Book: Voice Production in Singing and Speaking

W >> Wesley Mills >> Voice Production in Singing and Speaking




On the question of the extent to which a singer's range can be safely
increased, the greatest difference of opinion exists, and very extreme
views have been held. On the one hand are those who almost ridicule
the idea of "making" tones, and on the other, those who maintain that
the range of all young singers can be increased by proper training.

As a matter of fact, there are many singers before the public to-day
whose range, either upward or downward, has been increased by many
tones, in some cases almost an octave, and these singers are
successful artists and sound vocalists; while others have sought to
add but two or three tones to their range, and in vain. This is quite
intelligible. As a rule, those of the former class have fallen into
the hands of very good teachers, while yet young, have had excellent
health and well-formed vocal organs, and been patient and attentive
students. The acquisition has been gradual, and never forced. We have
before said that if a pupil felt his throat the worse for a lesson in
vocal culture, there was something wrong: either the method was
incorrect in itself, or the practice was continued too long or carried
out too vigorously. Of course, it is always assumed that the vocal
organs are in a normal condition, and the student's health good not
only generally but on the day of the practice.

It is in every case for the student himself to determine, from his own
feelings, whether the attempt to reach a certain tone produces
straining, and for the teacher to judge whether this be so, from the
appearance of the face of the pupil, the character of the tone, etc.
One thing is certain: harm, and harm only, is done by any form of
forcing or straining. At the same time, as the athlete increases the
height to which he can jump, or the speed with which he can run, even
during a single season, it seems illogical to conclude that in no case
can a singer safely reach tones that are not originally in his
voice--meaning thereby that he is unable to sing them at the outset of
his career. This is one of those subjects on which common sense and
science unite in admonishing us to test cautiously and to progress
gradually, if the purpose is to be achieved with good results for the
individual and for art.

It is also unwise for a singer to attempt those selections in public
the range of which taxes him to the very utmost. They lead to undue
anxiety as to success, violate the principle of reserve force, to
which reference has several times been made, and may lead to vocal
failure, if not to injury to the throat. Though it is true that
occasionally a song suffers by transposition to a lower key, if the
vocalist is determined to sing a composition even slightly beyond his
easy range, it is better to resort to it than to risk the
possibilities mentioned above and other undesirable ones.

Everyone who purposes to follow the arduous career of the vocal or
dramatic artist would do well to realize early the importance of
learning the art of conserving energy, or making the most of all that
Nature has given him. When a man or woman is small, and has less
breath power than some others, it becomes more important that they
observe the laws of contrast, rest, etc., in their public efforts. A
_forte_ has much the same effect, if it be preceded by darker, quieter
tones, as if it were really louder. In like manner, a pause may often
serve a very good purpose in preparing the ear of the listener for an
effect that should be telling, yet a difficult one for a person of
limited physical powers.

In reality, all the best art recognizes, mostly unconsciously, the
peculiarities of our physical and mental nature. A continuous _forte_,
for example, ceases to be a _forte_, in reality, since the ear and the
mind weary under it, and all the effect of contrast is lost. As we
have more than once said, good art is physiological--in harmony with
the laws of the body, as well as of the mind. It follows that each one
should study especially how to make the wisest, the most effective,
use of his powers, for what is best for one may not be so for another.

A singer or speaker, by reason of a voice somewhat small in volume,
may seem to be shut out from certain buildings. This need rarely be
the case. The artist must simply the more carefully consider how he
shall vary his effects, how so use his powers that they shall suffice.
A loud voice may be a very bad one for the hearer, and may annoy and
weary rather than please. When a building is large, nearly all effects
should be increased--_e.g._, all pauses lengthened, the _tempo_ taken
a little slower, the contrasts made stronger, etc.,--rather than the
volume of tone increased. The method of attack becomes of the utmost
importance; all low or soft passages should be sung or uttered with
the greatest distinctness, all final letters most perfectly finished.
It is especially important for a speaker to be aware of his
favorite--_i.e._, most easy and natural--pitch, and also that pitch
which best adapts his voice to a certain building. Many forget that
sound does not, in reality, travel very rapidly, and that allowance
must be made for this, so that one tone shall not break on the ear
before another has had time to be attended to--one idea to be grasped
before another is presented.

