Publisher's Synopsis
From the Preface.THE information given in this book should be in the possession of all practical musicians; it is a pre-requisite to higher studies in musical art, and is essential to a just and intelligent rendering of music, be the performer vocalist or instrumentalist. The lack of theoretical knowledge which is exhibited by so many amateur performers in their inability to explain or to write correctly the simplest musical passage is now recognised by the various musical institutions and other examining bodies. Theoretical knowledge forms the chief subject of all preliminary examinations, and is a requirement in most examinations that are ostensibly confined to testing practical skill. To assist persons preparing for these examinations is one of the objects that the author has had in view in writing the following pages, and it is hoped that the questions and exercises which follow the text of the work will be specially useful for that purpose. The present work differs from others of the same class principally in its plan and arrangement. The several topics are in the progressive order that the author considers best adapted to convey an entire knowledge of the subject to an ordinary student. The chief elements and the fundamental structure of notation are dealt with first, the minutiae of ornament, variation, and contraction being reserved for after and separate consideration in chapters specially devoted to them. Prominence is given to all the details of notation as it is written to-day rather than to those ancient methods of writing music which are often referred to in similar works. Such references have more place in a history of music, and are rarely, in the author's experience, a help to those who are endeavouring to master the elements of music. The various details of notation diffused throughout the work, with those which have special mention in the chapter embracing points of writing, will, it is hoped, help those who wish to write accurately and clearly. The chapter on the elements of harmony introduces a subject not generally included in a work of this class. The best teachers of the pianoforte find it advantageous that their pupils should not only possess a thorough knowledge of what is usually comprehended in the term " musical elements," but that they should also have some knowledge of the rudiments of the art that deals with the construction of music. The hope of the author is that the concluding chapter will not only meet the wants of those who seek to acquire a purely rudimentary knowledge of the art, but that it may stimulate some to make a more comprehensive study of the subject of harmony in its entirety.
