Analogy of Colour and Music

Abstract

I FIND in your number of January 13 an interesting paper by Mr. Barrett on the Correlation of Colour and Sound. It seems to me that Mr. Barrett depreciates the phenomenon of Newton's rings by saying that the “connection between the relative spaces occupied by each colour and the relative vibrations of the notes of the scale” . . . “cannot be more than a coincidence.” The diameters of the rings are functions of the wave-lengths and, therefore, expressions of a physical condition. Mr. Barrett's own process is, to say the least, very rough and, after taking “the mean of two limits,” rather wide apart for the length of the waves of each colour, he obtains a series of numbers which differ not inconsiderably from those which belong to the musical scale aud he is obliged, after all, to place blue and indigo together, taking their “mean rates” as corresponding with G. I do not know how far Newton's measurements are correct; but I find that Professor Zannotti, of Naples, gives for the diameters of the rings from red to red the cube-roots of the numbers. 1, 8/9, 5/6, 3/4, 2/3, 3/5, 9/16, 1/2. The intervals between these, taken successively, are 9/8, 16/15, 10/9, 9/8, 10/9, 16/15, 9/3; that is—major-tone, semi-tone, minor-tone, major-tone, minor-tone, 1/2tone, major-tone. Calling the major-tone M, the minor tone m, and the semi-tone x, for the sake of brevity. I will give the five different forms of which the musical scale is capable—expressed by the succession of intervals—and show that the above series of intervals is one of them :— Varieties depending upon the permutation of the quantities M, m, and x. The 1st contains the imperfect fifth, DA; the 2nd two such fifths, EB and FC; the 3rd GD; the 4th A₂E₂; and the 5th the imperfect fifth, C₂G,—all of course with their corresponding augmented fourths.