With some distinguished exceptions, it is now almost universally
the practice to require the pupil, as the very first thing, to fill
the lungs as full as possible, whereby the chest must be raised.
Then the tones must be sung in as strong and long-sustained
a manner as possible, in order “to bring out the voice,” as the
phrase is. He is next told to begin the tones with a full chest
_piano_, and slowly swell them to the highest _forte_, and then
descend as slowly, in order to learn “to govern the voice.” Thus
the pupil is always required to sing as strongly as possible,
without any special regard to the timbre of the tones, because the
timbre is regarded as a peculiarity of different voices, admitting
of no change. According to what has been shown in the preceding
pages, the present way of using the breath, by which it is supposed
that voices are rendered strong and full, only needlessly fatigues
the organs, injures the beauty and weakens even the strength of the
tones. In the same way we find, especially in the case of tenor
voices, that the aim is by greater forcing of the breath to extend
the registers beyond their limits. Another fault is often taught:
the pupil is required to force with the breath to the due pitch
those tones whose pitch is usually struck too low. No voices can
ever endure such treatment, and, although the organs may be strong
enough to remain sound while under instruction, yet the voice will
not continue good, and cannot be of long duration.
We often hear, even in fresh and unsophisticated voices,
a hoarse breathing accompanying the tones, as in the case of
worn-out voices. This breathing arises when the air, which is
exhaled and which rushes into the cavity of the mouth, is not
all in vibration, and it escapes along with the vibrating
columns of air. It sometimes happens, also, that in the too
great pressure of the exhaled air against the glottis, the
arytenoid cartilages, near their bases, and sometimes the
vocal chords leave a small opening through which the air
escapes with a hoarse noise. By keeping back the breath in
singing these faults may be corrected. Long-continued singing
piano in exercises is, moreover, beneficial in the forming of
the voice.[12]
A simple expiration does not indeed suffice for the generation
of a full sounding singing tone. There is required a certain
force by which the air is sent through the narrow and stretched
glottis. But so great an expense of force as people are usually
at is not necessary.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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