Chapter IX: First Principle

Voice is _speech_, and is produced by the _mouth_, not by the
_vocal cords_. The vocal cords produce only _sounds_, which are
transformed into _vowels_ and _consonants_ by a phonetic process
taking place in the _mouth_, and giving origin to the _voice_.

It is a general belief that voice is produced by the vibrations
of the vocal cords. “A column of air, going from the lungs
through the trachea to the larynx, strikes and puts in vibration
two ligaments, and produces a sound. The ligaments are the vocal
cords, and the sound, produced by the vibrations, is the voice.”
This is the definition given, in more or less similar form, by
the majority of writers on voice.

The author believes that a moment’s thought on the subject will
show that this definition is not correct, as there is a marked
difference between simple sounds, as produced by the vocal
cords, and the real phenomenon of Voice.

Going back to the origin of the word Voice, in its root it means
_speech_ (voc, in old Sanscrit, “to say”: Vox, in Latin, “to
speak”); and has been associated, since its origin, with the
qualification of a sound uttered by the mouth in the form of
speech or song. The real essence, therefore, of the physical
product of the vocal apparatus—the voice as _speech_—was
established since the birth of civilization by means of the old
classic languages.

Scientifically sound is the physical product of equal vibrations
given by any vibratory matter. When the vibrations are produced
by the vocal cords they give origin to the laryngeal sound,
musically called _tone_.

Voice is a more complex phenomenon, in the formation of which
the sound is essential, but is not the only factor, as for the
formation of the phonetic elements of the voice—the vowels and
consonants—the coöperation of other organs in addition to the
larynx are required.

As a physical phenomenon the vibrations of the vocal cords are
nothing exceptional, as they can be produced by any sounding
body—a musical instrument as well as the human instrument, the
larynx, which in its structure is nothing but a musical box
combining the properties of both a wind and string instrument.
If two elastic strings which are kept in the same tension as the
vocal cords are struck by a blast of air similar to that which
can put the vocal bands in vibration, they produce a sound
physically similar to that of the vocal cords, but much
different from that which characterizes the human voice. This
shows that the vocal cords alone produce sound, not voice.

There is no physical difference between a laryngeal sound and a
violin sound; but there is a decided difference between the
violin sound and the human voice in its real characteristics, as
the former has no power to produce phonetic elements—words. This
demonstrates that sounds do not possess the physiological
properties required for making voice.

Therefore the _laryngeal sound_ and the _human voice_ are not
exactly the same thing, and although sound is the germ from
which voice develops, _it is not the voice_. It stands to the
voice as the seed to the plant, which is an outgrowth of the
seed but is no longer the seed itself.

This implies that the rôle played by the vocal cords in the
formation of voice is much overestimated. They are the leading
factor in as far as the production of the sounds is concerned;
but the formation of the voice is caused by the phonetic
apparatus—the mouth. The resonance chambers complete this
process of evolution by adding to the voice their resonating
power, with all the characteristics attached to it—volume,
quality, and loudness.

The voice, therefore, in its complete form, as produced by the
mouth, is much bigger, more resonant, and of better quality than
the original sound from which it takes its origin. This
establishes a marked difference between the two products of the
two different phases of voice formation—the laryngeal, which
creates the sound—and the phonetic, which creates the voice.

If, however, the principle that the vocal cords produce only
sounds and not voice is demonstrated, it consequently becomes
evident how erroneous it is to attribute to them a function
which they do not perform, at least entirely. The vocal cords in
fact are apt to produce perfect tones, though always throaty and
rather weak if hindered from getting the full resonance of the
resonance chambers; but it is not in their power to produce any
kind of voice, composed of phonetic elements, vowels and
consonants, without the full coöperation of the mouth—the real
center of the voice.

John Hullah, professor of Vocal Music, in Queen’s College,
London, said: “There is no singing without saying: that which is
sung must also be said.” This statement—the result of a logical
intuition—has great value, regardless of the fact that it is not
based on any scientific principle.

The following conclusions, which are of great importance, follow
the principle of “that which is sung must be said”:

1. Singing, depending on saying, must rely on voice, or words,
and not on sounds.

2. The decided difference between sounds and words brings about
the result that the former, being produced by the vocal cords,
are sung in the larynx; and the latter, being composed of vowels
and consonants, produced by the mouth, must be sung by the
mouth. This establishes, from the beginning, the physiological
rule that the voice must be placed in the mouth.

3. Voice being produced by words, the more perfect their
formation, the more perfect is the resulting singing voice. It
is evident, then, that the singing voice depends entirely on the
speaking voice, which establishes the important rule that _for
training the singing voice correctly it is essential, to train
first, the speaking voice_.

This fact upholds the irrefutable axiom that any method of
singing based on tone and not on voice production, in other
words, based on laryngeal production of sounds, is to be
condemned, as it tends to the abolishment of the natural beauty
of the full voice for the purpose of developing only beautiful
sounds, like the sounds of any musical instrument. In such case
the tones, being placed in the larynx, are only slightly
reinforced by the laryngeal resonance, because they do not
expand enough to reach the masque.

A beautiful voice, in truth, must be the result of a
simultaneous collaboration of the different organs which
constitute the vocal apparatus—the moving, the producing, and
the resonating power—and therefore cannot be confined to a
laryngeal struggle between the exaggerated efficiency of the
moving power (breath) and the strain of the producing power
(vocal cords).

Only by the _complete coöperative and harmonious work of these
three powers_ is it possible to obtain the desired result of
producing a _perfect mechanism of singing, ruled by natural
laws_.

Great singers’ voices, especially natural voices, have always
been associated with the belief that something rare exists in
the anatomical structure of their vocal apparatus—exceptional
vocal cords, for example, different from those of the
generality.

The author has had the opportunity (through his professional
connection with one of the most prominent operatic institutions
in the world) of examining and studying the vocal organs of
almost all the greatest singers of the present day. In the
majority of them the vocal cords did not present any striking
characteristics which could establish a marked difference when
compared with the vocal cords of people not gifted with singing
voices. On the contrary, among those singers whom he had the
opportunity of observing, were some with rather deficient vocal
organs, and often affected with chronic congestion of the vocal
cords, which, however, did not interfere with their singing. In
fact, in a few cases the voices were exceptionally good; Caruso
was a typical example of this class.

On the other hand, the author has seen vocal cords of
exceptional character in persons who had not the slightest
notion that they could sing and develop beautiful voices. The
belief, therefore, that the vocal cords of singers are
responsible for the power and the beauty of their voices, and
are the source of their exceptional singing, is as false as it
is popular.

In reference to our conception of the mouth as the physiological
center of the voice, illustrated in this chapter, it may be
argued that this principle can be accepted only in regard to the
speaking voice, but does not apply to the singing voice.
According to our idea, however, speaking and singing are similar
actions; therefore there is no fundamental difference between
the speaking and the singing voice. The reader, in the fifth and
the following principles will find this subject illustrated at
length, with the refutation of all objections that may arise.