BCCPAM000M29-5-25000000000000

CHINESE MUSIC. 13 OF THE PITCH. What was the real pitch of the first hucing-chiing tube ? The size, capacity, and material of the tubes have often been changed dming the , "Uccessive dynasties that it bas become almost impossible to form any acceptable conclu ·ion on this subject. Pere A.i)noT, who died more than a c'entury ago, gives F as the equivalent of huang– . chiing; but he says 'himself in his works that he adopted this key because the strains of h is harmonium impressed bis Chinese hearers much more when he was playing i11 the key of F than when he played in any other key. The present pitch approaches our D (6or½ vibrations per second) as nearly as possible. The principal fixed instruments, as the yun-lo, the sheng, the flute, all give the D as tonic. But, with the view of pointing out in the clearest manner the similarity or contrast of Chinese mm;ic to our Western music, I have thouo-ht it convenient to o-ive our C as the equi valent. b o •of lman,q-chiing, and to have our natmal scale of: C in apposition to the Cbinese natmal scale.