Of all things pauses are of the greatest importance, to the listener,
that he may apprehend the ideas presented, and to the speaker, that he
may have time to take breath and a brief rest, and also seize the
opportunity to readdress himself, so to speak, to his auditors, by the
use of another accent, pitch of tone, or whatever he deems most apt to
his purpose. Speakers who make suitable pauses with intention (not
from lack of ideas), or from an artistic instinct, give pleasure, as
well as effect their intellectual purpose, for the listener also gets
his moments for rest, perceives readily what is meant, and enjoys the
purely sensuous in the art far more than when the speaker's utterance
rushes on like a torrent. All this applies to a certain extent to the
singer, though it is but very inadequately observed--we must say,
however, much better than at a former period, when "ranting," on the
stage especially, was a very common fault.

In an earlier chapter attention was given to the precautions to be
taken before a public appearance, especially by those who are
inexperienced; and we would again emphasize the fact that those who
have the best training, and have made the most perfect special
preparation for the coming event, are least likely to suffer from that
great disturber, nervousness; and when they are somewhat tense, the
well-disciplined often recover rapidly, and frequently astonish their
friends by the success of their first appearance. We strongly
recommend all who can to take rest on the day preceding and following
a hard evening's work, and preferably, in summer, in the open air. A
quiet walk in a park, where one may think or observe or not, as he
feels inclined, is an excellent thing to do, either before or after a
strenuous artistic effort. If the battery is to be well charged, it
must not be discharged even partially before the right moment.
Amateurs and the inexperienced are particularly apt to neglect such
precaution for success, and to fritter away their energies by
attention to details, possibly trivial ones, up to the last moment.

Happy is he who, well prepared for his task, free from worries,
unmoved by envy, jealousy, or undue ambition, can step before the
public resolved to do his best for art, and who, having done it, can
rest in the satisfaction that he has contributed something to the
innocent and ennobling enjoyment of his fellows, and so has helped to
advance those of his own generation; caring little for either the
flatteries of admirers or a criticism that may be ignorant, unjust,
or malignant, but feeling that the best reward is the approval of his
own conscience, knowing that "Art is long, and life short."




CHAPTER XX.

REVIEW AND REVISION.


All the most important truths of any subject may be stated in a brief
space. The Author proposes to make this final chapter one of a
restatement of the essentials of the subject in the light of our
present-day knowledge, and with a distinct relation to practice.

The object of the speaker or singer is to produce certain sounds which
shall as easily as possible convey to the listener his own state of
mind. It follows that he must have a clear idea of these sounds, that
he must hear them mentally prior to their utterance; in other words,
the psychological must precede the physiological. Voice production for
the purpose of speaking and singing implies a cooeperation of the
psychic and the physiological, a co-ordination of processes that are
psychic, and physical, somatic or physiological.

It is well to regard the subject from as many points of view as
possible, and to consider the various ways in which the same truth may
be stated.

Stress must be laid on the idea of co-ordination, for processes may be
independently satisfactory yet fail to lead to the desired result if
they are not connected, harmonised or co-ordinated. The latter is the
better term because it suggests a certain order of progress. As a
matter of fact, first the psychic, then the physiological. The idea
may be clear, yet from a physical defect, as in stammering, the result
does not follow, though this physiological imperfection in movement
may itself be the result of a psychic condition and generally is so. A
clearer case is that of paralysis of the vocal organs. The ideas to be
expressed may be perfectly clear in the mind yet impossible of
expression. The defect is at the distal end of the combination--_i.e._,
in the physical, somatic or bodily part of the process to express the
same idea by the use of different terms. The consideration of
conditions of defect or pathological states may make normal
psychological and physiological ones clearer, as has been shown by the
above illustrations. The practical importance of the co-ordination of
processes is very great. It is not possible for one born deaf to speak
because the necessary mental or psychic conditions for co-ordination
do not exist--_i.e._, there is no sound in the mind to be
expressed--not because there is any serious anatomical defect. In like
manner the student of singing will produce no better tone than he has
in mind no matter how much he practices vocalization. It follows,
therefore, that the psychic state of the student should be kept in
advance of his actual powers of execution. This he will most
successfully do by listening to the best artists either directly or if
this be impossible by hearing their gramophone records--all this in
addition to the best the teacher can do for him by the correction of
faults, giving him illustrations of better tone by his own efforts,
etc. If the student has the opportunity of hearing himself by means of
a phonographic record, he should not fail to do so. No one ever hears
himself as others hear him.

