Book: Expressive Voice Culture
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Jessie Eldridge Southwick >> Expressive Voice Culture
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Expressive Voice Culture
Including
The Emerson System
By
JESSIE ELDRIDGE SOUTHWICK
Teacher of Voice Culture in the Emerson College of Oratory.
Preface
The Emerson System treats the voice as a natural reporter of the
individual, constantly emphasizing the tendency of the voice to express
appropriately any mental concept or state of feeling.
This treatise is a setting forth of methods and principles based upon this
idea with a fuller elaboration of the relation of technique to expression.
No attempt is here made, however, to present more than an individual
contribution to this broad subject.
J. E. S.
Expressive Voice Culture.
CHAPTER I
Principles of Voice Culture.
The first essential to one beginning the study of voice culture is an
appreciation of the real significance of voice development. We must
recognize at once the fact that the voice is a natural reporter of the
conditions, emotions, thoughts, and purposes (character and states or
conditions) of the individual. The ring of true culture in the voice is
that perfect modulation of tone and movement which, without
self-consciousness, communicates exactly the meaning and purpose which
impel the utterances of the speaker.
It is almost impossible for any person to cultivate vocal expression to
the best advantage without an intelligent and sympathetic teacher; he
lacks the perspective upon himself which is necessary in order to correct
his individual faults and draw out his most effective powers. Then, again,
he needs that personal supervision and direction of his efforts which will
allow his mind to be constantly occupied with thoughts and principles, and
relieve him of all temptation to watch his own performances as such. But
it is necessary that the student should have a simple and logical basis
for practice, however great may become the variety of its application.
That the voice is naturally expressive is shown in the fact that even
where there is no possible suggestion of cultivation we instinctively read
the broad outlines of meaning and feeling in the tones and inflections of
the voice. May it not therefore be possible that a finer culture will
reveal all the subtle shades of thought and feeling, and a more
discriminating judgment be able to detect these, just as the ethnologist
will reconstruct from some crude relic the history of an earlier
civilization?
We must remember, too, that first of all the voice is a vital instrument.
The physical condition affects most noticeably the quality, strength, and
movement of the voice. Hence we see that physical health is essential to a
good voice, and the proper use of the voice is itself one of the most
invigorating exercises that can be practised. All the vital organs are
called into healthful action through this extraordinary manipulation of
the breath, and the nervous system, both vitally and emotionally, receives
invigoration.
In the beginning, therefore, such vital conditions as are essential to the
production of tone should be considered.
First, a standing position, in which the vital organs are well sustained,
is essential. One cannot even breathe properly unless one stands well. The
weight should be mainly upon the balls of the feet, and the crown of the
head so positively elevated as to secure the erectness of the spinal
column. This will involve the proper elevation of the chest, the essential
freedom of respiration, and the right sustaining tension of the abdominal
muscles.
(_a_) Take standing position as follows: weight on balls of feet,
heels together, toes slightly apart; line of gravity from crown of head,
well lifted, to balls of feet; the ear, point of shoulder, and point of
hip should be in line; muscles of the thigh strong in front; ribs well
lifted so that front line from waist to throat is lengthened to full
extent; back kept erect, and curve at waist not emphasized. Breathe
strongly and deeply several times.
To secure the elevation of the ribs the hands may be placed under the
arms, as high as possible, fingers pointing down; then try to turn or
press the ribs up and forward with strong action of hands, breathing
freely and emphasizing strength in waist muscles. _Sustain_ the ribs
in this elevated position, and thus uplift the chest. Keep shoulders free.
Drop hands to sides again.
(_b_) Take half a step forward; sustain weight on advanced foot; do
not change position of retired foot, but keep the sense of purchase in it.
The chest should be carried forward of the abdomen and the abdominal
muscles given their best leverage by a slight bending forward from the
hips. (Bending forward must not be done by any dropping of the chest, or
shortening of the line at waist through relaxation.) This position must be
light, active, buoyant, and reposeful.
A constant sense of easy balance should be developed through poising
exercises.
The habit of healthful and powerful respiration should be established by
physical exercise for that purpose, and the right manipulation of breath
in tone production should be secured by the nature of the voice exercises.
