Acoustics and Singing

Author(s): W. S. Drew
Source: The Musical Times, Vol. 76, No. 1109 (Jul., 1935), pp. 593-597
Published by: Musical Times Publications Ltd.
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/920147
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 THE MUSICAL TIMES
AND SINGING-CLASS CIRCULAR
JULY, 1935

Acoustics and Sin

By W. S. DREW
IN the course of a fairly extensive study of there is singularly little excuse, but perhaps the
most fruitful cause in general, as I have had
the literature of singing and in the following
occasion to point out before, is that those
of controversies upon vocal subjects, I have
been struck by the presence of a nearly uni- artists 'who decide to talk about the principles
versal weakness. I refer to the ignorance and of theory of their art do not realise in the
least that talking about art is, or should be, a
certain elementary facts of acoustics displayed
scientific occupation. It is essential therefore
bywriters and controversialists alike. Not only
charlatans who have a quack cure-all' method that those who write about the mechanism of
of voice-production' to unload on the public, the voice should have a clear conception of the
but also responsible teachers and able anato- meaning of the terms they use, and be careful
mists are continually publishing statements that they are used in a consistent manner.
about the voice which every student of elemen-Moreover it is of great importance that when
terms are borrowed from well-established
tary acoustics knows to be absolutely incorrect.
The mere singer's excursions into the land sciences
of there should be a very careful indica-
science may naturally be expected to resulttion
in if they are to be used in a sense differing
a certain amount of confusion-at least of from that attached to the terms in the science
terminology; but it is surprising to find, in
in question. However, many people seem to
a book full of accurate information and think otherwise, and, armed with a dear little
sound common sense, an eminent throat- sinus from a misunderstood diagram of the
specialist writing this: 'The direction ofskull, a diaphragm from a first-aid book, and
the column of sound through the mouth is a large supply of second-hand resonations and
another matter needing attention. It mustvibrations, they proceed to build a fantastic
be projected against the roof of the cavitycastle in the acoustic air.
behind the upper front teeth, from which itSome of the confusion is no doubt due to the
rebounds sharply and cleanly to the outside.'*
capacity which unimaginative (or perhaps over-
Direct research and the infiltration of imaginative) people have for taking meta-
knowledge from other fields havephorical put thephrases literally. There was a time
anatomical and to a less extent the when the use of the terms 'chest-voice' and
physio-
'head-voice' caused a good many people to
logical parts of the science of tone-production
by the voice on a fairly firm basis, so that those
suppose that the sound was actually manufac-
who no longer agree that the cause of tured in or came from the chest or the head.
the vocal
The tincture
sounds that the listener hears is primarily the of physical science that has been
vibration of the singer's vocal cords addedand
to modern forms of education has reduced
secondarily the amplification due to the theresona-
number of such people considerably. But
ting powers of certain air-spaces above, the sensations
are not in the chest and head still remain
much more common than the flat-earthers or to be 'explained'-so the terms 'chest-
the geocentrics. The chief culprit in the more resonance' and 'head-resonance' are employed
modern orgy of misunderstanding is the word by people who seem to have only the vaguest
'resonance.' It is continually being used glibly notions of the structure of the chest (which
as an explanation of vocal action by people who they seem to regard as a kind of air-balloon),
obviously have never taken the smallest trouble and none at all of the principles of resonance.
to acquaint themselves by practical methods For them, however, these terms have the
with its meaning, or even to follow carefully advantage, in the present state of commonly
the explanations in elementary books upon disseminated knowledge, of being much more
sound, where writers have tried to make the difficult for the layman to criticise, even if he
matter clear to those who have not undergone wants to-because most people seem to like a
an initiation into the mysteries of science in a little touch of mystery in their art technique
physics laboratory. For much of the muddle and are liable to regard anyone who supplies real
* 'The Hygiene of the Vocal Organs,' Sir Morell Mackenzie, M.D.
criticism rather in the light of a tiresome know-
(Macmillan, 1886).
B
all divulging the secrets of a conjuring trick.