As the mind and the brain are always associated in thought and
feeling; in other words, in psychic processes, and these latter find
expression chiefly through movements, in one sense a study of
vocalization may be considered a study of movements. These are always
brought about by the use of several muscles which act together for a
definite end--_i.e._, they are co-ordinated. As such movements
generally involve many muscles and to be effective must be exact and
under perfect control, much practice is necessary, though "much"
should have reference rather to the clearness of the mind in reference
to what is to be attained and the means of accomplishing it, rather
than to the amount of time spent over the actual performance. We may
confidently assert that technique or the physical side of putting the
ideas into execution, which is simply making certain movements, is
successful largely in proportion to the perfection of the psychic
processes involved. A clear head should precede the moving hand, or
functioning vocal organs. The student should think technique before
and after its actual execution. This is even yet, in spite of a great
advance in recent years, the weakest part of the student's method of
work. All that we know of science as well as the results of all
rightly directed practice emphasizes the importance of this central
truth.

Assuming that the psychic condition is satisfactory for the production
of a definite tone--_i.e._, that it is heard mentally, what follows
before it is actually produced, before it becomes a tone from the
physicist's point of view? What is the chain of physical, somatic,
bodily or anatomical (to use several words that express similar but
slightly different aspects of the same main idea) connections
involved, and what is the nature of the physiological processes; in
other words, what are the parts of the body involved and how do they
act? This will be clearer if we first consider the mechanism concerned
and its functions in a general way.

The instrument which is played upon, which finally gives rise to the
tone, may be spoken of as that connected series of cavities for which
we have no single term but which are generally named the resonance
chambers when regarded from the physicist's point of view. To the
musician they are the instrument, to the physiologist and anatomist a
set of chambers communicating with each other. Plainly all the rest
of the vocal mechanism exists for them, and too much stress cannot be
laid on this fact. However excellent the state of training of the part
below them this is of no avail except in so far as it can affect these
resonance cavities.

How is this instrument played upon and how are these cavities made
actually into resounding chambers? In the answer to this, in the
recognition of the relationship of the three distinct parts of the
vocal apparatus lies the one great fundamental conception of the
manner in which tone is produced. To understand this clearly is to
comprehend in its main outlines the whole subject of voice production
in a scientific way.

Before a tone is heard vibrations of the atmospheric air must reach
the ear. These are set up by the vibration of the air within the
resonance chambers, and this again is effected by the mechanism below
them--_i.e._, by the movements of the vocal bands of the larynx which
are due to the blast of air emanating from the lungs, this itself
being brought into being by the movements of the chest, using the term
in the widest sense, thus including the diaphragm, etc.

