black, and a white, and a green. Teacher. Now put them one over the other, and tell me which color you choose for the top. Pupil. I have put the green uppernoost, and the black next, and the white the lowest. Teacher. Then we will call that the first position. Now pull the white from under the other two, and put it to the top ; that will make another position. Pupil. So it does : and, I suppose, I am now to take the black out, and put 2^ to the top to make the third position. Am I right t Teacher, Quite right. Now you understand from the changes in the position of these wafers how the changes in the position of chords are made. Tell me what is the position of the com- ipon chord which you learned yesterday ? Pupil. Three, five, eight ; written so f. 8 Teacher. Now change the figures as you did the wafer, and lell me what is the second position t Pupil, I five, eight, three, I suppose. Teacher. Exactly. Andtheihird? Pupil. I eight, three, five. 8 Teacher. Now write down the common chord of C in all its different positions, in notes. Pupil (Writes.) 16 FIRST STEPS Ist ., 8d. 3d. 'O' 6 5 S ^ -©-583^ -e-8 3 5 Teacher, Do you think you conid, in the same way, write the common chords of F, or B, &c. in their different positions ? Pupil (Writes a variety of common chords.) Teacher. You perceive that in all those differ- ent positions the treble alone changes in each chord ; but the base remains the same. Pupil Yes ; because it is the root note. Teacher. And you perceive by your ear, when I play these chords on the piano forte, that in all the different positions of each chord, the harmony 18 the same. Can you find out the reason ? Pupil I will try. You told me harmony was " the union of several sounds :" and you told me that the same notes played in different places on the piano forte, always sounded alike ; so that, I suppose, I think — Teacher. And, I suppose, I think you have stated the premises very well ; but you want me 10 draw the conclusion ; and that is, if the sound of each note is not altered by the place in which it is played being changed, so the harmony, or union of those sounds, will not be changed by the positions, or places of the notes which compose it being varied. Pupil That is just what I thought, only I could not say it. Teacher. Then I fear, your thoughts were not clearly arranged ; for we can always sat/ distinctly TO THOROUGH BASE. 17 what we think correctly. Bat to retarn : I have remarked to you that in changing the positions of chords, it is the treble only thai varies. However, very often the base changes from the root note- to some other one contained in the chord, while the treble remains the same : that is called the ** in- version of a chord." Pupil. Stop ! let me tell now. The harmony will remain just the same, even though the base does change ; because it is all the same notes only played in different places. Now, did I not think that correctly 1 Teacher, You did indeed ; and I would rather hear one of your own correct thoughts thao all the thoughts of other people your mind could be filled with. In our next lesson I will tell you more about inversions of chords. Pupil, O, I aip sorry this lesson is over I Teacher, Then you shall prolong it a few minutes, by telling me what is the only chord which requires no figures to express it? Ans, The common chord. — Ques, How many different positions has every chord ? Ans^ As many posi- tions as notes. — Ques. What is the first position of a common chord? Ans, Three, five, eight. — Ques. What is the second? Ans, Five, eight, three. — Ques. What is the third? Ans. Eight, three, five. — Ques» What is an inversion of a chord ? Ans. When the base note changes from the root note to some other note of the chord. — Ques. What is the difference between the ** posi- tions" and 'inversions" of a chord? Ans. In the positions, the treble changes, and the base remains the same; and in inversions, the base changes, and the treble remains the same. 2» IS FIKST STEPS LESSON IV. INVERSIONS OF CHORDS. PupiL I have a thought of my oum io tell you ! Teacher, And what is it ? PupiL Why, in my dictionary, I learned to-day that " inversion" means '• change of place ;" and so I thought directly that the inversion of a chord means changing the place of its notes. Teacher, You are a good scholar, for you give your thoughts to what you are about, and that enables you to understand and apply what you learii. ^ Pupil. Then my thought is correct f Teacher. Quite. And as a chord by changing its treble has as many different positions as it has notes, so, of course, it can have as many alterations in the base. Pupil, Then the common chord, for instance, bis three inversions t Teacher, Yes ; including its first situation when the root note is played by the base, which is called making it a direct chord ; indeed it is only called a common chord when it is so played ; be- sides this, it has two