Page:Philosophical Review Volume 1.djvu/188

172 resultant pien-Koung of the ancient scale. This equalization of the (mediæval) intervals Yu-pien-Koung and pien-Koung, — Koung has apparently misled our performer into playing the ancient Kio as g instead of using g#, the extra note provided for the purpose, the latter becoming then an alternative pien-Tche. He has endeavored, moreover, to enlarge the (ancient) intervals, K-CH-Ki by depressing e (Koung) to d̄# and f̄ (Chang) to f. The note d then becomes the customary intermediate pien-Koung without alteration. The curious scale of Long-how-sa thus appears as an unskilful use of not altogether perfect devices incorporated on the Gie-erh for the performance of a given key in both the systems of Chinese modulation.

A further inquiry remains to be made regarding the Chinese system of modulation. In European music the keynote is also a Tonic: besides its position of primacy as note of comparison in the determination of keys, the Do or La of the scale is apt to appear in a melody at the first accented beat, and with special frequency thereafter: its upper fifth (or dominant) is apt to be used at points of rest in the music, and the note itself at the close.

To the question whether Chinese music exhibits this characteristic of tonic structure the answer suggested by a first glance at our collection of songs is a negative one. There is no note which is unequivocally defined as the axis of the music