The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1875-10-13
MISCELLANY.
For TIE RECORD.
YbfCE CULTURE-N0. II.
CLARA KOONs,

The air passes up from the trachca, or wind
pipe to the vocal cords, causing them to vi
bfatc; producing tone and these vibrations,
reflected from the different sounding-boards
of the chest and head, give a resonance pecu-
liar to the locality or sounding-board. There
are four cartilages and several muscles, which
aid in producing and modify these tones.
The first cartilage lies at the top of the
trachea, and is called the cricoid cartilage !;
the second, and largest; Is called the thyroid
cartilage, and covers the front part of the
larynx, the apex of which is the Adams
apple; more prominent in the threats Of con-
traltos and bassos than sopranos and tenors.
On either side of this thyroid cartilage, and
partly tnder IT, lie Che aryt6n5fd Carriages,
Which do the principal part in modifying the
pitch Of the sound. The muscles are called
the crico-thyroid, posterior crico-arytenoid,
lateral crico-arytenoid, thyro-arytenoid,, and
The single arytenoid, the others being in pairs.
There are two kinds of vocal cords, the SUI
perior and the inferior, SO called from their
position, the inferior being the lower ones,
and which produce the tones, and the superior
Being the upper ones which slightly modify
the tones. The column of air should be d.
rccted against the teeth, that the tone may be
thrown forward as much possible, causing
thereby pleasanter and clearer tone.
The term register is H5eral one, conse-
quently different writer's have applied the
term differently. 1t is easily detected in the
female voice that the low tones are different
e. 81 hot IL. H.
tones are still different, and these changes are
termed registers. Some cfaiiY that these
changes are in one register, others claim that
they are in two, stating that the tones which
yibrate on the chest form the chest register,
and those that vibrate in the head, the head
register. Others again claim that each prom
inent shade in the voice is a register, and that
there are five. The four lowest tones of the
voice, beginning at below the treble staff;
are acted upon by one set of muscles, and
this they term the first register, these tones
are also the heaviest ana strongest. The next
three tones, which are lighter, are acted upon
Somewhat differently, and these are said to be
iii tho second register the next four they call
the third register, the next three, the fourth
register, and the highest tones of the voice,
beginning at above the staff, they term the
fifth register.
"A register IN its proper sense, is When Che
Vocal cords repeat themselves. When a So
prano voice has assembled as high as possible
with the chest tone, the vocal cords have con-
tracted to their Utmost, and they suddenly re-
lax, and again commence contracting from
the next tone above, and are carried on in the
medium register as high as possible, when
they again relax and commence new contrac-
ton on the note above, entering the head reg
lister, thus making three registers. There are
changes in the shade of these registers but
they are caused by the different sounding
boards upon which the different tones act but
the vocal cords have but three changes, or re-
laxations, and these contractions and relaxa-
tions Of the vocal cords, constitute the three
registers in the female voice. is
In the culture of the voice we should not
carry the voice to the extent of the register !;
eontralto may carry the first register to r and
use mixed voice to G.. In the male voice
there are but two registers, the chest and the
lead. The chest register is the principal ONE
used, and the head or falsetto tones are used,
as a. general rule only at the beginning and
close Of the swell.
The tones of the voice vibrate on five sound
ing boards. The first is the lower part of the
chest, Oh which resound the lowest tones the
second is the upper part Of the chest, which
is the sounding board of the upper chest tones,
the third, the throat and roof of the mouth,
which reflect the upper medium tones fourth
the molar bones, which reflect the first head
tones, and the upper cavities of the head form
the soHnding board of the highest tones, MAX
ing the fifth. 90
(To BE coNrrxuEp.)