inversions called by their figures, and thus the chord of three, five, eight, gives three different bases, as well as three differ- ent trebles. t6 thorough base. 19 Jf^fpt7. But, you say they are not all called common chords ? Teacher, No. Though the sounds and the notes are the same, yet, for sake of distinction, it is only called the common chord when it is direct^ or, in other words, when the root note is the lowest. When the base changes to the third, which is the first intersidn of the common chord, it is called the chord of the sixth, and has a 6 over the base note. Now to make this inversion of the common chord to F^ what would you do ? Pupil. . I would first find out its common chord* (Counts on her fingers.) F, one ; G, two; A, three (then A is the third ;) B, four ; C, five : C is the fifth, and F must be the octave ; so I play A, C, F, in the treble. Teacher. And what do you do in the base t Pupil I move it up to the third, and that is A, and put a 6 under, or over it. Teacher. Now I will put that in notes for you* So you see if the chord A, C, F, was written in the treble to F in the base, it would be its common chord direct ; but if it was written to A in the base, it, would be the chord of the sixth ; and in 90 FIR3T STEPS Ord^ to mark this distinction, the figure 6 is written under the base note. Pupil. O yes, I understand ; for if there was no figure under the base, people would think that they ought to play a common chord to A as well as to F. Teacher, Well ; now then suppose you saw a note in the base with a 6 under it, how wouM you find out what notes ought to be played with it 1 Pupil, I don't quite know. Teacher, Why, you remember it is derived, or as you would say, *' came from'' a. common chord, and you have nothing to do but to send it back to where it came from. Bring me a pincush- ion : here is a pin, and a needle. Now I will make the pin move up to where the needle stands- — so. — Well, now . then I move it back to the hole it \yAs in before. Could you do that ? Pupil, To be sure — any body could do that. . Teeicher. Then it is just as easy to move back the note in the base as to move back the pin to where it was before. You said yourself, a minute ago, that to make the chord of the sixth, you would '* move up the base to the third, and put a 6 under it.'' Now when you see a base note with a 6 under it, you know it has already been moved up to the third, and, therefore, you have nothing to do but to move it back again, or, what is the same thing, reckon it back again, which would be to the third below, of course. Pupil, O then, the chord of the sixth is always a common chord of the third below the base, for that is the note the base came from. Teacher, Precisely. Write down for me in notes the chord of the sixth to B. TO THOROUGH BASE. 31 Pupil: Let me see. I moBt count backiiriirds from B ; B, A, G ;. G is the third below B. Now I must make the common chord ofG, and that 19 three, five, eight ; G, one ; A, two ; B is the third; well, then, C, four ; and D, the^M ; that is, B, D, and G, of course. So then this is it. .1— 5._a_a_ aoEfez 6 Teacher, Do you think you understand this sufficiently to go on to the next inversion ? Pupil. Yes ; only I want to know why this chord is called the chord of the sixth, when I am to find it out by counting three and not sixT Teacher, Because the fundamental base is six notes higher than the actual base. You remember that I told you the ** fundamental base'' of a chord is the original root from which all the other notes in the harmony are derived ; for instance, the chord of the sixth is derived from the common chord, therefore the root note of that coinmon chord is the fundamental base to the chord of the sixthf^and the other derivatives of the common chord. Pupil, Then is G the fundamental base to the chord I have written ? Teacher. Yes. And if you count up fi^om your 9* FIRST STEPS actual ba86 B, jon will find G is six notes above it ; and that is why that chord is called the chord of the sixth. Pupil Jast so. And then, I suppose, it would be just the same if I counted six above the base as if I counted three below it ; for that would give me the common chord just as well. Teacher. Certainly. But it would also give you double trouble ; and, besides, make 9 confusion with your next chord, which is the second inversion of the common chord. Pupil. And what is that chord called t Teacher. The chord of the fourth and sixth. It is made by moving the base up to the fifth of the harmony, in the same way as the chord of the sixth is made by moving it up to the third. Pupil. Am I then to count back five in the same way as I counted back three to find the treble notes ? Teacher. Yes. PupiL Then the chord of the fourth and sixth to any note is the common chord belonging to the fifth note below the base ? Teacher. Just so. Now I will write down for you all the chords that you have learned