Any vocal exercise which involves in the very nature of its production a
good control of breath becomes, by virtue of that fact, a good breathing
exercise as well.
[Footnote: See exercises described in a later chapter.]
If the voice be perfectly free, it is then capable of expressing truly all
that the person thinks and feels. The first desirable end sought, then, is
freedom. What is freedom, and how secured? When all cavities of resonance
are accessible to the vibrating column of air the voice may be said to be
free. By cavities of resonance is meant the chest (trachea and bronchial
tubes), the larynx, pharynx, the mouth, and the nares anterior and
posterior, or head chambers of resonance. The free tone is modified
through all its varieties of expression by those subtle changes in form,
intensity, movement, inflection, and also direction, which are too fine
for the judgment to determine, or even observe successfully. These
varieties are made possible by the very organism of the voice, which is
vital, not mechanical, and are determined by the influences working from
the mind through the nerves which control this wonderful living
instrument. This is governed by the law of reflex action, by which
stimulation of any nerve center produces responsive action in other parts
of the body. The voice will obey the mind. Right objects of thought will
influence it much more perfectly and rapidly than the mere arbitrary
dictates of calculation.
Right psychology would be the only thing necessary to the thorough
cultivation of the voice if the conditions were so perfect that there were
no habits of stricture and our instrument were thus in perfect tune. And
in spite of the fact that it is not usually found in perfect tune, the
influence of practice under right mental conditions is the most potent and
indispensable part of voice culture. Let this fact not be lost sight of
while we are discussing those more technical methods of training which are
designed to tune and regulate our instrument.
First, freedom of voice is attained (technically speaking) by right
direction of tone and vital support. A few words of explanation will make
this patent.
If the vibrating column of air when it leaves the vocal cords is so
directed that it passes freely through all the cavities of resonance, it
cannot fail to find the right one. The following exercise, if properly
taken, will induce right direction of tone: produce a light humming sound
such as would be the sound of _m, n,_ or _ng_, if so idealized
as to eliminate that element of sound commonly spoken of as nasality. That
which is called nasality is caused by the failure of the tone to reach
freely the anterior cavities of the nares. The cavity which lies just back
of the nose and frontal bone imparts a musical resonance resembling the
vibrating after-tone when a note has been struck upon a piano and allowed
to die away gradually. The "nasal" effect comes when the tone is confined
in the posterior or back part of the nares, or head cavity, or is split by
the dropping of the uvula so that part of the tone is directed through the
nares and part through the mouth. Many so-called "humming tones" are given
for practice, but in accepting them observe whether the foregoing
principle is obeyed.
The controlling center of consciousness is the extreme limit of the
_nares anteri_. The tone should be thought of as outside. Keep the
mind upon results, just as one would hold the thought of a certain figure
which one might desire to draw. If one wishes to inscribe a curve, he
thinks of the curve as an object of thought, not of the muscles which act
in executing it. So with the voice. A tone is not a reality until its form
of vibration reaches the outer air. One should always think of the tone
one wishes to make--never listen to one's own execution. If the ideal is
not reached by the effort it will be known by the sense of incompleteness.
Why is the _nares anteri_ the ruling center of tone direction? The
dominant or ruling center of any organism is that point which, if
controlled, will involve the regulation of all that is subordinate to it.
For example, the heart is the dominant center of the circulatory system;
the brain is the dominant center of the nervous system; the sun is the
dominant center of the planetary system. In all these systems, if the
center be affected, the system is proportionately influenced. If any other
part than the dominant center be affected, it is true that all other parts
may also be affected, but the desired unity in result will not be secured.
The voice will follow the thought as surely as the hand will reach the
object aimed at. The extreme anterior part of the nares, or head cavity,
is the chamber of resonance farthest from the vocal cords. Therefore, if
the voice be directed through that chamber of resonance all the others
must be passed in reaching it, and hence all must be accessible to the
vibrating column of air. It is a law of acoustics that any given cavity of
resonance will resound to that pitch to which its size corresponds, and to
no other. This law of sound secures the appropriate resonance for every
pitch much more accurately than it could be secured by an effort to
develop chest, middle, and head registers through calculating the
differences. Again, we need the higher chambers of resonance to reinforce
even the low pitch, because every note has its overtones that enrich it,
and if these cannot find their proper resonance the tone is impoverished.
