Resonance in Singing and Speaking Part 3

Figure 3 shows the best position of the lips to produce the vowel _oo_.

Figure 4 shows the position of the lips for the vowel sound of long _o_. The opening of the lips should be made as round as is the letter _o_. When preparing the lips to give the sound of _o_, the inclination is strong to drop the lower jaw; in practice, to develop action of the lips, the under jaw would better be held quite immovable. It will be found possible to produce all of the vowel sounds without any change except in the form of the opening of the lips. The vowel sound of _i_ is an exception; for as a compound of _ah_ and _ee_, the extremes of the vowel scale, it requires two distinct positions for its utterance with a movement of transition between; it is not, therefore, a good vowel for initial practice.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 2.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 3.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 4.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 5.]

Figure 5 shows that the sound _aw_ is produced from _o_ by raising the edge of the upper lip outward and upward, and flattening the raised portion laterally.

Figure 6 shows the position for producing _ah_. It differs from the position a.s.sumed for _aw_ in that the opening of the lips is larger, the upper lip is raised higher, the flat portion is wider, and the under lip is a little relaxed. The form of the opening to produce _aw_ is oval; the form for _ah_ is more nearly square.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 6.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 7.]

Figure 7 shows the under jaw relaxed, as it should be in practice, to enlarge the throat and give roundness and largeness to the tone. The use of the word _hung_ will accomplish this end.

The vowel sounds ill.u.s.trated above are embodied in a series of vocal exercises to be found in Chapter VIII on _Placing the Voice_.

CHAPTER III

BREATH CONTROL

It has been said that "breathing is singing." This statement is equally applicable to speaking. While the aphorism is not literally true, it is true that without properly controlled breathing the best singing or speaking tone cannot be produced, for tone is but vocalized breath; hence in the cultivation of the voice, breathing is the first function to receive attention.

For singer or speaker, the correct use of the breathing apparatus determines the question of success or failure; for without mastery of the motive power all else is unavailing. For a voice user, therefore, the first requisite is a well-developed chest, the second, complete control of it.

It must not be supposed that a singer's breathing is something strange or complex, for it is nothing more than _an amplification of normal, healthy breathing_. In contrast, however, to the undisciplined casual breathing of the general public, the singer is a professional breather.

THE MUSCLES OF RESPIRATION

There are two sets of respiratory muscles, one for inspiration and another for expiration,--twenty-two or more in all. The princ.i.p.al muscles of inspiration are the diaphragm and the intercostal muscles that elevate the ribs. The chief muscles of expiration are the four sets of abdominal muscles and the intercostal muscles that depress the ribs. The diaphragm is _not_ a muscle of _expiration_.

THE DIAPHRAGM

The diaphragm is in form like an inverted bowl (Fig. 8). It forms the floor of the thorax (chest) and the roof of the abdomen. It is attached by a strong tendon to the spinal column behind, and to the walls of the thorax at its lowest part, which is below the ribs. In front its attachment is to the cartilage at the pit of the stomach. It also connects with the transverse abdominal muscle. The diaphragm being convex, in inspiration the contraction of its fibres flattens it downward and presses down the organs in the abdomen, thus increasing the depth of the thorax. Expiration depends wholly on other muscles.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 8.]

The muscles so far mentioned are all that need "conscious education;"

the others will act with them voluntarily, automatically. The abdominal muscles relax during inspiration and the diaphragm relaxes during expiration, thus rendering the forces nearly equal, though the strength is in favor of the expiratory muscles. This is what is needed, for the breath while speaking or singing must go out under much greater tension than is necessary for inhalation. Inspiration should be as free as possible from obstruction when singing or speaking. Expiration must be under _controlled_ pressure.

THE LUNGS

The lungs are spongy bodies which have no activity of their own beyond a little elasticity. They are controlled by the muscles of respiration.

Figure 8 shows the organs of the body in their natural positions. The diaphragm is relaxed and curved upward, as in expiration. During inspiration the diaphragm is drawn down until it lies nearly flat.

INSPIRATION

The intercostal muscles raise the ribs. The diaphragm is drawn down by contraction, thus adding to the enlargement of the chest by increasing its depth. The abdominal muscles relax and allow the stomach, liver, and other organs in the abdomen to move downward to make room for the depressed diaphragm. This causes a vacuum in the chest. The lungs expand to fill this vacuum and the air rushes in to fill the expanding lungs.

EXPIRATION

The intercostal, and a part of the abdominal, muscles depress the ribs and lessen the chest cavity anteriorly and laterally. The abdominal muscles compress the abdomen and force up the diaphragm which is now relaxed, thus lessening the depth of the thorax. This pressure forces the air from the lungs and prepares them for another inspiration.

CORRECT METHOD

That the lateral-abdominal--more accurately chest-abdominal--breathing is correct and natural for both male, and female, and that the shoulders should remain as fixed as were Demosthenes' under the points of the swords hung over them, is now so generally admitted as to need no argument here. If any one has still a doubt on the subject let him observe a sleeping infant. It affords a perfect example of lateral-abdominal breathing, and no one can have a suspicion of s.e.x from any difference in this function. Among the lower animals s.e.x shows no difference in breathing at any age. All the peculiarities of female breathing are the results of habits acquired in after life.

Chest and shoulder heaving are vicious and evidence impeded breathing.

The singer who, forgetting the lower thorax, breathes with the upper only is sure to fail. Therefore breathe from the _lower_ part of the trunk, using the whole muscular system coordinately--_from below_ upward. In other words breathe deeply, and _control deeply_, but with the whole body--from below, not with the upper chest only, or with lateral expansion only, or abdominal expansion only.

Every teacher and pupil should remember that "singing and speaking require wind and muscle," hence the breathing power must be fully developed. Weak breathing and failure to properly focus the voice are the most frequent causes of singing off the key. They are much more common and mischievous than lack of "ear."

Dr. May tested the breathing of 85 persons, most of them Indians, and found that 79 out of the 85 used abdominal breathing. The chest breathers were from cla.s.ses "civilized" and more or less "cultured."

Nature has provided that for quiet breathing when at rest the air shall pa.s.s through the nose. But when a person is taking active exercise, and consequently demands more air, he naturally and of necessity opens the mouth so as to breathe more fully. While speaking or singing the air is necessarily taken in through the mouth.

BREATH CONTROL

Firmness of tone depends upon steadiness of breath pressure.

Steadiness of tone depends upon a control of the breath which allows a minimum volume of air to pa.s.s out under sufficient tension to produce vocalization.

The tension and flow of breath can be gradually lessened until the tone vanishes and not even a whisper remains.

Power and largeness of tone depend first upon the =right use of the resonant cavities=, and second upon the =volume of breath used under proper control=.

In producing high tones the breath is delivered in less amount than for the low tones, but under greater tension. Absolute control of the breath is necessary to produce the best results of which a voice is capable. Full control of the breath insures success to a good voice; without it the best voice is doomed to failure.

When muscular action is fully mastered, and the proper method of breathing understood and established, the muscles of inspiration and expiration will act one against the other, so that the act of breathing may be suspended at any moment, whether the lungs are full, or partly full, or empty. This is muscular control of the breath.

Correct breathing is health giving and strength giving; it promotes nutrition, lessens the amount of adipose tissue, and reinforces every physical requisite essential to speaking and singing.