to any note you please : what note shall it be ? Pupil. E, for that begins my sister's name. Teacher. Then it shall be E. Here is its direct common chord in all its different positions. Its notes are, as you know, G, B, and E. TO THOROUGH BASE. «8d7 98 Here is the chord of the sixth in all its different positions. It must be the common chord of C ; that is, E, G, and C. :S=:=t=:: 1 6 6 8d. 6 S: m m Here is the chord of the sixth-fourth in all its dif- ferent positions. It must be the common chord of A ; that is C, E, A. i3ii=i E5===5 9g£ i- 4= M ratST STEPS By this yoa see, though E is the actual base to all these chords, it is the fundamental base, or root note only to its own common chord ; for G is the fundamental base to the chord of the sixth, and A is the fundamental base to the chord of the fourth and sixth. Now, you shall write down these chords, making £ the fundamental base to all. Pupil. Then the fundamental base must be different from the actual base ? Teacher. Of course ; for you know it is the change in the base which makes those chords that are the inversions of the common chord. Pupil. Oh ! now I understand. First, there is the common chord to £, written so : iZL mm^ Then, in the chord of the sixth I must move t|p the base to the third with the same treble. :t=:: BjEE^EE^Ei ^ TO TKOHOUGH BASE. 95 And in the cbprd of the sixth-fourth, I roust move the base qp to the fiilh with the same treble. — f *-2 ft i Teacher. You have written this so well, I need hardly ask if you understand it ? However, tell roe how many inversions has every chord ? Ans. As many as it has notes, including that situation which is called direct. — Ques^ What is a direct chord? Ans, When the root note is played in the base. — Ques. What is the first inversion of the common chord called ? Am, The chord of the sixth. — Ques. How is it made? Ans» By moving the base up to the third of the root note. — Ques, How do you find out what chord you ought to play to a note that has a figure of 6 Over it? Ans. By counting three notes back, and then it is the common chord to that third below. — Ques. What is the second inversion of the common chord? Ans. The chord of the fourth and sfixlh. — Ques. How is it made? Ans. By moving the base up to tiie fifth of the root note. — Ques. How do you find out the chord you ought to play to a note that has a 4 and 6 over it ? Ans, By counting 26 FIRST STEPS five notes back, and then it is the common chord to that fifth below. — Ques. May all the chords in the treble be taken in all their different positions? Ans, Yes.* LESSON V. THE HARMONIC TRIAD. Teacher, Can you repeat to me all that you have learned about common chords ? Pupil. I think I can. First I learnt that the common chord to every note means its third, fiflh, and eighth ; and that those notes may be played in three different positions ; and then I learnt — Teacher, Stop a moment. Let us now finish all that need be said at present on the common chord. It is called the Harmonic triad ; do you know why ? Pupil, No ; I hardly know what that means. Teacher, It means an harmonious union of three sounds, and is so distinguished because those three sounds, viz. a third, a fifth, and an octave, form altogether the most perfect harmony that can be found in music ;t it is also called the funda- mental concord. Pupil. What gives it that name t Teacher, Because ail other concords are de^ * This is only giTea as a general nde.— See LeMOO V. t 8eeLeMonXI.fort]Mreaionorttilifkct. TO THQEOUaH BASE. SW rired from this one ; so much for its different ap- pellations. Now for its uses. Every melody must be concluded by the direct common chord of what- ever note is its key note ; and that direct chord is generally taken in the first position. You must also remember that two oomaM)n,or perfect chords, seldom follow each other without another chord coming in between. Pupil And why not ? Teacher. Because to produce a succession of perfect chords, sharps or flats must be introduced, which wcHild occasion a change of key at almost every note ; but this you will better understand ijphen I come to explain to you more fully what perfect chords are. At present we will confine ourselves to the harmonic triad. Pupil And have I any mwe to Jearn about it 1 Teacher. Yes ; the different methods of figur- ing it. Pupil. I know that it is sometimes written so, 6> and that a note without a figure at all means a common chord. Are there any more ways ? Teacher. Yes. Any of the figures 3, 5, or 8, put singly, express a common chord. Now if there is a dash through any figure, thus, 0, or thus, ; it means that the note which that figure designates should be played sharp* ; but if there is a sharp, or flat, or natural, thus, *, 5, ^^ put di- rectly over or under a note that has no figure at all to it, it means that it should be accompanied by the common chord with its third, *, 5, or ^, according to the