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Show (RATIO MAKES FOB HARMQNY Peculiar Arrangement of Chinese Musical Musi-cal Instruments 8ald to De Work of Chinese Emperor. The characteristic musical Instrument Instru-ment of tho Chlncso Is n series of bom-boo bom-boo tubes, tho longest of which measures meas-ures about nine Inches, nnd of which tho remnlndor diminish In length nt a regular ratio, each being Just two-thirds two-thirds tho length of tho one before. This arrangement was dovlscd Ity the Chinese they sny, by tho Kuipcror Huimg-TI on tho following prluclplo: Between henven nnd enrth there Is perfect per-fect hnnnony. Now, tho number three Is tho emblem of heaven nnd two of earth. If then two pipes or tubes ho mndo In tho proportion of threo to two, they will harmonize In tone ns perfectly ns enrth find henven. So th? linse tube of the Instrument was mndu nine Inches long nnd tho second two-thirds two-thirds that length, or six Inchox. Of course, the third hns to bo two-thlrd.i the length of the second, or four Inches; nnd so on. The result wns thnt the note of tho second tube wns whnt wo cnll nn Interval of n fifth nbove thnt of tho flrst, thnt of tho third n fifth above the second, nnd so on through tho whole range. |