It may be well to explain our use of the term "overtone."
This word "overtone" is used unscientifically by many. The significance of
its use is somewhat varied among teachers, but it generally means head
resonance, or a tone "sent over" through the head cavities. The term is
used here technically, not arbitrarily. Overtones are not confined to the
voice, but are those constituent parts of any tone which are produced by
the vibrating segments into which any vibrating cord will divide itself.
Any cord, or string, stretched between two given points, when struck will
vibrate throughout its entire length in waves of a certain length and with
a certain degree of rapidity, according to the tension of the string. This
vibration of the entire length of cord gives forth the tone heard as the
fundamental pitch or tone. Besides this fundamental or primary vibration,
the movement divides itself into segments, or sections, of the entire
length. These sections also have vibrations of their own which are of
shorter length and more rapid motion. The note given off by these
subdivisions is, of course, on a higher pitch than that produced by the
fundamental vibration of the cord; hence, they are higher tones, or
overtones. It will be remembered that pitch depends upon the rapidity of
the sound waves or vibrations. This subdivision of the vibrations is
incalculably multiplied, so that it may be said to be impossible to
determine the number of overtones accompanying the fundamental tone. What
the ear hears is the fundamental pitch only; the overtones harmonize with
the primary or fundamental tone, and enrich it. Since this is a law of
vibration, it is unscientific to speak of giving an overtone, for all
tones contain overtones. Where these overtones are interfered with by any
imperfection in the instrument the result is a harsh or imperfect sound.
In relation to the voice it should now be clearly understood that since it
is the overtones which enrich or give a harmonious sound to any tone, and
since all tones (low as well as high) have overtones as constituent parts
of their being, therefore the whole range of the resonant cavities of the
voice should, for the production of pure tone, be open to all degrees of
pitch, in order that the overtones may find their appropriate
reinforcement in the resonance chambers. Thus the quality of the voice
depends, not simply upon the condition of the vocal cords themselves, but
upon the form and quality of the resounding cavities.
CHAPTER II
Elementary Lessons.
After this brief discussion of the principles involved in this method of
practice, we will proceed to give some essential exercises for practice.
EXERCISE FOR SECURING FREEDOM OF TONE
This is the foundation of all voice culture.
1. Take position in accordance with directions given in Chapter I.
2. Take humming tone as indicated in the preceding chapter,--_m, n,
ng,_--idealized and pure. The mouth should be opened and closed without
changing the tone.
3. Endeavor to concentrate all consciousness upon the conception of a tone
emanating from the _nares anteri_ and floating in ideal forms of
vibration in the surrounding air. Those forms may vary in their definite
nature, but must always obey the principle of curves and radiation. One
should never reach up to a tone, but should seem to alight upon it from
above, as a bird alights on the branch of a tree. The mind must never lose
sight of the result--the ideal aimed at. The knowledge of processes leads
us to a right conception of aims, and enables us to judge of their
correctness. We should know what processes are normal (natural and
healthful) and what objects of thought will induce them.
While taking the above exercise no effort should be made in the throat.
The voice should seem to find its way without effort. The tone should not
be loud or sharp.
If the student finds it difficult to produce the tone alone, some word
ending in _ing_ should be practised, as _ring-ring-ring-ng_.
FORMING OF ELEMENTS
_First Exercise_. Start the humming tone as indicated in the first
lesson, and maintain the same focus while forming certain elements. Take
the syllable _n-ö-m_, allowing no break while going from _n_, the nares
sound, to the vowel sound of _o_, and returning to the nares sound of
_m_. This is perhaps the best element to begin upon, because of its
definiteness, but the same principle can be applied to other elements
of speech, as _Most-men-want-poise-and-more- royal-margin_. Form each
syllable with the utmost care. Concentrate the mind upon the ideal sound.