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594 THE MUSICAL TIMES July, 1935

The trained physicist will, if he isand is affected

asked (and or not affected by the same
sometimes when he is not), make changesshort workindicated above. In singing, there-
of such pseudo-explanations. If he does
fore, not
the air which comes from the lungs (which,
indulge in frivolous jibes at singers' skulls
in good vowelbysinging, is such a small current
making possible exceptions in their that case, he day it can be seen to trickle
on a foggy
will tell you that the air cavities of thevertically
almost skull- upwards past the nose after
the frontal and sphenoidal cavities-are neither
leaving the lips) has for its function something
in a position nor in a condition of volume
precisely or to that of the bow in fiddle
similar
opening to amplify the sounds originated bythe cords in vibration and then
playing-it sets
the vibrations of the vocal cords to pushes
any extent
the air already in the throat and mouth
that could possibly be appreciated by an
cavities ear so that an equivalent amount
forward
situated at a distance. He would also tell
escapes you
past the lips. The air which does the
(as Sir Richard Paget has already resonance
done in is his
the air already filling those cavities.
book on' Human Speech ') that theThereair cavities
are many phrases and methods of talk-
of the chest may, as far as theiring resonating
about vocal sound that either state or imply
powers are concerned, be representedthatby the breath (i.e., the air current) carries
a box
filled with a damp sponge. Anyone is theoftone. Well, it doesn't: and anyone may
course
see that
at liberty to see how much ' resonance ' he itcandoesn't. By the time that the air
get out of this piece of apparatus.which
What has then
caused the vibration of the cords
remains of such phrases ? Merely hasthis, thathalf-way from the larynx to the
got about
you may get sensations in the chest lips,orthein the
wave-front of the sound has travelled
head when singing, and that it is sometimes
some hundreds of yards.
useful to concentrate attention upon If goodsuchsingers were to take the trouble to
sensations; but this matter will belearn
discussed
to describe accurately their sensations
more fully later. when they sing, these descriptions would be
very useful to other singers. But they are
We may deal with some other confusions
usually
more categorically by stating definitely not content to do this. They seem to
certain
have an
experimental results. If we take a flask-shaped inveterate tendency to launch forth
vessel with a short neck, and holdintothewhatprongsthey doubtless suppose are explana-
of a vibrating tuning-fork over the mouth, acoustic happenings that cause
tions of the
these
there sometimes results a very large sensations, forgetting that they are un-
amplifica-
trained in the methods and language of science
tion of sound. (The success of this amplifica-
and ignorant
tion depends upon a certain relation between as a rule of the very nature of an
explanation;
the size, shape, and opening of the flask and the till finally, after their remarks
have circum-
vibration rate of the fork.) Under such been translated from one language to
another,
stances the air in the flask is set into what we may find that we are expected to get
be called sympathetic vibration of apractical
concertina-aid from this kind of thing:
like nature, and surges in and out of the 'To open-
attack a tone, the breath must be
directed totill
ing with a gradually decreasing amplitude a focal point on the palate, which
rest is again reached. The physicist liesuses
underthe
the critical point for each different
tone; this
term 'resonance' for this phenomenon, andmust be done with a certain
the vessel is called a resonator. Resonance in decisiveness. There must, however, be no
pressure on this place-for the overtones
general is no more than getting a greatly
must be able to soar above, and sound with,
increased vibratory, oscillatory, or swinging
the tone. The palate has to furnish besides
movement by means of small successive pushes
or impulses accurately timed. If the mouththe
is top cover against which the breath
strikes, also an extremely elastic floor for
set for the pronunciation of a well-articulated
'0,' with the lips somewhat protruded, and the breath sounding above it against the
then a vibrating tuning-fork giving out the hard palate or in the nose. This breath, by
middle B flat of a woman's voice is held in forming the overtones, makes certain the
connection with the resonance of the head
front of it, it will be found possible, with a little
cavities. In order to bring out the colour
practice of the exact position, to get a consider-
able amplification of the sound by the resonanceof the tone, the whirling currents must
vivify all the vocal sounds that enter into
of the air in the mouth. The position may
it and draw them into their circles with an
conveniently be found by whispering the sound
ever increasing, soaring tide of sound.'
' 0,' the small current of air from the whisper
The only parts of this passage that emerge
having no appreciable effect upon the resonance.
A slight movement of the lips or tongue or with a clear meaning from the whirling currents
soft-
of obscurity do so merely in order to make
palate will, however, often cause a considerable
difference. If the note is sung, the initial
themselves acoustically absurd. It is true that
vibration is started from the other end of the
this book was published in 1902 and that there
has been a new edition since-from which
resonator, but the response is of the same kind

