Plate VI gives the "harmony" curve for the same tone-combinations, and
it is clear at the first glance that the curves for the simultaneous
tones do not correspond to those for the successive ones; in many
respects they are directly the opposite. The hypothesis that the
pleasure in such an amusical "melody" results from the resolution
of the corresponding "harmony" is thus untenable; both are highly
independent of each other. Yet, here too we notice the insignificance
of the musical interval, while the strong pleasure in the tones
different by 4 vibrations only refers probably to the complete fusion
of the tones; there arises a direct enjoyment from the four waves of
sound in every second, given by the beats. The pleasure-curve of these
simultaneous tones indicates of course that the inhibition of the
musical dispositions and expressions holds over from the successive to
the simultaneous series. The pleasure is thus clearly different from
that in real harmony.
Plate VII finally gives the "melody" curve for _aba_ and _bab_ with
changes from four to four vibrations when the interval started with is
larger than a full musical step. In _aba_ the _a_ is 384 vibrations
and _b_ varies from 436 to 516, the variations lying thus between the
musical Second and the musical Fourth. It is evident that here again no
feeling-preference is given to the musical intervals.
The question arises whether such small tone-intervals of amusical
character allow the construction of more complex combinations of
æsthetic value. Can we have amusical micromelodies with their own
completeness and feeling of end? The following experiments represent a
first step into this field. We used three tones only, _a, b, c_ in 26
different combinations, and each of the 26 variations with intervals of
4, 8 and 12 vibrations between _a-b_ and _b-c_. Each of the resulting
78 "melodies" was given repeatedly to six subjects in a time-order
which allowed one second for each tone. The subject had to judge on
the pleasantness of the whole progression and had further to judge
whether it produced a feeling of end or not.
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