Books › The violin, how to make it, 1880 › scan 18
Scan 18
The violin, how to make it, 1880
6 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 12. See the scan on archive.org.
1comparison, D and Orange are each 89; E and Yellow, 80; F and Green, 75; G and the average of the Blues, 67; A and Violet, 6c; B and Ultra-Violet, 53; C and the obscure rays (Black), 54. • Further, the comparison of harmonies comes out in an interesting manner. Low C and upper C sound well together, so Red and Black go well together. Red and Green, and C and F harmonize well; but Red and Orange no lady would wear, and C and D make a combination by no means pleasant. Red and Blue, or C and G, also go well together.
3Sounds which harmonize to the ear produce regular acoustic figures to the eye; as, for example, segments of the circle, ellipses, ovals, circles, or straight lines; but if the sounds do not harmonize, the figures are confused, unsteady, and complicated, presenting an appearance as if the wave-lines were contending with each other. Again, mathematically speaking, the relations of musical notes are, that regular simple forms being produced by combinations of these notes which result from vibrations bearing a different ratio to each other, while irregular and unsteady figures are caused by notes which have no such ratios. The primary colors are Red, Yellow, and Blue, corresponding to the primary sounds C, E, G. Every two produce a color, and the three produce white, making Seven as in the diatonic scale; and as white light may be decomposed into three colors, so every sound is a component of three tones.
5There are deep, then, within the affinities of Nature, singular and mysterious alliances between color and sound: for there are Seven pure tones in the diatonic scale, because the harmonic octave is on the margin, or border, or rhythmic point of the first and seventh, like the chemical dark rays on the margin of the solar spectrum. Red is the deep bass or slowest vibration of ether, whilst violet or purple is the high treble vibration like the upper C in music. During spring-time, as photographers well know, we have this ray most in abundance, and under this ray both animal and vegetable life manifest an inordinate development. Musical tones even have a wonderful effect upon the growth of vegetation. It may be herein observed, that to the real and profound student of Nature the allegory of the seven-rayed rainbow to Noah has a rather deeper meaning than that so
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