Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-01-12

position of the tongue, then let him sing
90, gradually changing the sound into
and ending with ah. Also repeating sew.
ersl times the syllable "koo," "ah koo
and "koo ah." During this exercise the
pupil should direct and allow the tone to
come we'll forward In the mouth.
Singers with large tonsils are very much
handicapped in producing pure quality OF
tone. They should, however, consult a
skillful physician, one who has had expert
ence in throat trouble and he will proDaply
advise the excision of the tonsils.
The next pure-tone destroying cause Is
the imperfect resonance in the cavities OF
the nasal bone. When the tone has been
produced in the larynx. it passes up through
the pharynx to the nasal cavities, etc,
II, however, by any obstruction the Vi
brations are excluded from either OF the
cavities there will be an imperfect reso.
nance, which will produce q nasal tone.
The exceedingly disagreeable sensation
experienced by listener to person sing
ing through his nose" as it is commonly
called, lsnot yery inspiring, to say the least
Of it. This unfortunate habit also requires
great deal of care and attention.
CURING BAD HABITS.
Let MS remember that bad habits, like
poisonous flowers, should be nipped in the
bud; or. better, as the plant which is capa-
bic of bearing such fruit should be plucked
from its earthly bed ere it begins to fasten
its roots to the abiding rock. So, with the
cause of any blemish in art, 1t should be
entirely eradicated at its inception.
1t is exceedingly difficult for us not only
to break away from bad habits, but it is
onlf fnr or1r fri fo he hrnlron
away from impressions they have once
formed of such habits, and, although we
NAV have actually been freed from bad hab-
it's tenacious grasp, yet we are too often re-
viewed through the spectacles of prejudice,
which, like the optical appendages. always
retain their degree of magniiying power.
An excellent exercise for the purpose of
freeing the tone from its nasal condition, is
to open your mouth and breathe through
the nostrils, you will now feel the soft palate
drop upon your tongue. VocaliZe while it
is in this position, and the tone will be
nasal. Afterward breathe through the
mouth, and the soft palate will rise higher
and higher until it would almost disappear,
now sing again while the soft palate Is in
this position, you will produce pure tones.
After you succeed in gaining control of the
movements of the soft palate, the quality of
ter to use mirror also during the perform
ance of this exercise, so that the operation
can be seen.
The third characteristic of tone is power.
Without this dynamical property, the
human voice, however sweet and pure,
would be berett of that dramatic intensity,
which allows it TO penetrate even the dis
tant space with its vibrating influence.
Although this characteristic can, as the
two preceding ones, be much improved by
proper exercise, yet, at the same time, it
must be through care and intellectual con-
sideration. "Can any voice be strengthened,
be it ever SO weak 2" / answer yes, pro-
vided the health Of its possessor will permit
the serious, necessary practice. Power of
tone depends largely on amplitude of Vibra-
tons, and although we have no standard of
measurement of the amplitude of vibra-
tons, yet we are enabled to judge of the de-
gree Of sensations produced on the tym-
panum of the ear, by the loudness of sound.
This loudness, however, is the result of the
force at which the vibrations strike the tym-
panum of the ear. This operation, which
depends upon the manner in which the
vitalizing energy is exerted upon the vocal
ligaments, is induced and controlled largely
by the respiratory muscles. It must be
DOTne III mlnu, uOWCNCIS bnae, aAtHOuSu VIC
vibrations may be enlarged to their fullest
extent, yet the carrying qualities OF the tone
may not be
NATURALLY IMPROVED.
When the column of air is formed between
the larYnx and midrif, if allowed to become
exhausted by any other pressure than that
of the diaphragm, the vibrations will have
a tendency to descend as we'll as ascend, and
thus it will readily be seen that the vibra-
tory power is necessarily weakened; but if
the column of air is directed and followed
up BY the action of the diaphragm, as the
expiration takes place, there will be more
OF q solid body of air formed, which will
cause the vibrations, produced by the vocSl
Hgaments, to rebound in a drumlike man
ner and be thrust into the nasal cavities and
against the roof of the mouth, where they
will receive additional reinforcements and
finally sent out ringing into the open space
in trumpet-like tone.
The power or intensity of the artistic voice
does not depend, as some people suppose,
upon the greater the force of breath the
greater the power OF tone, but of paving out
the precious breath with parsimonious care
to an effective purpose.
Breath, in relation to tone, exists in two
forms, viz: vocalized and unvocalized. The
pure tone is the product of the former, while
the mere expiration exists in the latter.
II the two forms Of air or breath pass
through the pharnyx mingled together, the
result will be sort OF "diluted" or "breathy''
tone. For the air which has made its es-
cape from the vibratory apparatus without
having become converted into vocal Vibra-
tions, not only exhauSts unnecessarily the
very limited supply OF air, which is in its
unvocalized condition, but so reduces the
effectiveness of the vocal vibrations produced,
as to destroy the resonance OF the singing
voice. SIMEON BISSELL.