I. Do the following, all slowly and gently: While filling the chest, lift the arms (without bending elbows) outward till the two together form a straight line parallel to the floor. When chest is filled, strike it gently with the hands; alternately move the arms slowly about the chest upward and downward, and backward and forward; hold the arms up, and, bending the elbows, alternately elevate the hands and touch the cheeks with the backs of the fingers.

II. Do the following vigorously: Draw back the elbows with hands near the shoulders, fists clinched and palms up; take and hold a full breath; push forward the hands, on a line level with the shoulders, at the same time unclasping the fingers; then, keeping the arms as near to the sides as possible, so as not to strain the lungs, and clinching the fingers, draw the fists against the shoulders and as far back as you can. Place each fist near its own shoulder, fill lungs, and, keeping the elbows near the body, touch them in front, and behind if you can.

§ 2. The Organs of Vocal Expression may be considered as divided into four classes:

:

a. The Motor, causing the vibration of

b. The Essential organ, productive of sound, this sound being modified by

c. The organs of Intensification and

d. Articulation.

§ 3. To the first class, the Motor, belong the organs of respiration, the lungs and bronchial tubes and the muscles of the diaphragm and ribs surrounding them. (See Plate I. page 2.)

a. Under the breathing and over the digestive organs, separating the two, is the diaphragm, the muscles of which are so formed as to act in the lungs like a piston in a pump's cylinder. These are the only muscles in the body so made and placed as to draw into the lungs all the air possible; or to force it out of them in such a way as to produce the most powerful and effective sounds. When this diaphragm sinks, to draw in the air, it crowds down the abdomen and pushes it outward. When the diaphragm rises, to force out the air, it contracts and draws in the abdomen. Babes and strong men breathe and speak thus, naturally. Weak persons, and those who sit or stoop much, acquire a habit of using mainly the muscles of the upper chest, the lifting of which, in order to inhale, draws the abdo

men in, and the dropping of which, in order to exhale, forces the abdomen out. This habit weakens the lower lungs, by keeping one from using them. It weakens, also, the upper lungs, by employing them for a purpose for which they are not fitted. Besides this, as it does not expel the air from the bottom of the lungs, it lessens the quantity of breath used in vocalizing; and also, as the chest, while one is speaking thus, contracts the upper bronchial tubes, which otherwise would expand and vibrate during the utterance, it lessens the resonance of the tones. (See also what is said in § 134, page 66, of the special form of breathing accompanying the orotund quality.)

b. The proper order in deep breathing is to expand first the abdomen; i.e., the front, and at the same time the sides and back of the waist, then the lower ribs at the sides, then the upper chest; and in exhaling, to contract first the abdomen and waist, then the lower ribs at the sides, and last, the chest. This will be acquired through the following exercises:

Exercises in Breathing. (See §§ 1, 2.)

MODE.

Always inhaling through nostrils

I. Expand, first, abdomen, then lower side ribs, then lift chest, then contract abdomen and side ribs, and last drop the chest. (§ 1: a.)

In the following, if a beginner, place the arms akimbo, with fingers pointing forward, then throw shoulders (not body) forward so as to keep the chest down, and with fingers gently drawing apart the lower ribs below the breast bone

II. Expand, first, lower side ribs, then (throwing shoulders back) the abdomen, and lift chest, then contract the lower ribs and abdomen, and last drop the chest. (§ 1: a.)

After a few weeks, see to it also that the muscles at side and back of the waist expand as you draw in the air.

In holding the breath, or letting it out, never allow yourself to feel that there is contraction or force expended in the throat. Keep the throat open: make the waist muscles do all the work.

RATE.

According to each mode, practise —

I. Effusive or tranquil breathing; i.e., inhale slowly, and exhale with a prolonged whispered sound of h.

II. Expulsive; i.e., inhale more rapidly and expel, by contracting the abdomen, repeated whispers (a second or two long), of h-h, h-h, etc.

III. Explosive or abrupt; i.e., inhale more rapidly (or inhale slowly); expel, by contracting the abdomen, suddenly and forcibly, one or any number of whispered sounds of h.

