Musical Myths and Facts, Volume 1 (of 2). Engel Carl
is the music of the people founded? Is it the Diatonic Major Scale (like c, d, e, f, g, a, b, c)? Or the Diatonic Minor Scale (in which the third is flat; like c, d, e flat, f, g, a, b, c)? Or the Pentatonic Scale (in which the fourth and the seventh are omitted, thus c, d, e, g, a, c)? Or some other order of intervals?
"47. Is the seventh used sharp (c-b), or flat (c-b flat)?
"48. Does the superfluous second occur in the scale?
(In the example c, d, e flat, f sharp, g, a flat, b, c,
the steps from the third to the fourth, and from the sixth to the seventh, are superfluous seconds.)
"49. Does the music contain progressions in semitones, or chromatic intervals?
"50. Are there smaller intervals than semitones, such as 1/3 tones, 1/4 tones?
"51. Are there peculiar progressions in certain intervals which are of frequent occurrence in the tunes? If so, what are they?
"52. Do the tunes usually conclude on the tonic (the key-note, or the first interval of the scale), or, if not, on what other interval?
"53. Do the tunes contain modulations from one key into another? If so, describe the usual modulations.
"54. Are there certain rhythmical peculiarities predominant in the music? If so, what are they?
"55. Is the time of the music generally common time, triple time, or irregular?
"56. Are there phrases or passages in the melodies which are of frequent re-occurrence?
"57. Have the airs of the songs re-occurrences of musical phrases which are traceable to the form of the poetry?
"58. Have the people musical compositions which they regard as very old? and do these compositions exhibit the same characteristics which are found in the modern ones?
"59. Are the compositions generally lively or grave?
"60. Describe the form of the various kinds of musical compositions.
"61. Have the people musical bands or orchestras?
"62. Which are the instruments generally used in combination?
"63. Which are the instruments commonly used singly?
"64. What is the number of performers in a properly constituted band?
"65. Is there a leader of the band? How does he direct the performers?
"66. Does the band play in unison or in harmony?
"67. If vocal music is combined with instrumental music performed by the band, is the instrumental accompaniment in unison (or in octaves) with the voice, or has it something of its own?
"68. Is the tempo generally fast or slow?
"69. Are there sudden or gradual changes in the tempo?
"70. Are there changes in the degree of loudness?
"71. Do the musicians, on repeating a piece, introduce alterations, or variations of the theme?
"72. Do they introduce embellishments ad libitum?
"73. Mention the occasions (religious ceremonies, social and public amusements, celebrations, processions, etc.) on which musical performances take place.
"74. Are there military bands? and how are they constituted?
"75. Is music employed to facilitate manual labour?
"76. Are there songs or instrumental compositions appertaining to particular occupations or trades?
"77. Have the people a national hymn or an instrumental composition which they perform in honour of their sovereign or in commemoration of some political event?
"78. Describe minutely the musical performances in religious worship, if there are any.
"79. Have they sacred dances performed in religious ceremonies, at funerals, etc.?
"80. Any war-dances, dances of defiance, etc.?
"81. Any dances in which they imitate the peculiar movements and habits of certain animals?
"82. Are there dances accompanied by musical instruments, by singing, or merely by rhythmical sounds such as clapping of hands, snapping of fingers, reiterated vociferation, etc.?
"83. Give a list of all the dances.
"84. Endeavour to ascertain whether the rhythm of the music accompanying the dance is suggested by the steps of the dancers, or vice versâ.
"85. Do the people easily learn a melody by ear?
"86. Have they a good musical memory?
"87. Are the children taught music? and if so, how is it done?
"88. Are there professional musicians?
"89. Any performers who evince much talent?
"90. Any minstrels, bards, reciters of old ballads?
"91. Any professional improvisators?
"92. Are there professional musicians of different grades?
"93. Who composes the music?
"94. Do the musicians follow other professions besides music?
"95. Are the ministers of religion also musicians and medical men?
"96. Have the people some kind of musical notation?
"97. Have they written signs for raising or lowering the voice in singing, for giving emphasis to certain words or phrases, or for similar purposes? If so, describe the signs.
"98. Do they possess treatises on the history, theory, etc., of music; instruction books for singing, and for playing musical instruments, etc.? If so, give a detailed account of their musical literature.
"99. Have they musical institutions? Give an account of them.
"100. How do the people appreciate their own music?
"101. What impression does the music of foreign nations produce upon them?
"102. Are there popular traditions respecting the origin of music?
"103. Any myths about a musical deity, or some superhuman musician?
"104. Any legends or fairy-tales in which allusion to music is made? If so, what are they?
"105. Any tradition about the invention of certain favourite musical instruments?
"106. Any tradition or historical record respecting the antiquity of stringed instruments played with a bow?
"107. Any records respecting their sacred music?
"108. Is music believed to possess the power of curing certain illnesses?
"109. The power of enticing and taming wild animals?
"110. Are there popular tunes, or certain rhythmical figures in the tunes, which, according to tradition, have been suggested by the songs of birds?
"111. If there is anything noteworthy about music which has not been alluded to in the preceding questions, notice it."
COLLECTIONS OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
In Thibet, and other Asiatic countries in which the Buddhist religion is established, variously-constructed musical instruments are generally deposited in a certain part of the temple, to be at hand for the priests when required in ceremonies and processions. In examining the Assyrian bas-reliefs in the British Museum, we are led to surmise that a similar custom prevailed in Western Asia before the Christian era. At any rate, it appears probable that the various instruments represented in the hands of musicians who assisted in religious rites observed