Music is divided into periods and phrases, the same as poetry; it would be trespassing on the limits of our plan to insert examples of but every person, at all conversant in the practice of music, or who has a susceptible ear, cannot but notice, in all ballads, and other lyric com positions, &c. particular dispositions in the musical phrases to assimilate with the lines or words. This is not so much felt in the more laboured compositions, in which we too often find, that affectation of singularity, and a display of science, lead the composer to deviate from the simple dictates of nature ; and to carry his audi ence into those sublimer regions of com position, whither the vulgar are not pre pared to follow him. Bravuras, and other highly wrought compositions, are of this description : in such, the powers of some favourite performer are to be rendered conspicuous, and astonishment, rather than pleasure, is the momentary object. Such, however, essentially serve the cause of the science ; for, without some points of emulation, we should be limit ed to ditties, dirges, and all the tribe of artless strains, which, though very pleasing in themselves, would form but an indifferent school, and by starving ge nius, and banishing taste, would reduce our whole stock of • musical knowledge, and of musical recreation, to very narrow limits indeed.
But, although music may not be con fined within the shackles of lyric inten tion, it, nevertheless, if worthy of the de signation, is, in every part, under the in fluence of general rules, applied, perhaps, with less rigour, and occasionally too much neglected ; but such liberties often produce most powerful effects ; and, by exacting applause from mankind in gene ral, seen) to command that indulgence which theorists would peremptorily ne gative. The great art lays in the adapta tion ! Here we must remark, that several notes of the scale have very peculiar ef fects. The key-note always impresses forcibly, and seems most familiar to the ear : it is also very bold and command ing : the third leaVes an unfinished effect, especially when minor, in which mode it assimilates greatly with the fourth, which is peculiarly querulous : the tone of the sixth is mild; as is that of the second ; both these seem to have no determined ef fect, but, if any thing, Partake of a minor tendency ; that is, they are more plaintive than commanding : the fifth is bold, but inconclusive, though it evidently points to a termination ; hence we find, moat pauses and imperfect cadences settle on this note, which, in many situations, seems absolutely to convey some ques tion. A perfect knowledge of the effect of all the notes in the scale is necessary to the composer, who thereon founds his melodies, and the expressions particular ly applicable either to the incident or to the words. The sudden rise, or fall, of a semitone produces the most extraordi nary effects on many occasions : the for. rner may be rendered extremely pathetic, though in general augmentations in the compass of thirds, fourths, fifths, and sixths, tend rather to roughen than to soften ; while, on the other hand, their diminution, and especially of * seventh, from sharp to fiat, occasions a melancho ly and languid change, often of the key; which, in their passing from a major to a minor mode, is highly impressive.
We trust the reader is now prepared to enter on the discussion of that important part of the science, called harmonic con sonance, or the doctrine of combined sounds. This relates to what is termed harmony, or the performance of music in parts; melody being confined entirely to a succession of single sounds; such as one voice, or the sounds of a flute, or of any other instrument capable of uttering only one note at a time. Hence, when we ad mire an air, and find fault with the accom paniments, as being deficient in modula tion, &c. we say, " the melody is pleas ing; but the harmony is bad." This part of oursubject relates to an immense vari ety, in the selection of which the greatest judgment is necessary ; as will be seen from the following brief hints.
There is to every note a natural accom paniment of a third and fifth, which be ing sounded with it, forms what is called a common chord ; the term chord ap plying to all those combinations of va. rious notes, whether pleasing or other wise, which are intended to sound at the same time. The 18th Example, dis plays the common chord of C, in its three positions; namely, with its fifth, G, uppermost; with its third, E, up permost; and with the key-note, C, up. permost. When the chord is in the first position, it is called erect ; in the second and third instances, it is said to be invert ed ; for then G, from being a fifth above, is a fourth below, and F. becomes a sixth below; which is nothing more than an in verted third. The common chord is the pirent of all consonances ; but by the ad dition of a minor third (B flat) above its fifth, G, it changes its designation ; being called the chord of the seventh, from which all the discords are derived. This chord, with its inversions, may be seen at Example 19. When another minor third (D flat) is added, above the flat seventh, the chord is then called the chord of flat ninth and seventh ; of which the figure and inversions may be seen at Example 20th. But this chord, though often found completely filled in'full pieces, requires, in general, some deductions, such as the omission of the third and fifth : so that the discordant parts may be more fully heard, and more sensibly devolve upon a perfect lutrmohy ; as seen at Example 21st, where the third E, and fifth G, of the chord C, are omitted, while the flat seventh, B flat, and the flat ninth, D flat, each fall a semitone into the perfect chord of F, C itself rises into F, and be comes the key-note of the new chord. This will serve to show how discords are resolved, as it is termed, into con cords.