442 



VOICE AND SPEECH 



tralto, the soprano, and the intermediate, or mezzo-soprano. In the bass 

 and barytone, the lower and middle notes are the most natural; and 

 while the higher notes may be acquired by cultivation, they do not 

 possess the same quality as the corresponding notes of the tenor. The 

 same remarks apply to the contralto and soprano. 



The following scale gives the ordinary ranges of the different kinds 

 of voice ; but it must be remembered that there are individual instances 

 in which these limits are exceeded : 



256 



Soprano. 



1024 



128 



Tenor. 



512 



The accompanying figures indicate the number of vibrations per second in the corresponding tone. 

 It is evident that from c' to f is common to all voices; nevertheless, they have a different timbre. 

 The lowest note or tone, which, however, is only occasionally sung by bass singers, is the contra-F, 

 with 42 vibrations; the highest note of the soprano voice is a'", with 1708 vibrations (Landois and 

 Stirling). 



There is really no great difference in the mechanism of the different 

 kinds of voice, and the variations in pitch are due chiefly to the greater 

 length of the vocal chords in the low-pitched voices and to their short- 

 ness in the higher voices. The differences in quality are due to pecu- 

 liarities in the conformation of the larynx, to differences in its size and 

 to variations in the size and form of the auxiliary resonant cavities. 

 Great changes in the quality of the voice may be effected by practice. 

 A cultivated note, for example, has a different sound from a harsh, 

 irregular vibration ; and by practice, a tenor may imitate the quality of 

 the base, and vice versa, although the effort is unnatural. It is not 

 unusual to hear male singers imitate closely the notes of the female ; 

 and the contralto sometimes can imitate the voice of the tenor in a 

 surprisingly natural manner. 



The wave-length of the ordinary speaking voice in the male is eight 

 to twelve feet. In the speaking voice of the female and in children, it 

 is two to four feet. 



Action of the Intrinsic Muscles of the Larynx in Phonation. In the 

 production of low chest-notes, in which the vocal chords are elongated 

 and are at the minimum of tension that will allow of regular vibrations, 



