Produced by David Newman, PB, Linda Cantoni, Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net Transcriber's Note Music notation in this ebook is rendered using scientific pitch notation, in which, for example, middle C is rendered as C4, C below middle C is rendered as C3, and C above middle C is rendered as C5, etc. For more information on this notation method, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_pitch_notation THE VOICE Its Production, Care and Preservation _By_ FRANK E. MILLER, M. D. _With a Note by_ GUSTAV KOBBÉ _SIXTH EDITION_ NEW YORK: G. SCHIRMER BOSTON: BOSTON MUSIC CO. COPYRIGHT, 1910 BY G. SCHIRMER NOTE Dr. Frank E. Miller, the author of this book, is one of the leading New York specialists on throat, nose and ear. He numbers many singers among his patients and is physician to the Manhattan Opera House, Mr. Oscar Hammerstein's company. To expert knowledge of the physiology of the vocal organs he adds practical experience as a vocalist. Before and during his student years he was a singer and held, among other positions, that of tenor in one of the large New York churches. This experience has been of great value to him in his practice among singers. He understands them temperamentally as well as physically. Moreover, it has led him, in writing this book, to consider questions of temperament as well as principles of physiology. Great as is the importance that he attaches to a correct physiological method of voice-production, he makes full allowance for what may be called the psychological factors involved therein--mentality, artistic temperament, correct concept on the part of the singer of the pitch and quality of the tone to be produced, etc. Above all, Dr. Miller, while convinced that the tones of the vocal scale require, for their correct emission, subtly corresponding changes of adjustment in the vocal organs, utterly rejects anything like a deliberate or conscious attempt on the singer's part to bring about these adjustments. He holds that they should occur automatically (or subconsciously) as the result, in very rare instances, of supreme natural gifts, in others as a spontaneous sequence to properly developed artistry. In fact, while based on accurate scientific knowledge, Dr. Miller's book also is the outcome of long observation and experience, so that it might well be entitled "The Common Sense of Singing." GUSTAV KOBBÉ. CONTENTS PAGE NOTE v CHAPTER I. A RATIONAL VOCAL METHOD 1 CHAPTER II. THE CHOICE OF A TEACHER 15 CHAPTER III. ON BREATHING: INSPIRATION 27 CHAPTER IV. ON BREATHING: EXPIRATION 49 CHAPTER V. THE PHYSIOLOGY AND PSYCHOLOGY OF VOICE-PRODUCTION 67