The Head Voice and Other Problems | Page 4

the idea that he must direct the tone to some
particular point, in fact he is often urged to do so, whereas the truth is
that when the tone is properly produced there is no thought of trying to
put it anywhere. It seems to sing itself. There is a well established

belief among students that the tone must be consciously directed to the
point where it is supposed to focus. This belief is intimately associated
with another equally erroneous, that the only way to tell whether a tone
is good or bad, right or wrong, is by the way it feels. A tone is
something to hear. It makes its appeal to the ear, and why one should
rely on the sense of feeling to tell whether it sounds right or wrong is
something difficult to understand.
Further, explicit directions are given for the action and control of
everything involved in making tone except the mind of the student. The
larynx seems to be particularly vulnerable and is subject to continuous
attack. One says it should be held low throughout the compass. Another
says it should rise as the pitch rises, and still another, that it should drop
as the pitch rises. Instructions of this kind do not enlighten, they
mystify.
If there be any one thing upon which voice teachers theoretically agree
it is "free throat". Even those who argue for a fixed larynx agree to this,
notwithstanding it is a physical impossibility to hold the larynx in a
fixed position throughout the compass without a considerable amount
of rigidity. It is like believing in Infinite Love and eternal punishment
at the same time.
When the larynx is free it will not and should not be in the same
position at all times. It will be a little lower for somber tones than for
bright tones. It will be a little higher for the vowel e than for oo or o,
but the adjustments will be automatic, never conscious. It cannot be too
often reiterated that every part of the vocal mechanism must act
automatically, and it is not properly controlled until it does.
The soft palate also comes in for its share of instruction. I was once
taught to raise it until the uvula disappeared. Later I was taught to relax
it. Both of these movements of the soft palate were expected to result in
a beautiful tone. Now if two things which are directly opposed to each
other are equal to the same thing, then there is no use in bothering our
heads further with logic.
Such directions I believe to be of doubtful value, if not irrelevant. We

must learn that an idea has definite form, and that when the mechanism
is free, that is, plastic, the idea molds it into a corresponding form and
the expression becomes a perfect picture of the idea. This is what is
meant by indirect control, involuntary, automatic action.
One could write indefinitely on the peculiarities of voice training, the
unique suggestions made, the mechanical instructions given, the
unbelievable things students are made to do with lips, tongue and
larynx as a necessary preparation to voice production. In this as in
everything else there are extremists. Some have such an exquisite sense
of detail that they never get beyond it. At the other extreme are those
who trust everything to take care of itself. Both overlook the most
important thing, namely, how the voice sounds.
It requires much time, study and experience to learn that voice training
is simple. It is a fact that truth is naturally, inherently simple. Its
mastery lies in removing those things which seem to make it difficult
and complex. Training the voice, this so called "voice placing," is
simple and easy when one has risen above that overwhelming amount
of fiction, falsity, and fallacy that has accumulated around it, obscuring
the truth and causing many well intentioned teachers to follow theories
and vagaries that have no foundation in fact, and which lead both
teacher and pupil astray. If there is any truth applicable to voice
training it has an underlying principle, for truth is the operation of
principle. If we start wrong we shall end wrong. If we start right and
continue according to principle we shall reach the desired goal.
=Voice training has its starting point, its basis, its foundation, in
beautiful tone.= This should be the aim of both teacher and pupil from
the beginning. To produce something beautiful is the aim of all artistic
activity. Beautiful tone, as Whistler said of all art, has its origin in
absolute truth. That which is not beautiful cannot possibly be true, for
real nature, which is the expression of Infinite Mind, is always perfect,
and no perfect thing can be ugly, discordant, or inharmonious. The
imperfection