The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1909-03-19

DO not attack note at the same
time that you are inhaling. That IS too
soon Take the breath thrOu III the
nose, of course, and give 1t an instant
to settle before attacking the sound
In this way YOU will avoid the stroke
of the CLOTHS which is caused by the
sudden ard uncontrolled emission of
the accumulated breath. In attacking
note the breath must be directed to
the focusing point on the palate, which
| lies just at the critical spot, different
for every tone. In attacking Il note,
however, there must be no pressure on
| this place. because If there is the over
tones will be unable to soar and sound
with the tone.
From the moment the note Is at
tackled the breath must flow out with
! It. 1t Is Il good idea to feel at first as
If one were putting out the breath
! This is particularly good for the high
notes, on which n special stress must
be laid always to attack with the
breath and not to press or push with
the throat. AS long as the tone lasts
the gentle but uninterrupted outpour-
Ing Of the breath must continue be-
hind it, This breath pressure insures
the strength and. while holding the
note to the focusing point on the pal
ate, insures its pitch. In general
way it can be said that the medium
tones of the voice have their focusing
point in the middle part of the palate
: the lower tones coming nearer to the
n a ipb
notes giving the sensation Of finding
their focusing point in the high arch
at the back Of the mouth and going
| out, as 1t were, through the crown Of
! the head.
The resonance in the head cavities is
soon perceived by those who are be-
ginning to sing. Sometimes in produc-
ing their first high notes young people
become nervous and irritated when
singing high tones at the curious buzz
ing in the head aud ears. After
short time, however, this sensation Is
no longer an irritation, and the singer
can gauge In a way where his tones
are placed by getting n mental idea of
where the resonance to each articular
| tone should be-
High notes with plenty of head vi
bration can only be obtained when the
head is clear and the nasal cavities I'M
obstructed by mucous membrane or by
any of the depression which comes
from physical or mental cause. The
best way to lose such depression is to
practice. Practicing the long scale,
being careful to use the different reg
listers, as described later, will almost
Invariably even out the voice and clear
out the head if continued long enough
and will enable the singer to overcome
nervous or mental depression as well.
The different sensations in producing
the tone vary according to the COM
parative height and depth. Beginning
from the medium tones, the singer will
feel as If each tone of the descending
scale were being sung farther outside
of the mouth, the vibration hitting the
upper teeth as it goes out, whereas
with the ascending scale the vibrations
pass through the nasal cavities,
through the cavity in the forehead and
up back into the head, until one feels
as If the tone were being formed high
over the head at the back.
l want to say right here that when
ever the young singer feels uncom-
Portable when singing he or she is
singing incorrectly.
In attacking the note on the breath,
particularly in the high notes. it is
quite possible that at first the voice
will not respond. For long time
merely an emission of breath or per-
haps little squeak on the high note
is all that can be hoped for. If, how
ever, this is continued eventually the
head voice will be Joined to the breath,
and a faint note will find utterance
which with practice will develop until
it becomes an easy and brilliant tone.
The reason that the tone has not
been able to come forth is because the
vocal apparatus cannot adjust itself to
the needs Of the vocal chords or be
cause they themselves have not accus-
toned themselves to respond to the
will Of the singer and are too stiff to
perform their duty
The scale is the greatest test OF
voice production. No opera singer no
concert singer, who cannot sing per
feet scale can be said to be tech
nician or to have achieved results in
her art Whether the voice be So
prano, meZzo or contralto, each note
should be perfect of its kind, and the
note of each register should partake
sufficiently of the quality of the next
register above or below it in order not
! -.
the voice asCends or dcscends the
scale. This blending Of the registers
is obtained by the intelligence of the
singer in mixing the different tone
qualities of the registers, using as aids
the various formations of the lips,
mouth and throat and the ever present
appogio, without which no perfect
] oap cunu