This Marginal Figure, shews to the Eye the distance of the Seven Notes one from another, the Letters Guiding or Directing to the Particulars, whereas you perceive B, Ce, and Lâ, Fa, lying near unto the rest, so must their Sounds be nearer when you come to Tune your Voice in harmony, &c. and the better to express with your Voice, and so observe the difference between half and whole distances of Notes; Sing often over these six Mona-Syllables, viz. One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, distinctly, as is to be observed in the Tune of Six Bells; and when you have done it many times, Sing only One, Two, Three, Four, and there stop, repeating three four by them selves for they are Semitones distant in Sound, and the rest are alone, or a whole Note distant each from the next; so that by a little Judicial Observation you will perceive the three and four Bells to be a lesser distant in Sound, than the other.
The Figures or Number 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, in the foregoing Marginal Figures, shew the several distances to the Eye of the Six Notes where Le is the first, D the Second, &c. and the third and fourth, are Ce, B, distant half a Note or Tune.
Directions for the Tuning of Notes, &c.
The properest and most easy way for Tuning your Notes rightly, must be considered either in following the Voice of one skilled in Musick, or Singing, or some such Tuned Instrument, as is accomodated with Frets or are the readiest and only ways as yet made use of by Practitioners. That of a Matter being most common, but where none of these can be had by the party desirous to Learn, I shall lay down the following Directions, which will very much Instruct one that hath a Musical Ear, especially such a one as has heard, and can Sing the Notes of the Six Bells, of which, I presume, there are few, whose Genius Leads them to the Science of Musick, are Ignorant.
Let me put then, Supposing that you can Sing, One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, right; then shall I by the help of these Notes, proceed to set you further in the right, and lead you to all the rest.
Consider well then, that beginning to Sing the first Note, let it stand on what Line or Space it will, you may Sing it with what Tune you think fit, either higher low, (as to the pitch of your Voice) but with this caution, that you reckon how many Notes you have above or below it, that your Voice in its pitch may be so managed as to reach them both without Squeaking or Grumbling, or any harsh or rough Indecency of Sound.
For applying which six Notes, observe this first Example;
Make your beginning with the first Bar, and with a high Voice Sing the Six Notes you view on the Staff divers times, calling them over by the Number, viz. One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, as in the foregoing Section; when that is done; Sing the same Notes by their Names, viz. La, G, Fâ, Le, D, Ce, in the Tune of six Bells.
2. In the Second and third Bars, you must Sing the two first Notes of the six by themselves, forward and backward: Repeat all six in the fourth Bar, and in the fifth and sixth Bars, let the two last Notes be repeated, viz. D, Ce, forward and backward, and these Notes are a whole Tone distant, and by often repeating these Notes in the second, third fourth and fifth Bars, you will be better capable to know and distinguish their distance from the Letter.