EANGE OF THE VOICE. 519 



Oertel also found that during the falsetto voice the epiglottis is erect. The apices of the 

 arytenoid cartilages are slightly inclined backwards, the whole larynx is larger from before 

 backwards, and narrower from side to side, the aryepiglottidean folds are tense with sharp 

 margins, and the entrance to the ventricles of Morgagni is narrowed. The vocal cords are 

 narrower, the processus vocales touch each other. The rotation of the arytenoid cartilages 

 necessary for this is brought about by the action of the crico-arytenoid alone, while the thyro- 

 arytenoid is to be regarded only as an accessory aid. The pitch of the note is increased solely by 

 increased tension of the vocal cords. In addition, there are a number of transverse and longi- 

 tudinal partial vibrations. During the chest-voice, a smaller part of the margin vibrates than 

 in the falsetto voice, so that in the production of the latter we are conscious of less muscular 

 exertion in the larynx. The uvula is raised to the horizontal position. 



Production of Voice. In order that voice be produced, the following conditions 

 are necessary : (1) The necessary amount of air is collected in the chest ; (2) the 

 larynx and its parts are fixed in the proper position ; (3) air is then forced by an 

 expiratory effort either through the linear chink of the closed glottis, so that the 

 latter is forced open, or at first some air is allowed to pass through the glottis 

 without producing a sound, but as the blast of air is strengthened the vocal cords 

 are thrown into vibration. 



316. RANGE OF THE VOICE. The range of the human voice for chest 

 notes is given in the following scheme : 



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/' 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. 



Timbre. The voice of every individual has a peculiar quality, clang, or timbre, 

 which depends upon the shape of all the cavities connected with the larynx. In 

 the production of nasal tones, the air in the nose is caused to vibrate strongly, so 

 that the entrance to the nares must necessarily be open. 



317. SPEECH THE VOWELS. The motor processes connected with the pro- 

 duction of speech occur in the resonating cavities, the pharynx, mouth, and nose, 

 and are directed towards the production of musical tones and noises. 



Whispering and Audible Speech. When sounds or noises are produced in the 

 resonating chambers, the larynx being passive, the vox clandestina, or whispering 

 is produced ; when the vocal cords, however, vibrate at the same time, " audible 

 speech " is produced. [Whispering, therefore, is speech without voice.] Whisper- 

 ing may be fairly loud, but it requires great exertion, i.e., a great expiratory blast, 

 for its production ; hence it is very fatiguing. It may be performed both with 

 inspiration and expiration, while audible speech is but temporary and indistinct, if 

 it is produced during inspiration. Whispering is caused by the sound produced by 

 the air passing over the obtuse margins of the cords. During the production of 

 audible sounds, however, the sharp margins of the vocal cords are directed towards 

 the air by the position of the processus vocales. 



During speech the soft palate is in action ; at each word it is raised, while at the sametime, 

 Passavant's transverse band is formed in the pharynx ( 156). The soft palate is raised highest 



