CHAPTER IX

FIRST PRINCIPLE

Voice is _speech_, and is produced by the _mouth_, not by the _vocal cords_. The vocal cords produce only _sounds_, which are transformed into _vowels_ and _consonants_ by a phonetic process taking place in the _mouth_, and giving origin to the _voice_.

It is a general belief that voice is produced by the vibrations of the vocal cords. “A column of air, going from the lungs through the trachea to the larynx, strikes and puts in vibration two ligaments, and produces a sound. The ligaments are the vocal cords, and the sound, produced by the vibrations, is the voice.” This is the definition given, in more or less similar form, by the majority of writers on voice.

The author believes that a moment’s thought on the subject will show that this definition is not correct, as there is a marked difference between simple sounds, as produced by the vocal cords, and the real phenomenon of Voice.

Going back to the origin of the word Voice, in its root it means _speech_ (voc, in old Sanscrit, “to say”: Vox, in Latin, “to speak”); and has been associated, since its origin, with the qualification of a sound uttered by the mouth in the form of speech or song. The real essence, therefore, of the physical product of the vocal apparatus—the voice as _speech_—was established since the birth of civilization by means of the old classic languages.

Scientifically sound is the physical product of equal vibrations given by any vibratory matter. When the vibrations are produced by the vocal cords they give origin to the laryngeal sound, musically called _tone_.

Voice is a more complex phenomenon, in the formation of which the sound is essential, but is not the only factor, as for the formation of the phonetic elements of the voice—the vowels and consonants—the coöperation of other organs in addition to the larynx are required.

As a physical phenomenon the vibrations of the vocal cords are nothing exceptional, as they can be produced by any sounding body—a musical instrument as well as the human instrument, the larynx, which in its structure is nothing but a musical box combining the properties of both a wind and string instrument. If two elastic strings which are kept in the same tension as the vocal cords are struck by a blast of air similar to that which can put the vocal bands in vibration, they produce a sound physically similar to that of the vocal cords, but much different from that which characterizes the human voice. This shows that the vocal cords alone produce sound, not voice.

There is no physical difference between a laryngeal sound and a violin sound; but there is a decided difference between the violin sound and the human voice in its real characteristics, as the former has no power to produce phonetic elements—words. This demonstrates that sounds do not possess the physiological properties required for making voice.

Therefore the _laryngeal sound_ and the _human voice_ are not exactly the same thing, and although sound is the germ from which voice develops, _it is not the voice_. It stands to the voice as the seed to the plant, which is an outgrowth of the seed but is no longer the seed itself.

This implies that the rôle played by the vocal cords in the formation of voice is much overestimated. They are the leading factor in as far as the production of the sounds is concerned; but the formation of the voice is caused by the phonetic apparatus—the mouth. The resonance chambers complete this process of evolution by adding to the voice their resonating power, with all the characteristics attached to it—volume, quality, and loudness.

The voice, therefore, in its complete form, as produced by the mouth, is much bigger, more resonant, and of better quality than the original sound from which it takes its origin. This establishes a marked difference between the two products of the two different phases of voice formation—the laryngeal, which creates the sound—and the phonetic, which creates the voice.

If, however, the principle that the vocal cords produce only sounds and not voice is demonstrated, it consequently becomes evident how erroneous it is to attribute to them a function which they do not perform, at least entirely. The vocal cords in fact are apt to produce perfect tones, though always throaty and rather weak if hindered from getting the full resonance of the resonance chambers; but it is not in their power to produce any kind of voice, composed of phonetic elements, vowels and consonants, without the full coöperation of the mouth—the real center of the voice.

John Hullah, professor of Vocal Music, in Queen’s College, London, said: “There is no singing without saying: that which is sung must also be said.” This statement—the result of a logical intuition—has great value, regardless of the fact that it is not based on any scientific principle.

The following conclusions, which are of great importance, follow the principle of “that which is sung must be said”:

1. Singing, depending on saying, must rely on voice, or words, and not on sounds.

2. The decided difference between sounds and words brings about the result that the former, being produced by the vocal cords, are sung in the larynx; and the latter, being composed of vowels and consonants, produced by the mouth, must be sung by the mouth. This establishes, from the beginning, the physiological rule that the voice must be placed in the mouth.

3. Voice being produced by words, the more perfect their formation, the more perfect is the resulting singing voice. It is evident, then, that the singing voice depends entirely on the speaking voice, which establishes the important rule that _for training the singing voice correctly it is essential, to train first, the speaking voice_.

This fact upholds the irrefutable axiom that any method of singing based on tone and not on voice production, in other words, based on laryngeal production of sounds, is to be condemned, as it tends to the abolishment of the natural beauty of the full voice for the purpose of developing only beautiful sounds, like the sounds of any musical instrument. In such case the tones, being placed in the larynx, are only slightly reinforced by the laryngeal resonance, because they do not expand enough to reach the masque.

A beautiful voice, in truth, must be the result of a simultaneous collaboration of the different organs which constitute the vocal apparatus—the moving, the producing, and the resonating power—and therefore cannot be confined to a laryngeal struggle between the exaggerated efficiency of the moving power (breath) and the strain of the producing power (vocal cords).

Only by the _complete coöperative and harmonious work of these three powers_ is it possible to obtain the desired result of producing a _perfect mechanism of singing, ruled by natural laws_.

Great singers’ voices, especially natural voices, have always been associated with the belief that something rare exists in the anatomical structure of their vocal apparatus—exceptional vocal cords, for example, different from those of the generality.

The author has had the opportunity (through his professional connection with one of the most prominent operatic institutions in the world) of examining and studying the vocal organs of almost all the greatest singers of the present day. In the majority of them the vocal cords did not present any striking characteristics which could establish a marked difference when compared with the vocal cords of people not gifted with singing voices. On the contrary, among those singers whom he had the opportunity of observing, were some with rather deficient vocal organs, and often affected with chronic congestion of the vocal cords, which, however, did not interfere with their singing. In fact, in a few cases the voices were exceptionally good; Caruso was a typical example of this class.

On the other hand, the author has seen vocal cords of exceptional character in persons who had not the slightest notion that they could sing and develop beautiful voices. The belief, therefore, that the vocal cords of singers are responsible for the power and the beauty of their voices, and are the source of their exceptional singing, is as false as it is popular.

In reference to our conception of the mouth as the physiological center of the voice, illustrated in this chapter, it may be argued that this principle can be accepted only in regard to the speaking voice, but does not apply to the singing voice. According to our idea, however, speaking and singing are similar actions; therefore there is no fundamental difference between the speaking and the singing voice. The reader, in the fifth and the following principles will find this subject illustrated at length, with the refutation of all objections that may arise.