Breathing has for its object so far as phonation is concerned no other
purpose than to so affect the vocal bands, that the resonance chambers
really do resound. The question is how is this breathing best
accomplished so that the instrument shall be most efficiently played
upon? We cannot alter the anatomical structure of the instrument
appreciably, but we can improve the functioning of the several parts
of the whole apparatus. Breathing can be improved as regards power and
control. More can be done with less expenditure of energy than
originally if there be judicious training. How shall we train? As the
outgoing stream of air alone affects the vocal bands, it is clear that
we must aim to so apply and regulate this outflow that the desired
result shall follow from the least possible expenditure of energy. How
the air is got in is important only in relation to its expenditure.
But the easier the supply is furnished the better. This law of the
conservation of energy is one of the greatest importance, for all
beings have but a limited supply of energy and our problem must ever
be how best to husband this as a wise man should study how best to
spend his limited income. One must not only consider what is called
for in ordinary conversational speaking, or in singing in a small
room, but also when the greatest possible efforts are demanded. In all
cases when movements are concerned, indeed whenever activity of any
kind psychic or physiological is involved the _law of habit_ should be
borne in mind--_i.e._, one should so think and do that a habit may be
established, for a habit implies, when a good one, that there is
economy of both mental and bodily energy.

The aim of all training is to establish good habits--ways of doing
things which will leave the subject with more capital to invest so to
speak, as he wastes less. It follows that the same methods should
always be used in trying to attain the same end. There are few
subjects of equal importance so little considered by students of music
in a conscious intelligent way. A clear conviction as to the
foundation for close adherence to certain methods of doing things is
an invaluable mental asset for any student.

The whole subject of breathing has been so fully considered in
previous chapters--indeed more or less in all parts of this work--that
it is not necessary to go into much detail now. The investigations of
physiologists in the internal have only emphasised the author's
teaching on this subject. The present position of the subject may be
stated thus: (1) In inspiration the whole chest is enlarged, this
involving the descent of the diaphragm. (2) The amount of mobility is
much greater in the lower half of the chest. (3) This lower half of
the chest and the diaphragm act together, constituting a special
mechanism of great importance. (4) The abdominal muscles discharge a
cooeperative function. It follows that the advice of a present day
famous tenor to "breathe low" is sound. Nevertheless, it must not be
forgotten that inspiration begins above and that the upper chest has
its functions also. It is not merely a region of support for the
lower mechanism, important as this function is. The terms "abdominal"
and "diaphragmatic" respiration have led to misunderstanding. Neither
the abdominal muscles nor the diaphragm ever act alone in normal
respiration, though they are important cooeperative factors.

Breathing exercises should be based on broad views of the subject, and
no part of the respiratory mechanism should be neglected.

Small an organ as is the larynx it is through it the energy of the
expiratory act is transmitted effectively or the reverse to the
all-important resonance chambers. This should be so done that there is
no waste; in other words, that there be perfect co-ordination between
the breathing and the laryngeal mechanism. The vocal bands must be so
related in function to the expiratory mechanism that the outgoing
blast of air shall be as effective as possible. There must be no waste
of power--_i.e._, of the expiratory blast through escape of air that
accomplishes no purpose. The blast must be so applied to the vocal
bands, or, in other words, they must be so adapted to the blast that
there is no waste of energy. If the bands approximate a little too
late there is waste of breath power. The bands must further so beat
the air of the resonance chambers as to get the greatest possible
result with the least possible expenditure of energy. As all these
co-ordinations imply the action of many muscles in a related way, it
is plain that intelligent and prolonged training is necessary; and if
our scientific knowledge had no other result than to establish such a
conviction on a sure basis it would be well worth while; but it is a
light unto the feet of the student and teacher at every step, only it
must be a clear light, not one seen through a mental haze. If there be
failure the fault must not be set down to science but to ourselves.

It is ever to be borne in mind that when anything is done in the right
way not only is there no pain, unpleasant feeling or evil
after-effects, but when real skill has been attained through training,
the result is accomplished with a sense of ease and all the
accompanying feelings are agreeable. The singer need not know that he
has a throat by any disagreeable reminder. At the same time a function
may be correctly discharged but continued too long, so that weariness
or positive fatigue with some evil consequences may follow. Fatigue
always implies more or less poisoning of the system.

Of the resonance chambers, the mouth cavity, the pharyngeal cavity and
the naso-pharynx, which may both be regarded as a part of the mouth
cavity, and the nasal chambers, the latter may be considered the least
variable in shape; nevertheless they can, by means of the soft
palate, be to a large extent shut off from the other parts of this
series of chambers.

