COMPASS OF THE VOICE. 483 



Application of the Voice in Singing and Speaking. 



The notes of the voice thus produced may observe three dif- 

 ferent kinds of sequence. The first is the monotonous, in which 

 the notes have nearly all the same pitch as in ordinary speak- 

 ing ; the variety of the sounds of speech being due to articula- 

 tion in the mouth. In speaking, however, occasional syllables 

 generally receive a higher intonation for the sake of accent. 

 The second mode of sequence is the successive transition from 

 high to low notes, and vice versa, without intervals; such as is 

 heard in the sounds, which as expressions of passion accompany 

 crying in men, and in the howling and whining of dogs. The 

 third mode of sequence of the vocal sounds is the musical, in 

 which each sound has a determinate number of vibrations, and 

 the numbers of the vibrations in the successive sounds have 

 the same relative proportions that characterize the notes of the 

 musical scale. 



The compass of the voice in different individuals comprehends 

 one, two, or three octaves. In singers that is, in persons apt 

 for singing it extends to two or three octaves. But the male 

 and female voices commence and end at different points of the 

 musical scale. The lowest note of the female voice is about an 

 octave higher than the lowest of the male voice ; the highest note 

 of the female voice about an octave higher than the highest 

 of the male. The compass of the male and female voices taken 

 together, or the entire scale of the human voice, includes about 

 four octaves. The principal difference between the male and 

 female voice is, therefore, in their pitch ; but they are also dis- 

 tinguished by their tone the male voice is not so soft. 



The voice presents other varieties besides that of male and 

 female ; there are two kinds of male voice, technically called 

 the bass and tenor, and two kinds of female voice, the contralto 

 and soprano, all differing from each other in tone. The bass 

 voice usually reaches lower than the tenor, and its strength lies 

 in the low notes ; while the tenor voice extends higher than the 

 bass. The contralto voice has generally lower notes than the 

 soprano, and is strongest in the lower notes of the female voice; 

 while the soprano voice reaches higher in the scale. But the 

 difference of compass, and of power in different parts of the 

 scale, is not the essential distinction between the different 

 voices ; for bass singers can sometimes go very high, and the 

 contralto frequently sings the high notes like soprano singers. 

 The essential difference between the bass and tenor voices, and 

 between the contralto and soprano, consists in their tone or 

 "timbre," which distinguishes them even when they are sing- 

 ing the same note. The qualities of the baritone and mezzo- 