mark. In other words, any sign to which • *» A dash across a figure usually denotes a diminished interval. But If drawn nearly across the head of the figure, it is often used to denote a superfluous or sharped intenral,»» CatePs Harmony, p. 153. ae FIRST STEPS there is no figure annexed, is considered as belong- ing to the third in the cotniiion chord of the note to which the sign belongs. Pupil. And if a line through a figure makes the note sh^rp, what sign makes it natural again 1 Teacher, The same signs are used for the fiats and the naturals in writing thorough base as in writing common music ,* it is only the sharps that have a peculiar sign in thorough base. Pupil, And is there the same rule in both, that a note that has once been made sharp, flat, or natural, continues so to the end of the measure ? Teacher. Generally the note in the treble is considered the same through a whole measure, unless a new sign succeeds ; but for greats preci- sion, when the chord changes, the signs are again- specified to each base note. As for instance : if 6 in the base was marked with a flat, you would play a flat third to it; that would be B flat, and, therefore, you would mark the note B in the treble flat. Then if the next base note was E, to which B flat was also to be played in the treble, you would write a figure of 5, and the flat sign over it in the base (because B is its fifth ;) but you need not repeat the flat sign in the treble, thus : TO THOROUGH BASE. 99 Pupil. Oh I I understand why; because it is all th^ same note in the treble, but it is not the same note in the base. Teacher. Or to speak more correctly, it is not the same interval, or distance from the base note. Pupil. You told me in Lesson II, that the root^ note is '' sometimes transferred from the base to the treble, and sometimes played in both ;" I do not quite understand that. Teacher: Then I fear you have not considered it. Jn the common chord direct of C, for instance, what notes do you play to C in the treble ? Pupil E, G, and C. Teacher, Then you play two C's ; one in the baseband one in the treble; so in that case the root note is played in both. But when you make the first inversion of that chord, what do you do t Pupil. 1 move the base up to E, and play the same notes in the treble. Teacher. Therefore, as you do play C still in ' the treble, and do not play it in the base, the root note is transferred from the base to the treble. Now what is this first inversion called ? Pupil The chord of the sixth. Teacher. And of this chord of the sixth, one of the chief rules you have to remember is, that the octave of the base note is seldom or ever play- ed, and must never be made the upper note of the chord.* * Pasquali says, the hlgbest note of the chMd of the sixtbmust not be the octave of the baae " but when it^s used as a stepping chord." This exception, however, only relates to that part of mpdulatiOn which includes the rules for preparation, percussion, tmd resolution ; and, therefore, belongs to a more advaikced stage of the learner's ' progress. 3» 30 FIRST STEPS Pupil Then when the octave is entirely left out, the treble onli/ has the root note. I under- stand that all now. Teacher, Yes. And thus the chord of the sixth has generally one note less than the other inversion of the common chord. Pupil Then I think it has only two positions? Teacher, Very true, fiut if four notes are necessary, as, for instance, in singing, then the third, or the sixth, may be doubled instead of the octave. Now write for me chords of the sixth to these notes according to this rule. Pupil (Writes.) May the octave of the base be doubled in the next inversion ? Teacher, Yes. There is no necessity in the chord of the fourth and sixth to pay any attention to the omission or doubling of any particular note ; but it is well to recollect, that in all chords it is advisable not to make the octave of the actual base the upper note of the chord, except in the conclusion of a melody, when a direct chord is required, or when some other positive rule de- mands a sacrifice of this, which is merely a matter of taste. TO THOROUGH BASE. 91 Pupil y Have the inversions of the common chord as many different names as the common chord itself has ? Teacher. No ; but they may be figured many different ways ; for the chord of the sixth is some- times written with a 6 alone, or with a three and six ; thds, J ; or thus, I, with an 8 added. And 3 the chord of the fourth and sixth is sometimes figured S- Now tell me what othec names may be given to the chord of three, five, eight, besides that of a common chord ? Ans. It is called the harmonic triad and the fundamental concord. — Ques, How must every melody conclude ? Ans, In the direct common chord of its key note. — Ques, What two chords rarely follow each other. Ans. Two common perfect chords rarely follow each other without another chord coming in between them. 