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July, 1935 THE MUSICAL TIMES 595

have
anyone may draw any conclusion hebeen invented by someone trying to
likes;
but my unwillingness to buy the new explainedition
the mechanism of singing by working
and see what had happened to this backwards
passagefrom his sensations,* and though
need not necessarily be put down to they fail signally in this respect they draw
meanness.
attention
As it stands it is too good an example totobesensations that are sometimes
associatedof
lost.* It contains such a large proportion with good tone-production; and
the arsenal of what may be called they all have the negative virtue of not
the emoto-
explosives of pseudo-science, and mentioning
brings out the throat.
with great clearness the confusion of Another
thought thing about which people are
that prevents so many writers from distin-
inclined to make a mystery-though the phrase
used is reasonable
guishing between the motion of translation of enough-is the 'carrying
power'
particles of air in a current of breath andofthe
a voice. A voice is said to carry
transmission of vibration by the wellaction
whenof the sound of it can be heard plainly
contiguous particles on one another.in allItparts
is to of a large hall or theatre. Some
be remarked that metaphors seem less danger-
singers are supposed to be endowed with the
ous in other departments of human activity.
power of making their pianissimo passages,
If someone says that he is going out to 'lightest
their send a whisper,' carry into the utter-
wire, no one supposes that a small
mostpiece
partsof
of a large auditorium. It is un-
metal will travel from one post-office to another
doubtedly a fact that some singers are much
and that the telegraph boy will arrive more with it in this way than others. But
successful
between his teeth or focused on the handle- there is not necessarily any mystery in this:
bars; and though it would be correct to say there may be a simple or comparatively simple
that he rings his bell with a certain decisive-explanation. As soon as we leave the concert
ness, and that his tyres form an extremely hall and return to the matter-of-fact psycho-
elastic floor for him to soar above, this, though
logical conditions of ordinary life we find a
correct (which the acoustic passage is not) simple law expressing the action of sound in
would be an unnecessarily pompous way of this respect, namely that loud sounds carry
further than soft ones. The street-crier and
describing the commonplaces of bicycle-riding.
It may be of some use to remove some of
newsboy recognise this, and act upon it. The
these phrases from the land of mystery into
noises they make are usually neither intelligible
that of common sense. nor beautiful, but succeed very well in their
You cannot sing in the mask; but you can
primary function of being audible at a great
have a sensation in the bones of the face when distance. If we now return to the concert-hall
you sing. and consider the matter from the listener's side
You cannot hold your voice on your upper of the question, we shall go some way towards
teeth; but you can sing in such a way that it a solution. The sound produced when a so-
is possible, with the exercise of a little imagina-called single note is sung has a very complex
tion perhaps, to feel as if something were beingnature. The exact nature of the complexity
held there. does not matter for the moment. The simple
You cannot focus your voice with the uvulaparts of which the complex tone is composed
and soft-palate, because sound does not workare called partials, and it is the number and
like that, as any physicist will tell you; but relative intensity of these partials that deter-
small differences in the position of the soft mine the quality of sound produced by any
palate often make very marked differences in instrument. As these partials are never of the
the quality and intensity of sound heard bysame loudness in any particular case, it follows
the listener, and these differences, as in the that some of them will 'carry' better than
other cases, are associated with differences ofothers. Thus we have an explanation of the
fact that the human voice has a peculiar
muscular sensation on the part of the singer.
Nor can you support your voice on yourquality when heard at a distance-a quality
diaphragm, because the term 'voice' must be distinguishable from a quiet note sung at a
used either for a sound or for the mechanism short distance.t The strident harshness of the
that produces the sound, neither of which, as newsboy's voice disappears when he passes on
anyone will agree, can be supported on thatto the next street, though he can still be heard
useful dome of muscle which, when it flattens, quite plainly: the partial tones that gave the
draws air into the lungs; but attention to harshness have evidently failed to carry the
breathing sensations is sometimes useful for
* Anyone interested in this kind of mental game can try working
distracting attention from the throat. It out the mechanism of running from the sensations of a 'stitch' in
seems fairly probable that all these phrases the side.

t It the dampers of a piano are raised by depressing the

* The criticism of isolated passages such as this is not to be taken sustaining pedal and a loud and distinct ah is sung-the middle A flat
as implying a general condemnation of the books in which they of a man's voice is a good note to choose-the sound given back by
occur: the passages are merely taken as illustrations of the low level the piano when the sung note ceases reminds one strongly of
of acoustical knowledge in books about the voice, books that for the same note and vowel sung by a choir at a distance. The
other reasons I have recommended and should still recommend experimenter may then refer to the nearest able physicist for
students to read. an explanation.

