The morning journal-courier., 1908-10-03
Hints For The Household
Tone Talks.
Editor Journal Courier;

Editor Journal-Courier;
 Dear Sir-I wish you would inform me through "Tone Talks what l can do with my voice am 6 contralto and can sing an octave of good full tones and then my voice changes suddenly into quality that do not like
 V.
 Evidently you carry your clest tones much too high. To remove the aWk- ward break or unevcnness that occurs in contralto voices before training re- quires much skill, patience and time Danger to a voice of this type lies in permitting the singer to carry the so- called chest quality above F fiat, first line treble clef. This must never be allowed, The thing ultimately to be done Is to bring about gradual and unnoticeable transition from the chest Into the medium quality at this point In singing down the scale a similar transition should be made from the medium into the chest tones, This Is at first difficult thing to do and can be accomplished successfully only under the guidance of an experienced vocal teacher. Contralto voices are greatly benefited by practicing major thirds and flfths downward very slowly, at first. in the medium quality beginning on c. third space treble clef, These exercises should be sung in transposl- tons by half tones until the lowest notes are reached. Usually the exercis- es beginning at as above noted can be sung easily and without effort pro- vided they are placed in the medium quality The medium quality cannot be carried safely above n fiat, fourth line, treble clef When an ascending passage, in a song or an exercise goes above this note there should be a grad ual transition from the medium quality into the so-called head tones, begin ming a tone or two below D fourth line treble clef. There Is no fixed law re- garding the exact location of the begin ming of these transitions, commonly known as the blending of the registers. II rests with the teacher to treat these pecularlties according to individual conditions and needs. The main point to be observedain cultivatlng any voice Is that 1t must be trained to sing l throughout its entire range with even ness of tone, beauty of quality, depth without forcing and with perfect boise, This end accomplished there can be no question raised about the real worth of the teaching.
 | Registers as such are not to be cul- tivated The breaks that occur in con- tralto and mezzo voices must he, SO to speak, dovetailed. It Is perfectly safe to carry the medium quality down the scale 8s far as 1t will go. Usually 1t does not go below c. first added line below treble clef Carrying the me- dium quality down as low as this helps transition. One more point demands close consideration and careful work ! ing out. The so-cnlled white. voice or that thinner quality in the upper range of contralto voices must he understood practiced and developed Contralto voice in order to sing with strong con trasting shades of tone. This thinner freer quality is indispensable to con- traltos who wish to do coloratura sing. Ing Mme Schumapn-H Heink uses this quality with marvellous skill and ef- feet.
 GEO. CHADWICK STOCK.
 Note-Questions sent 10 "Tone Talks will receive attention.--Ed