(3) Lie upon the back, or sit reclining easily. (a) Depress the diaphragm and abdomen, the diaphragm muscle being active, and the abdominal muscles passive. (b) Contract the abdominal muscles, allowing the diaphragm to relax; (b) will exactly reverse the action of (a). Repeat (b), this time singing or speaking a staccato note, ah or oh. You will perceive that with the contraction of abdominal muscles and relaxation of diaphragm you have produced a breathy and unsubstantial sound. (c) Contract the diaphragm muscle, allowing the abdomen to relax as in (a), this time singing or speaking a staccato note, ah or oh. Now you will observe that the breathiness has departed from the tone, and yet the sound is not so firm and resonant as it might be. (d) Silently contract the muscles, first separately, that is, diaphragm and ribs being active, while abdominal muscles are passive, and vice versa; and second, contract both together, that is, let there be a firm holding-down of the diaphragm and holding-out of the ribs, and at the same time a moderately firm contraction of the abdominal muscles, not amounting, however, to a rigid or violent action. This united effort of pectoral-and abdominal muscles will give the best condition for firm and easy vibration of tone. (e) Sing and speak vowels, oh, ah, a, e, ai, ou, etc., keeping the simultaneous contraction of the thoracic and abdominal parts. If this is done moderately, it will soon induce a most comfortable condition of the whole body; a condition combining a healthful, animated, reasonably active state, with a sense of quiet and repose. The recumbent or reclining position has been assumed for the purpose of more minute and separate study of the muscles of the trunk; as the attention can be directed to these parts best when all the other parts of the body are perfectly relaxed. Now, having learned the delicate measurement of all these muscles, 4. Stand, or walk quietly, singing and speaking the tones as above directed. Add short sentences in different moods, but always within the sphere of normal utterance. Carefully measure the general sensation accompanying this consentaneous action of all the parts. Run up 5. Hold the singing tone during one breath. and down the scale to one breath. Sing all the syllables, do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, si, do, on each degree of the scale, ascending in one breath and descending in another. Now try all these eight syllables upon each of the sixteen notes; that is, ascend and descend to one breath. This will give sustaining power for long passages. 6. Practice the "calling tone."-Use words of military command and other shouting passages. In this be very careful that there is no straining or grating upon the throat. The action of the voice must be just as easy as in mild. conversational utterance. There will be only fuller and broader action of the chest and abdomen. This broader action will give you somewhat the feeling of comfortably stretching the muscles. There will be no jerking, no violent contortions. 7. Practice full and sustained passages. Make the voice carry, during long periods, as if you were speaking to an outdoor audience, or to a person across a field. In this, avoid monotony of inflections and of cadences. Let the intonation be natural. The voice must be evenly sustained, deeply sonorous, and somewhat slower than in ordinary speech. It must be remembered in connection with all the ex ercises suggested in this chapter, that each element is first to be separately mastered, and then employed in connection with the other elements of vocal action. During the process of separate study and mastery, there will often seem to be an exaggeration of the element under consideration. Do not be disturbed by this. In actual use, one part will so balance and supplement another that the united effect will be simply normal, comfortable, and easily efficient. To sum up, then, we would say, To have the perfection of action in his instrument, the speaker must have a promptly and generously opening chest, working noiselessly and comfortably, supported and reinforced by firm abdominal action, a loose throat, a promptly dropping chin, a quickly yielding tongue, lips sensitive and nervy, delicate but strong; and, finally, he must so train all the parts as to gain the maximum of vibratory, focusing, and tuning power, with the minimum of muscular and nervous effort; and especially that he must know and learn to feel the relations of the delicate and spiritually powerful element of resonance to the more homely and practical muscular part. Above all, the speaker needs a quickened, exalted appreciation of the real significance, and the natural symbolism, of vibratory action. |