VOCAL CULTURE.

CHAPTER I.

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT.

THE student who really enjoys study, or who is goaded on by the necessity to be largely informed, is strongly tempted to spend too much time over books, to the acquirement of knowledge, without due reference to its use or impartation.

A usual accompaniment of this is the neglect of the body, so the "pale student" and the "scholar's stoop" have become familiar phrases.

Other things being equal, vigorous thinking depends upon a vigorous body; certainly a vigorous use of knowledge does. The dyspepsia of many gets into their written and spoken efforts. The disordered nervous system untunes speech, and makes hard work for the speaker. Physical and nerve weakness, especially, unmans the debater. The restless activity of the age afflicts the brain worker as well as others. The hurry of American life is the subject of comment by others as well as by ourselves. The rush to become wise is second only to the hurry to get rich. The annual summer vacation is a reaction of our mode of life, and as it is fashionable, no doubt will continue to work much good. But better than this yearly relaxation would be a regular and systematic attention to the needs of the body.

The gymnasiums of the city increasing in number, and in the excellence of their management, with institutions for tech

nical and physical culture, are making physical development more possible.

But the student's plea is, "I have no time for this, I have so much to study"; and yet these same men are eloquent advocates of a Sabbath of rest, or earnest in labor reform, quoting statistics and arguing, rightly I think, that the artisan will have clearer brain, better-balanced nerves, and be capable of doing more in eight hours than in ten, and of accomplishing more for his employer in six days than in seven.

Now physical recreation is of the nature of a rest, and recruits the tired brain-worker as cessation from manual employment recruits the tired hand-worker.

The object of physical culture, as advised here, is not excessive development of any particular muscle for strength. The advantage aimed at is as follows:

I.

General physical development to aid the vital functions. 2. Special chest development for lung capacity.

Development for erect carriage and strong bearing.

4. Development of the muscles of respiration.

5. Freedom from muscular rigidity, admitting of strong and graceful movements.

The amount of exercise to be taken depends upon age, sex, condition of health, etc. Those prescribed here may be safely taken by all if conditions of health or individual peculiarities do not prevent.

As the blood-vessels and cartilages begin to show signs of rigidity at forty, after this age the subject must be more careful as to how vigorously he exercises.

Fifteen minutes, twice a day, devoted to the physical exercise, will bring good results, if well followed up.

Physical development depends upon the following conditions: :

1. Accuracy with which any given exercise is taken.

2.

The alternate tension and relaxation of the muscles, momentary rest alternating with action.

3. Repetition or frequency. Two hours' vigorous exercise taken once a month may do more harm than good.

4. Ease or Rhythmical Movements. - Rigid constraint, constant tension, make hard work and prevent the development desired. Count during the movement. Be deliberate. Caution.-I. Avoid exercise immediately before or after a full meal. 2. Exercise in pure air. 3. After long periods of rest, approach the exercise gradually so as to prevent unnecessary lameness; stop before fatigue.

(For lists of gymnastic exercise, see Development, under RESPIRATION, and Preparatory Exercises, under Gesture.)

CHAPTER II.

THE PHYSICAL BASIS OF VOICE.

Sound. In order to find the scientific basis of voice, we make a brief study of the sensation of sound. Physical acoustics is a section of the theory of elastic bodies. Elastic bodies vibrating set the air in vibration, producing wave-like motions that reach to distant points. These wave-like motions radiate in all directions, and are similar to the agitation produced by throwing a stone into a placid sheet of water. The air vibrations, if sufficiently rapid, striking upon the ear, produce the sensation of sound.

Sounds are distinguished as (a) musical tones and as (b) noises. Musical tones result from rapid periodic vibrations of sonorous bodies. Noises result from non-periodic vibra

tions.

Musical tones are distinguished as to

I. Force or loudness.

2. Pitch or relative height.

3. Quality.

Vibrations of sonorous bodies producing sound may be seen by the naked eye, felt as in touching a tuning-fork, and by mechanical contrivances their amplitude, form, and rapidity may be determined.

Force or loudness of sound depends upon amplitude of vibration. The wider the vibration, the louder the sound.

Pitch or place in the scale depends upon the rapidity or rate of vibration. The greater the number of vibrations in

a second, the higher the pitch. The highest audible number of vibrations is 38,000 per second, the lowest 20 per second; from 40 to 4,000 (7 octaves) only are valuable for music or speech. The number of vibrations is very accurately determined by means of an instrument called the syren, consisting of a perforated disk in rapid revolution.

Quality is that peculiarity which distinguishes the musical tones of a flute from a violin, or that distinguishes different voices, and depends upon the form of vibration.

A string or resonant body is found to vibrate not only the entire length; but at the same time in sections which are aliquot parts of the whole.

The sounds of these sectional vibrations, combined with the sound of the whole or prime vibration, give a compound tone that ordinarily reaches the ear as one tone. The tones of these sectional vibrations are called overtones or partials, and mingling with the tone of the prime vibration gives the quality of tone. The prime tone is generally the loudest and lowest, and names the pitch of the compound. The "upper partial tones" are harmonics of the prime.

Compound Tones.-The most important of the series of these upper partial tones are as follows:

The first upper partial is an octave above the prime, and makes double the number of vibrations in the same time.

The second upper partial is a twelfth above the prime, making three times the number of vibrations in the same time as the prime.

The third upper partial is two octaves above the prime, with four times as many vibrations.

The fourth upper partial is two octaves and a major third above the prime, with five times as many vibrations.

The fifth upper partial tone is two octaves and a major fifth above the prime, with six times as many vibrations.

The sixth upper partial is two octaves and a sub-minor