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 596 THE MUSICAL TIMES July, 1935

distance. Every complex sound therefore is The silence under these con-
keep quite still.
liable to change its character as the listener ditions is of a different order from that
goes further from the source. This is part, butengendered by ordinary politeness, even when
not all of the explanation of the fact that the the supply of this commodity is equal to th
quality of some voices seems decidedly differentdemand. The better and more interesting-
when they are heard in a large hall after oneor even the more famous and expensive-th
has become accustomed to them in a small singer is, the more likely is it that this kind o
room.* silence on the part of the audience will occu
Thus in general we should expect the well-So arises the idea that some singers are
balanced voice-that is to say, one with the endowed with the power of outlawing them
fundamentals and other partials sounding selves from the realm of acoustics for their own
strongly, to carry best. Vocal sounds of thispurposes. The actual acoustical side of the
kind are what most people admire and call question is both interesting and important.
well-produced: so that the singer who attendsWithout special practice there is a tendency
to the quality of his voice in this respect need for singers to have the air spaces of the throat
not bother about acquiring any particular and mouth less widely dilated during soft
'carrying power,' or wonder how to follow out singing than during loud. This tendency has
instructions to ' apply his voice to the opposite to be checked if a note of the same quality is
side of the hall in which he is singing.' required differing only in loudness. Singing
The power which the ear has of following thewith the jaw less widely open and with the
melodic phrase of some particular instrument throat muscles and soft palate relaxed tends
in the complicated maze of sound produced by to muffle the lower partials in the complex
a full orchestra obviously depends upon some vocal sound, i.e., just those partials which give
recognisable constancy of quality in that the listener a definite idea of the pitch of the
instrumental sound. (In the visual field there note that the voice is supposed to be singing.
is a similar power which enables a meandering When this happens it is difficult to follow the
line of constant colour to be followed with ease melody, and this amounts in practice to a
through the complicated markings on a map,difficulty in hearing at all because, as mentioned
or even a continuous line of constant thickness before, there are so many other sounds in the
of the same colour as the rest of the map.)orchestral or instrumental accompaniment
This shows the importance of evenness of claiming the attention. One of the many
quality in different parts of the compass of thevirtues of Caruso's singing was this definite
voice-and of evenness of loudness, too, when impression of pitch with which it was always
the vocal line has to be followed through the associated, so there was never any doubt about
distractions of instrumental accompaniment. the note or the melody. But there are two
It should be noted here that absolute even- comments to be made here: one is that there
are certain acoustical reasons why it is easier
ness of intensity of tone is only occasionally
for a tenor to do this than a bass, and the other
a virtue, but a full discussion of what is meant
by really good legato singing would be outis of
the necessary admission that Caruso's piano
singing corresponded roughly with other
place here. Even legato itself is not of much
use as an isolated virtue: cats have it in a singers' forte.
remarkable degree, but ruin its effect Finally,
by theit is plain that most tone production
excessive use of portamento. and most vocal exercises have to be done upon
The explanation of the 'lightest whisper'
one vowel sound or another. I have yet to
mystery brings us again to the pointdiscover
of view the author of a 'method' who shows
that most writers seem so unwilling signs
to con-
of having taken the smallest pains to
sider-that of the people who are listening.
acquaint himself with the research that has
The main part of the solution is simple,been
fordone
it in the last two or three decades
is largely a matter of attention on the upon
part of
the acoustical nature of these sounds.
the audience. A pianissimo passage will notcountry Sir Richard Paget has done
In this
reach the ear of a listener at the back of a hall
much research by analysing such sounds by
over the heads of a fidgety audience. It will the use of his own very sensitive and trained
only do so when the interest of the audience ear: he has then checked his results in the
as a whole is sufficiently aroused to make them most conclusive way possible by making com-
plicated
* Certain complexities of the matter are shown by the following
resonators of plasticine, the air of
quotation from Lord Raleigh's book on sound. 'It is unfortun- which, when energised in the appropriate way,
ately not possible to estimate the relative "loudness " of two notes of
different pitch with any degree of accuracy by the ear alone.' And give out an easily recognisable vowel sound.
again: ' If a composite musical note, consisting of a fundamental
tone with its octave, &c., be sounded near a grove of trees, for
D. C. Miller, in America, has approached the
example, the ratio of the intensity of the octave to that of the matter by analysing the curve tracings of a
fundamental will in the scattered sound be sixteen times what it was
in the original note . . . The scattered sound may therefore very sensitive recording apparatus. Any
appear to be raised in pitch by an octave.'
A somewhat similar effect may be expected when singing goes on
singer with a sensitive ear for this kind of
in a room crowded with many small objects. thing can easily satisfy himself by simple

