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CHINESE MUSIC. 23 OF THE CHROMATIC SCALE. The Chinese have a scale composed of 12 semitones (that of the 12 lii,s), which may be called the chromatic scale. This scale is used to transpose their diatonic gamut in any of the 12 keys, but never to play chromatic runs on the instrnments, nor to write music proceeding with half tones. Each degree is named from the lu producing its sound, but in its name _only the first syllable is used. For instance, C (the first degree) is called huang, for huang-chung, and so on. The 12 lus, originally producers of those sounds, are nowadays unknown. Nevertheless, certain instruments created on the principle of the liis, as the pien-ch'ing, the pien-chiing, etc., are still in use, and are the guardians of the r 2 semitones. The transposition of the diatonic scale from one tone to another is very cmious, and is worthy of the Chinese. The scientific Chinese have a circular diagrnm (see page 9) on which the names of the l·us are written in order, with the names of the hours, moons, etc., to which they correspond. Supposing it is required to form a gamut of which jui -1Yin shall be the base: knowing the name of the tonic or key-note (~ 3.t, which corresponds to the 5th moon), the Chinese musician will pass from it to the note six moons forward (thu , j\: (hiiang), corresponding to the r rth moon) ·; from this he will retroo-rade to the note four moons ba(;k (~ (i), . u correspondrng to the 7th moon); then he will o-o to the sound six moons forwar<l (:k (t'ai), corresponding to the 1st moon); then four m~ons back again (~ (wu), 9th moon). He will thus create a scale of five sounds,~' ~. ~. JI{, :k, to which he will give the name~ kung, -~hang, chicw, etc. If we put this pentatonic gamut in apposition to the corresponding Western notes, we– shall have- ii <> a #o #e #t> ~ ~ ~ ]{ * or g ~ 14 ~ ~ and it will be readily perceived that the c and D are nearly half a tone too fiat; but to the Chinese this is no objection, their aim beino· to prove the irrefutable connexion of thefr music with astronomy and Natlll'e. 0 Besides, when playing or singing the Chinese succeed perfectly in flattening or sharpening certain notes. The players on the ch'in are especially ond of producing such effects. In . ordinary popula.i; music the existence of something resembling a chromatic scale is not even suspected.