The Psychology of Singing | Page 3

is held sufficient to verify each statement
regarding the accepted doctrines of Vocal Science. As for the practical
features of modern methods, the facts alleged cannot in every case be

substantiated by references to published works. It is, however, believed
that the reader's acquaintance with the subject will bear out the author's
statements.
This work is of necessity academic in conception and in substance. Its
only purpose is to demonstrate the falsity of the idea of mechanical
vocal management, and to prove the scientific soundness of instruction
by imitation. There is no possibility of a practical manual of instruction
in singing being accepted, based on the training of the ear and the
musical education of the singer, until the vocal world has been
convinced of the error of the mechanical idea. When that has been
accomplished this work will have served its purpose. All of the
controversial materials, together with much of the theoretical subject
matter, will then be superfluous. A concise practical treatise can then be
offered, containing all that the vocal teacher and the student of singing
need to know about the training and management of the voice.
It is in great measure due to the coöperation of my dear friend, Charles
Leonard-Stuart, that my theory of voice production is brought into
literary form, and presented in this book. To his thorough musicianship,
his skill and experience as a writer of English, and especially to his
mastery of the bookman's art, I am deeply indebted. True as I know
Leonard-Stuart's love to be for the art of pure singing, I yet prefer to
ascribe his unselfish interest in this work to his friendship for the
author.

CONTENTS

PART I
MODERN METHODS OF INSTRUCTION IN SINGING

CHAPTER I
Tone-Production and Voice Culture
CHAPTER II
Breathing and Breath-Control
CHAPTER III
Registers and Laryngeal Action
CHAPTER IV
Resonance
CHAPTER V
Empirical Materials of Modern Methods
CHAPTER VI
A General View of Modern Voice Culture

PART II
A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF MODERN METHODS

CHAPTER I
Mechanical Vocal Management as the Basis of Voice Culture
CHAPTER II

The Fallacy of the Doctrine of Breath-Control
CHAPTER III
The Fallacies of Forward Emission, Chest Resonance, and Nasal
Resonance
CHAPTER IV
The Futility of the Materials of Modern Methods
CHAPTER V
The Error of the Theory of Mechanical Vocal Management

PART III
THE BASIS OF A REAL SCIENCE OF VOICE

CHAPTER I
The Means of Empirical Observation of the Voice
CHAPTER II
Sympathetic Sensations of Vocal Tone
CHAPTER III
Empirical Knowledge of the Voice
CHAPTER IV

The Empirical Precepts of the Old Italian School
CHAPTER V
Empirical Knowledge in Modern Voice Culture
CHAPTER VI
Scientific Knowledge of the Voice

PART IV
VOCAL SCIENCE AND PRACTICAL VOICE CULTURE

CHAPTER I
The Correct Vocal Action
CHAPTER II
The Causes of Throat Stiffness and of Incorrect Vocal Action
CHAPTER III
Throat Stiffness and Incorrect Singing
CHAPTER IV
The True Meaning of Vocal Training
CHAPTER V
Imitation the Rational Basis of Voice Culture

CHAPTER VI
The Old Italian Method
CHAPTER VII
The Disappearance of the Old Italian Method and the Development of
Mechanical Instruction
CHAPTER VIII
The Materials of Rational Instruction in Singing
CHAPTER IX
Outlines of a Practical Method of Voice Culture
Bibliography
CHAPTER I
TONE-PRODUCTION AND VOICE CULTURE
In no other form of expression do art and nature seem so closely
identified as in the art of singing. A perfect voice speaks so directly to
the soul of the hearer that all appearance of artfully prepared effect is
absent. Every tone sung by a consummate vocal artist seems to be
poured forth freely and spontaneously. There is no evidence of
calculation, of carefully directed effort, of attention to the workings of
the voice, in the tones of a perfect singer. Yet if the accepted idea of
Voice Culture is correct, this semblance of spontaneity in the use of the
voice can result only from careful and incessant attention to mechanical
rules. That the voice must be managed or handled in some way neither
spontaneous nor instinctive, is the settled conviction of almost every
authority on the subject. All authorities believe also that this manner of
handling the voice must be acquired by every student of singing, in the
course of carefully directed study.

This training in the use of the voice is the most important feature of
education in singing. Voice Culture embraces a peculiar and distinct
problem, that of the correct management of the vocal organs. Vocal
training has indeed come to be considered synonymous with training in
the correct use of the voice. Every method of instruction in singing
must contain as its most important element some means for dealing
with the problem of tone-production.
No complete and satisfactory solution of this problem has ever been
found. Of this fact every one acquainted with