The means by which the size and shape of the resonance chambers can be
varied are chiefly the soft palate and the tongue, the latter being of
the greatest importance. The changes in the shape of the mouth cavity
necessary for the formation of vowels are due chiefly to the movements
of the tongue, and the tongue is more largely concerned in the
utterance of consonants than any other moveable part of the upper
voice mechanism.

For practical ends it is important to realize that one speaks with the
tongue; and if one believed that everything depended on this organ,
other parts--including the outer mouth or lips merely to be kept out
of the way--the result would on the whole likely be gain.

In the formation of vowels the result may be good when the lips take
but the slightest active part, and the student is advised to practice
vowel formation without the use of the lips. He is likely to use them
enough in any case provided he ensures the formation of pure vowel
sounds, and people seem to have an extraordinary facility for
over-doing the use of lip movements, for getting the teeth in the way
and thus spoiling tone, that was begun well, before it has escaped
from the mouth. It may be observed that those who get their living on
the streets by the use of the voice, and who use the voice much and
often speak rapidly, and in spite of this are heard well, so construct
their words that the lips are not seen to move to any appreciable
extent except as the lower jaw moves. The lips seem to be always
apart. It is not the amount of movement that is important but the kind
of movement, especially its rapidity.

Muscular efforts for the production of consonants should be neat,
decisive, sharp, rather than held ones, which tend to spoil the word
as a whole. As a rule, one is safe in holding the vowel as long as
possible and in making the time dwelt on the consonant as short as
possible--_i.e._, consistent with distinct and musical utterance.

The same applies to singing with even greater force. In speaking
especially short pauses not printed in the text may be made to great
advantage, and this is often better than dwelling on consonants. The
mouth of the speaker and still more that of the singer should not
attract the attention of the listener, so the less movement of the
lips of a kind readily open to observation, the better. Besides such
movements being unnecessary are a waste of muscular and nervous
energy.

Singers are not warranted in departing to any appreciable extent from
the pronunciation of words laid down as standard for speakers--_e.g._,
"shall" should not be sung as "sholl," and in such a word as "motion,"
the final syllable should not be made equally important with the
first one. Singers should observe the laws of a good elocution; in
other words, such treatment of the language of the song as an approved
reader would employ. The author would go so far as to say that no
singer should appear in public till he can utter every syllable as he
sings so that it is readily recognised by the listener. At present
such is rarely the case even with the best vocalists. All prospective
vocalists should study utterance by the speaking voice first and
continue it when the study of singing has been begun. The words of
every song, etc., should be mastered in all respects before they are
sung.

As the degree of success in singing or speaking depends so far as
technique is concerned on a series of co-ordinations the condition of
both the psychic and bodily mechanism as determined by training and
the general health of the individual is of great importance; and it is
not to be forgotten that the mind as well as the body is to be
considered in all questions of hygiene.




INDEX.


A

Abdominal muscles, 66

Acoustics, 97

Adam's apple, 80

Adductors, 82

Air, 48
complemental, 70
quantity of, in lungs, 70
residual, 70
supplemental, 70
tidal, 70

Amateurs, 274

American speech, 146

Americans, pitch of, 224

Antagonists, 53

Anatomy, 35

Art, 17, 272

Artist, isolation of, 254

Artistic, 246
perception, 245
temperament, 31

Arytenoid cartilages, 77

Aspirates, 228

Attack, 30, 125, 127, 208
best tests of a good, 129
good, 127, 232

Auditory messages, 250

Auto-laryngoscopy, 109, 110, 152, 161


B

"Backward" production, 213

Bel Canto, 211

Break, 162

Breath, 60, 72
control of, 20, 21
exercise for, 133, 134
in phonation, 130
manner of using, 172, 208
stream, 22, 125, 194

Breathing, 44-73, 118, 124
abdominal, 118
clavicular, 118, 119
deep, 63
diaphragmatic, 118, 119
exercises, 131
mechanism, control of, 120
method of, 64, 177
nose, 131

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