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THEORETICAL STATEMENTS. By B. C. UNSELD, Principal Virginia Normal Music School. A WORD OF EXPLANATION. THE following elucidation of the Elementary Principles is designed as a sort of catechism for the use of the pupil. The statements are worded, for the most part, as concisely as possible-in short sentences-and are intended to be committed to memory by the pupil and recited at each lesson. The committing to memory of these statements is not to take the place of the teacher's regular instructions, blackboard exercises, &c., but as an addition to them-something for the pupils to learn between the lessons. Each subject should be taught orally, fully explained and illustrated with blackboard exercises, and then (not before) the pupils should be referred to the statements embodying the subject taught, and be required to memorize them and recite them at the next lesson. Used in this way they will prove to be a valuable review of the les- sons, and will serve to fix them in the memory of the pupils. No attempt has been made to arrange the statements in the order of a series of lessons each teacher will arrange the order of his les- sons to suit himself, or rather to suit the condition of his class. The Scale, Staff, Notes. 9. The short lines are called Added Lines. 1. The SCALE is a series of eight tones. 10. The tones are indicated on the staff by NOTES. 2. The tones of the scale are named by the Numeral Names, ONE, 11. In the Character Note System of Notation, the tones are rep- Two, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, Six, SEVEN, EIGHT. resented, and more readily indicated on the staff, by notes of different 3. Also by the Syllables, Do, RE, MI, FA, SOL, LA, SI, Do. shapes for the different tones. 12. The scale is extended upward by considering Eight as One of Pronounced, Doh, Ray, Mee, Fah, Sole, Lah, See, Doh. an upper scale. 4. The scale is represented by a character called the STAFF. 13. The scale is extended downward by considering One as Eight 5. The Staff consists of Five Lines and Four Spaces. of a lower scale. 6. Each line and each space is called a Degree. QUESTIONS.- What is the scale? 2. How are the tones of the scale named? 3. What 7. The staff contains nine degrees. other names? 4. How is the scale represented? 5. Of what does the staff consist? 6. What 8. When more than nine degrees are required, the spaces above and is each line and each space called? 7. How many degrees does the staff contain? 8. When more than nine degrees are required, how are they obtained 10. How are tones indicated on below may be used, and short lines may be added above and below. the staff ? 11. How are the tones represented in the Character Note System of Notation? 12, How is the scale extended upward? 13. How extended downward?