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July, 1935 THE MUSICAL TIMES 597

experiments
experimentson onhis
his
own
ownvoice
voice theinstructs
of of instructs
the
correct- us us
correct-in physics
in physics
is by no
is means
by noun-
means un
ness
ness of
of the
themain
mainfacts
facts
established
establishedcommon.
common.
by by
these Unnecessary,
these Unnecessary,because
because
responsible
responsib
entirely
entirelyindependent
independentmethods.
methods. writers
writersupon
upon
the the
anatomy,
anatomy,
physiology,
physiology,
psycho- psych
The
The hard-pressed
hard-pressedadvocate
advocate
of of
some
some logy,
logy, and
(scientifi-and
physics
physics
(scientifi- connected
connected
with the with
vocalthe voca
cally
cally speaking)
speaking)entirely
entirelyexploded
exploded organ
'method'have
is usually
'method' is made no claims to be
liable at an awkward dialectical moment to competent to sing or to teach singing.
say that you can't learn to sing by doing
Once again, if famous singers when they talk
science. This remark has the double dis-
or write about their art would only enter the
advantage here of being both irrelevant
kingdomand
of science as little children, and learn
unnecessary. Irrelevant, because the. to
object of simply and accurately the things
describe
this article is to show that singers in general
that theydo
really know from their own experi-
not make very good scientists-and many ofmuch they might teach us ! A great
ence, how
them seem quite unaware of the fact. The
singer may or may not be qualified to discuss
the scientific
spectacle of a professor, after a life devoted to questions that arise out of his
physics, standing on the concert platform
art, but, if he is qualified, his qualifications
giving a lieder recital is, I think, a rare one;little to do with the greatness of his
have very
art, after
but the converse, where the great singer, though that very greatness may put him
a life devoted to art, stands, metaphorically
in possession of certain facts that other people
speaking, on the lecture-room rostrum would and
very much like to know.

AN IMPRESSION OF TOSCANINI
FROM the moment this great little man possessed
possessed more
more than
than any
any other
otherconductor
conductorI I
have ever seen. But the results which
appears on the platform, walking quickly
baton in hand, you feel that he is Toscanini
there gets from the orchestra are colossal.
In my
purely for business. He bows graciously but opinion his tempi are nearly always
absolutely
inspires you with the idea that he does not correct; his phrasing is exquisite
want, or care for, the fuss which the public is
and his readings are intensely musical. A
no time does he seem to say, 'Listen to my
obviously out to make of him. ideas as to how this should be rendered.' It is
Toscanini is, above all, the musicians' con- always 'This is what Beethoven wrote and
ductor. Why it is that the public go mad here are his markings.' And you get pure,
about him is a mystery to me. I have heard unadulterated Beethoven or Puccini or Elgar
him described as a magician, a wizard, a or any other composer. Herein lies his great-
veritable Svengali. All this is sheer nonsense. ness, his true musicianship. And he knows to
Toscanini is a very great conductor and a very the finest point how to communicate all this to
great musician-nothing more or less. He has the orchestra without fuss and without ranting.
no tricks, no mannerisms, and even his beat is And the orchestral men worship him, because
unattractive and at times difficult to follow. they recognise in him a great master who
Regarded as a concert-artist, he lacks, toknows my what he wants and who knows exactly
mind, the magnetic personality which Nikisch how to get it. LANDON RONALD.

The Pre-Mozartian 'Messiah'

By HUGH GARDNER
THE controversy over 'Additional Accom- his
his life-time.
life-time.His
Hiswood-wind
wood-windparts
partswere
werethen
thento to
paniments' is no new one. There are, all appearance
appearanceirretrievably
irretrievablylost,
lost,
andand
Mozart
Mozartwaswas
however, reasons why it has lately commissioned
commissionedin in1789
1789totoreplace
replace them,
them, a task
a task
developed new aspects, and some people may which
which hehe performed
performedwith
withsuch
suchskill
skill
that
that
thethe
joint
joint
consider the time ripe for a fresh examination Handel-Mozart score has remained standard to
of the pros and cons. It may be best, therefore, the present day.' This idea contains several mis-
before going into any detail, to dispose of one orstatements. First, Handel did not originally
two popular fallacies on the subject of the accom-write a score including wood-wind, but added his
paniments to 'The Messiah.' The frequently wood-wind parts afterwards, at the stage when
accepted, but somewhat inaccurate, idea of theirparts were being prepared for actual performance.
history is as follows: Secondly, Handel's wind parts, even if mislaid
'Handel wrote a score for strings, wood-wind,were not hidden very deep, for the first determined
and continuo, with occasional trumpets and effort of scholars in modern times' to find them
drums, which was used during and shortly after resulted in the discovery of a complete set at the

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