THE VOCAL ORGANS

Question. Is it necessary that I should know the anatomy of my vocal organs in order to produce a given sound?

Answer. No; it is no more necessary than that you should know the physiology and the laws of hygiene, as the whole organism, including the nervous system, is involved in the right use of the vocal organs. You can speak, read, and sing well without knowing how or why. However, for the prevention of injury to the voice such knowledge is often of service. It also adds to your general culture. Knowledge is power.

Q. How many aspects have vocal sounds?
A. Two, subjective and objective.

Q. What is the subjective aspect?

A. The shape and size of the throat, place of the tongue, and general disposition of the vocal organs requisite for voice production.

Q. What is the objective aspect of vocal sounds?

A. It is the product heard by others, and in a slight degree by yourself.

Q. What is essential to the perfection of my

tone?

vocal organs your

A. That you pay close attention to the disposition of and to the shapes assumed by your throat, tongue, teeth, and lips, as well as to the sounds issuing thence under given conditions.

Q. How many elementary sounds are there in our language?

A. Forty-two, which include the standard and

the shade vowels.

Q. How are these sounds divided?

A. Into vowels and consonants.

Q. What are vowels?

A. Voiced breath; tones sounded without audible friction.

Q. Name the fundamental vowels of the English language.

A. A, E, I, O, and U.

Q. What are consonants?

A. Consonants, meaning "sounded together," are sounds heard only in connection with a vowel, which is a more open utterance.

Q. Name the consonants.

A. The labials, made with the lips: P, B, F, V, M.

The dentals or linguals, made with the tip of

the tongue or near the teeth: T, D, N, TH, and the sonant TH as heard in thine and with.

The palatals or gutturals, made more in the throat, K, G, NG, and the H before long U, as hue, huge, humor.

"Vowel" and "consonant are relative terms, and the line is loosely drawn between them, making it difficult to have any set rule, as in some cases a letter will be a vowel which in other cases will be a consonant. For example, n is a vowel in burden, as the lips are open on n, but it is a consonant in burned, as the lips remain closed on n. L is a vowel in apple and is a consonant in apply. The consonants y and w are hardly distinguishable from and merge into short I and short EE and OO.

Q. What are semivowels?

A. Semivowels are consonants which stand near the boundary between vowels and consonants. They are sometimes called "liquids.” Q. Name them.

A. L, M, N, NG, Y, W.

Q. What organs are immediately concerned in the production of vowels and consonants?

A. The diaphragm, the lungs, the trachea or windpipe, the larynx, the pharynx, and the nasal cavities.

Q. What is the diaphragm ?

A. The breathing muscle in which is the propelling power of the lungs. See page 83, ante. Q. What are the lungs?

A. Two spongy organs occupying the upper torso cavity and which communicate with the mouth through the windpipe.

Q. What is the trachea?

A. The principal air passage of the body connecting the larynx and mouth with the bronchial tubes.

Q. What is the larynx or voice box?

A. The opening of the upper end of the windpipe, wherein vocal sounds are made.

Q. What is the pharynx ?

A. The passage which lies above the larynx, the pouch at the back end of the nasal cavities. Q. Is the pharynx capable of being widened and narrowed?

A. Yes; largely by the movements of the back or root of the tongue. The repetition of the sound ga makes the muscles flexible.

Q. How is the top of the pharynx designated, and what is its use in tone production?

A. It is called the throne, and the constant direction of breath in speaking, reading, and singing to this point is of first importance.

Q. What exercises are of greatest service in directing the breath to the throne of the pharynx? A. Repeating the words on, la, and loud. Q. What are the nasal cavities?

A. The hollow interiors of the nose.

Q. Name the other organs concerned in making sound.

A. The vocal cords, the glottis, the epiglottis, the hard and soft palates, the uvula, teeth, and lips.

Q. What are the vocal cords?

A. Elastic ligaments in the front of the throat over which the breath passes, causing them to vibrate and emit sounds, as does the wind striking the strings of an Æolian harp.

Q. How are these cords held in place?

A. The lower ends are attached to the front of the larynx, and the upper extremities to two movable bodies of cartilage called arytenoids.

Q. What service do arytenoids perform?

A. They open and narrow the space between the two vocal cords at will.

Q. What is the space between the vocal cords called?

A. The glottis.

Q. Does the sounding of the different vowels change the shape of the vocal cords?