First be sure that the pronunciation is accurately conceived. Then
enunciate clearly and try each time to make the form more perfect. The
principle of thinking is the same as that involved in striving to make a
perfect circle, or to execute any figure with more and more beauty. The
effort of the mind will bring the result, if the conception of the element
to be formed be correct. The sentence given--"_Most men want poise, and
more royal margin"_--is composed of such alternation of elements as will
tend to bring forward those that might be formed too far back by their
association with those elements that are necessarily brought to the front.
For example, the word_poise._ The first and last elements are
distinctively front. That helps to bring out what is between.
The constant recurrence of the nares tone, as in _m, n,_ etc., may
serve as a regulator of tone. The object of this step in practice is to
form elements with beauty, and to form them with the same focus as that
secured by the humming tone. In this stage of practice each element should
be dwelt upon separately, but not in such a way as to mar its expression.
For example, unaccented syllables should be lightly pronounced and the
right shading carefully observed. Otherwise, when the elements are put
together their harmony and smoothness will be wanting and the effect
labored and mechanical, as is often the case where attention has been
given to the practice of articulation. To make the effort of articulation
a vital impulse in response to a mental concept,--this is the object
sought. The principle is that the will should be directed toward the ideal
to be reached, while the mind comprehends the means incidentally. The
means may be considered as a matter of knowledge, useful in guiding the
judgment but a hindrance when used as a trap to catch the conscious
attention of the practising student.
The whole difference between the artist who is spontaneous and the artisan
who is artificial is that the one recognizes the fact that the very
existence of human expression proves that the mind awakens the instinctive
response of the physical organism, while the other thinks that he can
calculate that infinite harmony which makes unity of action, without
reverting to the first cause of expression--the thought that created it.
To reproduce the impulse born of the thought--this is the aim of a
psychological method. This is secured only by right objects of thought; it
is impossible to reach it by voluntary mechanics.
SMOOTHNESS AND HARMONY OF UTTERANCE
Having obtained the results sought in our last division, we should learn
to manipulate the elements of speech fluently without breaking their
relation to (harmony with) the primary focus, or direction of tone.
Practise the same sentence, "_Most men_" etc., striving to make every
tone and the form of every element perfect, without dwelling upon them
separately; practise this (as also the preceding exercises) upon various
degrees of pitch in the musical scale, generally beginning on a "medium
high" pitch, then lower, and afterwards higher. Strive to speak or sing
fluently without breaking the quality of tone used. A break in quality
signifies loss of focus.
The object of this practise is to attain facility in manipulating the
elements while maintaining the smooth quality of the tone. After this
sentence other sentences may be used in reference to the same idea. The
primary exercise given should always be reverted to as a working center,
in order to secure, through repetition, a deepening of the tendency
involved. Variety is admissible only in addition to the original exercise,
but should not be substituted for it.
FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF MUSICAL EXPRESSIVENESS OF TONES
This opens the way to expression in tone,--dramatic expression,--but the
technical preparation for expressive responsiveness in the voice is the
development of its musical possibilities, for all artistic expression in
tones is musical whether the person be a singer or a speaker. Inflections
are variations in pitch, and are "the tune of the thought."
_Exercise_. Practise the syllables _mä, zä, skä, ä._ The sound
of the Italian _a,_ as in ah, gives the freest position of the organs
for the production of tone, and perhaps the most difficult form in which
to direct a tone with certainty. It is combined with these consonant
elements in order to invite it forward and bring it to a point
(figuratively speaking). The _m_ relates it to the nares or humming
tone (which is the basis of all resonance in the voice). The _z_
sharpens the consciousness at the front, and the _sk_ furnishes a
good start for a positive stroke in the voice, while the _a_ alone
leaves us to venture upon the free tone unassisted by these guides to
direction. The exercise should be practised with such musical variations
as the student can learn to execute--the scale, arpeggios, etc., both
sustained tone and light touches, broad tones and shaded tones. Other
vowels may also be practised thus.
The practice of rhythm, or the practice of rhythmical accent, should be
introduced, as the sense of rhythm is an important element in the
development of expressiveness.
The object now is to secure sensibility and responsiveness in the voice.