In this way cough, yawn, sob, and laugh out the whispers.

c. To acquire the use of the diaphragm in vocalizing, after inhaling, draw in the abdomen suddenly, by an act of the will, and at the same time gently cough out hoo, hoe, haw, or hah, as in the exercise in § 7: II. After a few days, the contraction of the abdomen, which at first is merely produced at the same time as the vocal utterance, will come to be the cause that produces it.

d. To develop full respiration, strong utterance, and clear articulation, practise the exercise in § 7: III, or read anything in a whisper. Never prolong this exercise for more than two or three minutes. Never practise breathing or whispering after you feel giddy.

§ 4. The Essential organ is the larynx. (See Plate II.)

a. It surmounts the trachea, or windpipe, and is connected by the hyoid bone to the base of the tongue. During the act of swallowing, by an upward movement against the base of the tongue, it is covered by the epiglottis. Beneath this covering lies the cavity of the larynx. This is divided by a central contraction, called the glottis, into a

conical chamber above and a cylindrical one below. The glottis is bounded by the projection of two ligamentous bands called the vocal cords (though the term “cord” is misleading), and that of the ventricular bands above. The ventricle of the larynx, situated behind the latter, intensifies the sounds emitted by the vocal cords. These cords are attached to the thyroid (voɛos, a shield,) the protecting cartilage of the whole larynx, the arytenoids (aquтaiva, cup,) and these in turn to the cricoid (xoxos, ring), the fundamental cartilage. The muscles moving these cartilages affect the tension of the vocal cords and their vibratory length, for, the cords being arranged somewhat in the shape of a V, contraction of the apex has the same result in increasing the pitch of the sounds emitted, as the shortening by the hand of the strings on the neck of a guitar. But pitch is not entirely dependent upon the larynx used as a stringed instrument. It depends also upon variation in length of the resonating columns of air passing through the cords as through reeds. (See § 5.)

Exercises of the Vocal Cords.

(Attack.)

I. Holding the breath, repeat as rapidly as possible, a soft, short sound, between that of u in up and oo in coo-whispered - then softly vocal-and up and down the scale. Make it in the forward part of the mouth, rather than in the throat, and never after it begins to irritate the organs.

II. If you have a voice of a breathing quality, occasionally, for a few seconds, hold the breath and force it against the vocal cords so as to grate them together, emitting a half-vocalized, constantly interrupted sound.

§ 5. The organs of Intensification (Resonance), in addition to the tubes and chambers of the lungs and larynx, are the upper throat, or pharynx, the nasal cavities, the mouth, or buccal cavity (bucca, cheek), the hard and soft palates, and the uvula. (See Plate III.)

a. The pharynx is a connecting chamber for the passage from the stomach, (the oesophagus), and from the lungs, (the larynx), and those from the drums of the ears, (Eustachian tubes), and from the nose. It is the stage proper of the theatre of the voice. While it is important that its entrances and exits and resonating "flies" should be kept open and free from obstruction (the Eustachian tubes are easily inflated if mouth and nose be closed), the chief organ of intensification under control of the will is

b. The nose (nasal cavities). Respiration during vocal exercises should usually be through it alone. Its resonance results mainly from the vibration of

c. The hard and soft palates. The former being the hard, bony portion that arches the front of the mouth, serves also as a reflector

of sound for the buccal cavity. It is the dome of the theatre. The soft palate is the movable covering and partition at the back of the mouth. As a covering it is a sort of "proscenium arch over the stage, or pharynx, and is supported by two muscular ridges on either side, which are called the "pillars of the fauces." These can be brought near together at will, narrowing the space between them, called "the isthmus of the fauces."

As a partition, the soft palate answers to the curtain of the stage, affecting resonance by closing at will the openings of the pharynx to the nose and mouth. To do the first, its pendent portion, the uvula, is drawn backward, and a cushion is formed behind it, stopping the nasal passages. The second is accomplished by lowering the soft palate and lifting the back of the tongue till the two meet.

1 The above illustrative cut is taken from "The Mechanism of the Human Voice" by permission of E. S. Werner, publisher.