VOICE, SONG AND SPEECH. 263 



the tuning fork is struck lightly, it gives a certain tone, but very 

 softly. If it be struck hard, however, it produces a louder sound, 

 due to the fact that the vibrations are greater in length, which, being 

 communicated to the ear, set up stronger vibrations in the drum, and 

 we hear a louder sound. This, however, does not vary the pitch of 

 the sound which remains identical as long as the number of vibrations 

 per second remain the same. 



The third quality of sound is due to the form of the vibrations 

 regardless of the pitch or the loudness. The trained ear recognizes, 

 for instance, in the note of the tuning fork, the violin, the clarionet 

 and the piano, the same tone howsoever made. There may be the 

 same degree of loudness, but there is a distinction — this distinction 

 being due to the peculiar form of the wave set up in the air and thus 

 communicated to our ear. This is known as the timbre of the sound. 



The manner in which the ear distinguishes the loudness and the 

 pitch is easily understood, as the vibrations of the drum of the ear 

 correspond in degree and number to the vibrations of the air and of 

 the sound-producing body. How it distinguishes the timbre of the 

 sound is much more complex. This subject has been carefully inves- 

 tigated, and it is now accepted that with the original or fundamental 

 tone there are always a certain number of over-tones which give this 

 special quality to the sound. 



Having now explained some of the fundamental principles of sound, 

 we will discuss the question of how the human vocal apparatus pro- 

 duces that form of sound known as the voice. Undoubtedly the 

 human voice is based upon the same principles as other musical sounds, 

 being, however, more complete, more varied in its capacity and more 

 adjustable to surrounding conditions, than any instrument made by 

 human hands. 



The relationship of speech to song is not well understood, many 

 persons believing that in song some special parts of the vocal organs 

 are utilized which are not employed in ordinary speech. As a matter 

 of fact, however, speech is simply a modified form of singing, the 

 principal difference being in the fact that in singing the vowel sounds 

 are prolonged, and the intervals are short, whereas in speech, the 

 words are uttered in what may be called 'staccato' tones, the vowels 

 not being specially prolonged and the intervals between the words 

 being more distinct. The fact that in singing we have a larger range 

 of tones does not properly distinguish it from ordinary speech. In 

 speech we have likewise a variation of tones, and even in ordinary con- 

 versation, there is a difference of from three to six semitones, as I 

 have found in my investigations, and in some persons this range is as 

 high as one octave. In this consideration of the voice, therefore, song 

 and speech may be considered under one head. 