This opens the possibilities of vocal expression. When we speak of the
_nares anteri_ (or front head resonant cavity) as the dominant center
of physical consciousness nothing mechanical is meant. One is conscious
that the eye is fixed upon an object, but not therefore conscious of the
action of the muscles used in turning it upon the object. One thinks not
of the eye, but through the eye toward the object.
Finally, technique has as its object the training of the instrument to
freedom and responsiveness; but the true art of vocal expression begins
when the instrument is used in obedience to such objects of thought as
should cause its strings to vibrate loudly or softly, all together or in
partial harmony, in obedience to that vital impulse which the instrument
itself was created to obey.
CHAPTER III
The Higher Development of the Voice by the Application of First
Principles.
There are four general forms of emphasis which serve as indications of the
characteristics of expression. They are Force, Pitch, Volume, and Time.
Force corresponds to life, or vitality, in the voice. Pitch corresponds to
the range of the voice, and expresses affection or attraction. Volume
measures the activity of the will through the voice, and Time, the
expression of which depends principally upon movement, or rhythm,
corresponds to the intellectual activities.
It will be understood that these forms of expression, or emphasis, are
developed, according to the practice in the "Evolution of Expression," by
means of purely mental discipline. It is nevertheless possible to
reinforce these powers of the voice by technical practice with special
reference to this development. In taking up this branch of the work the
student is supposed to have fulfilled the requirements of the elementary
voice practice, which, it will be remembered, includes the establishment
of freedom by means of right direction of tone, the perfecting of the
elements in polished articulation, the facile handling of the voice in
combining various elements, and a certain degree of responsiveness in the
practice of various musical qualities.
FORCE
For the development of increased vital power in the voice the student
should practise the nares exercise and also the elements of speech in a
sustained and even manner, continuing tones as long as it is possible to
keep control of them. The effect of this is to establish _strength and
steadiness_ in the action of the muscles that control the voice, and
increase of breathing-power in response to the requirements involved in
the exercise. The tone must be kept pure and free, and practised with
varying degrees of force, with the idea of steady projection and
determined control. The ability to sustain the tone for a long time will
increase, and with it the power of the muscles exercised.
The idea of projecting tone is based upon the feeling of sympathy with
those at a distance, and not simply upon the desire to make them hear.
Short passages of a vital and animated nature should be practised with
varying degrees of radiation, so that the consciousness of the student may
adapt itself to the idea of including in his sympathies a larger or
smaller number of people. The thought of sympathy with, or nearness to,
those addressed is a most important principle in the development of this
power. It is never the best way to strive to speak loud in order that one
may be heard. Such selections as Lanier's "Life and Song," Wordsworth's
"The Daffodils," and Scott's "Lochinvar" will be found helpful studies for
radiation. It is useful in practising the humming tone, or the nares tone,
to imagine the whole atmosphere pervaded with pure resonance. Too much
emphasis cannot be placed upon the idea of perfect purity as the essential
foundation of power. The pure voice will grow to power. In taking this
exercise there should be no consciousness of effort in the throat, and no
shade of sharpness should be heard in the tone. One must try for the pure,
pervasive resonance which seems to float on the air like the soft note of
a violin. The right condition for the expression of this radiant vitality
in the voice is a complete alertness and responsive vivacity of the whole
person. This animation should be vital and not nervous.
PITCH
A voice, to express variety, must have sufficient compass to give
opportunity for a free play of inflection over various degrees of pitch.
It has been said, "Inflection is the tune of the thought." It is that
which makes it attractive. If one desires to emphasize a point of thought
and make it attractive to another person he instinctively increases his
emphasis by lengthening the slide or inflection. The high pitch indicates
mental activity; the medium pitch is the normal or heart range; the low
pitch is more peculiarly vital. If one would express varieties of thought
with brilliancy and effectiveness, the range of his voice must be wide,
and the evenness of quality so perfect that he can glide from one extreme
of pitch to another without any break in the tone. Facility in thus
handling the voice may be developed by means of special attention directed
to this characteristic. The practice for securing this adaptability in the
modulations of pitch is as follows.