Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-30
ITS PHYSICAL VALUE
What Voice Culture Will Do
for a Girl.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
IF WELL PLACED GENTLEST
SOUNDS ARE HEARD.
Lung and Throat Troubles Disappear
With Proper Treat
ment.
sOMESIMPLE EXERCISES

an ideal in life and living up to it under
any and all difficulties. With the body 1t
Is perfect control of every member ac-
quired by steady control of the breathing
apprenticeship engine of the physical ma
chine. Singing is the art which teaches this
control as nothing else can
But" one girl says, Il can't sing and
can never learn how to sing. In the
first place l haven't any singing voice.
The expert answers: Every girl has a
singing voice II, she once learns to use her
diaphragm. Her tones may not have the
sweetness of PATHS nor the power of Niels-
sons, because these qualities depend on the
shape of the vocal organs and unceasing
practice. But there is no reason why every
girl should not learn to sing melodiously,
and in singing secure the physical benefits
which accrue from proper use of the voice."
Rightly to understand the value of voice
culture a girl must consider first some of
the exercises which help her to get control
of the diaphragm.
Diaphragm Control.
No. l. Place the hands on the sides of
the ribs SO that the elbows stand straight
out from the body and the finger tips cover
the lower edge of the front of each rib
With the base of the hands press In the
ribs until every bit of air is expelled from
the lower part of the lungs and the fingers
almost meet. Now inhale slowly through
the nostrlls, allowing the lower part of the
lungs to expand first, the hands separating
gradually until they are as far apart as
the breath will spread them.
No. 2. With the tips of the fingers on the
very middle of the chest, press down on
the breast bone until the lungs are con-
tracted to their utmost. Inhale gently,
filling the lower part of the fungs first.
Allow the chest to rise slowly until 1t is
thoroughly expanded and the elbows are
back from the body.
No. 5. Rest the fingers on the fIeshy part
of the body which lies just at the separa-
ton of the two ribs As you deliberately
as the lever of the breathing apparatus
When the lungs have reached the limit of
expansion, explode the breath suddenly by
a quick drawing in of this lever. which is
the controlling muscle of the diaphragm
Like the handles of bellows 1t governs
the drawing in and letting out Of the breath.
The last exercise has to be worked up
gradually, as 1t Is apt to make a person
dizzy at first. AS the diaphragm gains
strength, the breath is exploded on the
words baa, ba, bee, DO, boo in turn.
None of these exercises can be practiced
in tight clothes. The body must be per-
fectly free In order to expand to the limit
of It's capacity and contract accordingly
Daily practice is likewise essential The
effect is a strengthening of the walls of the
chest, expansion of the internal organs and
last and most important, the awakening of
the diaphragm to its sustaining powers.
The next step in the cultivation of the
voice Is the development Of these sustaining
powers. This is accomplished by various
breathing exercises in which the lips and
tongue are brought into play.
Follow These Notes.
No l. Inhale slowly and deeply. Then
riS he hraa ppf nxy11 hx
the diaphragm and hold the lips closed as
if to say EN-. Make a humming sound
while the breath is being exhaled, and If
the exercise is properly practiced the lip
will culver. Time the exhalation by a
watch or clock so that it requires a whole
or part of a second longer each week.
No. 2. Stand before lighted candle. al
lowing the mouth to come just in front of
the flame. With the lips well forward re-
peat the vowels IA, a, e, /. o and u in turn
having the tone perfectly clear cut; that
Is, free from all breath. This can be deter
breathiness is out of the vowel sound the
light will remain absolutely steady. The
least bit of breathiness will cause 1t to
flicker.
No. 8. Repeat the Twenty-third Psalm
keeping each word as free from breath as
were the vowels in the preceding exercise.
In both cases sustain the breath with the
diaphragm muscle and hold it If possible
longer each day.
Variety of Methods.
There are hundreds of methods for pro-
ducing the results obtained from the exer-
cises just given, but they all work toward
the one end-the perfect control of the
diaphragm which enables person to force
the breath over the vocal organs with even
ness and as slowly or rapidly as occasion
demands.
1t is the experience of all singing pupils
that after month or SO of similar ex-
ercises the chest increases an inch or more
in size. Many women are obliged to have
their bodices enlarged across the shoulders
and the wearing of tight clothes around the
waist becomes uncomfortable.
So much for the direct benefits from the
fundamental exercises of voice culture
which are to singing what five finger exer-
ctses are to the playing of the plano. They
continue from the time the singing lessons
begin until long after the opera or concert
singer steps into public notice with fin
ished voice.
Indirectly the benefit of the exercises are
legion, chief among them to girl being
the acquisition of a calm, dignifed bear
ing. Some idea of the truth of this
may be obtained In a very simple way.
When you feel particularly nervous in some
ones presence or at the prospect of meet
ing a new person, take long, deep breath
and exhale slowly by of the diaphragm
muscle. Your uneasiness will give way al
most Immediately to feeling of surety and
constant practice in singing soon makes a
certain assurance as well as calm con-
troll of the body habitual.
Not all the physical value of voice cul-
ture, however, is secured from proper use
of the diaphragm. Singing also cuitivates
the use of the mouth and in bringing the
tones of the voice forward relieves all ten
sion at the back of the throat and the vo-
cal chords.
Bad Teaching.
Just here Is where incompetent teaching
displays its bad effects. The voice which
is hard, the voice which does not hit a
note squarely on the head and the voice
which has to screeeh to be heard all be-
long In the same class. All are due to the
same cause and in the end produce equally
injurious results.
When a singing tone Is directed from the
diaphragm muscle the breath rushes over
the vocal chords straight to the front OF
the mouth. 1t stands to reason. therefore,
that when one first begins to sing the pow
er of the diaphragm is limited and the tone
should be small. noisy tone at first
means that some other agent has stepped
In to help. This Is usually the back of the
throat. which contracts and forces out the
tone, eventually hardening the muscles and
causing all sorts of trouble with the larynx
and the other vocal organs.
On the other hand a fpna which oo,,,ao