Voice Production in Singing and Speaking | Page 8

earn their livelihood and make their
reputation; and the reader may be gratified to learn how, in such cases,
the writer applies the principles he so strongly recommends to others.
Let two or three illustrations suffice:
1. A tenor of world renown consulted him in regard to the position of
the larynx in singing, as he had a suspicion that his practice was not
correct, inasmuch as his voice seemed to be deteriorating to some
extent. The answer to his question need not be given here, as this
subject is discussed adequately in a later chapter.

2. The second was the case of a young lady, an amateur singer, who
was anxious to know why she failed to get satisfactory results. The
author heard her in a large room, without any accompaniment (to cover
up defects, etc.), and standing at first at some distance from her, then
nearer. Her tones were delightfully pure and beautiful, but her
performance suggested rather the sound of some instrument than
singing in the proper sense. It was impossible to learn the ideas to be
imparted, as the words could not be distinctly made out; there was a
monotony in the whole performance, though, it must be confessed, a
beautiful monotony, and there was a total lack of that vigor and
sureness that both educated and uneducated listeners must be made to
feel, or there results a sense of dissatisfaction, if not even irritation.
The beauty of tone was owing to a production that was to a certain
extent sound, and this explained why the voice carried well in spite of
its being small. This young lady was well educated, had heard much
good music, possessed a sensitive ear and a fine æsthetic taste, and,
perhaps most important of all, in this case at least, was able to think for
herself. She was very slight of body, with an ill-developed chest, and,
from her appearance, could not have enjoyed robust health. It was at
once evident that this was an admirable case by which to test the views
advocated. Accordingly, the author addressed the young lady as
follows:
"Your voice is beautiful in quality, and carries well; you observe the
registers properly; but your vocalization is feeble, and your singing is
ineffective. This is due largely to the lack of robustness in your voice,
but not wholly. You do not tell your story in song so that the listener
may know what you have to say to him. The imperfections in your
method of speaking, so common in America--an imperfect articulation
and a limp texture of voice--are evident in your singing; you do not
phrase well, and you paint all in one color. This is due chiefly to your
breathing and your attacks. One may observe that at no time do you fill
your chest completely. You use the lower chest and the diaphragm
correctly, but you rob yourself of one half of your breathing power, and
your chest is not at all well developed. You do not use the parts above
your voice-box with vigor and efficiency, and you direct so much

attention to the quality of the tone that you neglect its quantity and the
ideas to be expressed. You have been correctly but inadequately
instructed. Your teachers have evidently understood registers
practically, as few do, but they have only half taught you breathing and
attack. Their fidelity to that high ideal of quality of tone as the final
consideration wins my respect."
The writer thought, but did not say, that they must have understood
little of vocal physiology, or they would not have left this young lady
so ill-developed physically, at least so far as the chest is concerned.
I then asked this earnest and intelligent student, as she proved to be, to
take a full breath. She did not understand this, and was absolutely
incapable of doing it. She had been taught to begin breathing below, to
expand from the lower chest upward, and, as a natural result, she never
filled the upper chest. She was at once shown how it was done, when
she seemed greatly surprised, and said: "I never have done that in my
whole life." "Did you not run and shout as a child?" "No, I never did
run enough or shout enough to fill up my chest." The latter was small,
and flat.
The method of attack was next explained and illustrated, first without
reference to words, and then to show its importance in conveying ideas,
and the causes of the defects in speaking were indicated, and the
corrections named and illustrated. The lady was then asked to sing
again, making the improvements suggested, with the result that it was
clear that every principle set forth had been clearly apprehended,
though of course as yet only imperfectly carried