RECORD: Darwin, C. R. [1874]. Draft of Descent 2d ed.CUL-DAR59.1.139r. Edited by John van Wyhe (Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)

REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and edited by John van Wyhe 10.2022. RN1

NOTE: See record in the Darwin Online manuscript catalogue, enter its Identifier here. Reproduced with permission of the Syndics of Cambridge University Library and William Huxley Darwin. The volumes CUL-DAR 54-61 contain material for Darwin's book Insectivorous plants (1875).


[139r]

principles

discords disagreeable to the human ear; but we are little concerned with this, as it is generally admitted that music in harmony is a late invention. We are more concerned with melody, & here again according to Helmholtz it is intelligible why musical tones used wh occur the notes which are used occur in our the musical scale, are employed occur

[Descent 2d ed., p. 569: "Helmholtz has explained on physiological principles why concords are agreeable, and discords disagreeable to the human ear; but we are little concerned with these, as music in harmony is a late invention. We are more concerned with melody, and here again, according to Helmholtz, it is intelligible why the notes of our musical scale are used."]


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Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)

File last updated 4 November, 2022