The sound of the vowels depends, as we have seen, upon whether
one or another of the over-tones takes precedence in sound.
But the conditions by which the formation of the vowels is
determined lie in the form of the cavity of the mouth, and
of the contraction of the same in some one place or another
during expiration. These places are different in different
languages and dialects. They are among the English, Germans
and French farthest back in sounding _a_, as in _father_;
farther forward in _a_, as in _may_, _o_, _e_, in the order
in which they are here placed; and farther front in the
German _u_ (_oo_).
The length of the cavity of the mouth is the greatest in
sounding _oo_, the least in _e_, intermediate in _a_. In the
pure, clear _a_, as in _may_, or _e_ of the Germans, the cavity
is the narrowest. Hence, to form a tone on this vowel is very
difficult, and it is the only vowel whose pure pronunciation
must be sacrificed to the tone. Good tones can be formed on
this vowel when in both series of the chest register there is
mingled with it the sound of the German _ö_, pronounced in
English nearly like the vowel in _bird_, and in the higher
registers the sound of the _e_--that is, of the German _i_.
The cavity of the mouth is thus somewhat broadened, and the
tone gains more room for its development.
The Swiss form the _o_ and _u_ like the _a_ in _father_,
broadest at the back of the mouth, and the _e_ broadest
towards the front. But the Italians form no vowel as far
front as their clear sounding beautiful _a_, as in _father_;
and probably because the _a_ in the Italian language sounds
broadest and most distinctly, Italian wagoners drive their
beasts with the shout of _a! a!_ while the Germans use for
the same purpose, _hü! huo!_ and the Swiss, _hipp!_ One can
only approximate an imitation of the Italian _a_ by uttering
it in connection with consonants coming rapidly, as in _pfa_,
_bra_, and in as short and rapid a manner as possible.
The old Italian masters naturally found their beautiful _a_ most
favorable to the formation of a good tone in singing; and thus it
has been adopted by other nations. But here is the very reason
why a tone free from badly sounding colorings is so rarely heard.
We have blindly imitated the Italians, without considering the
different modes of forming the vowels in different languages and
nations, and that the Italian _a_ is a vowel entirely different
from the German and the similarly sounding English _a_. Its
correct sound is learned by those to whom it is not vernacular
only with difficulty.
As the vowels are differently formed in different languages,
so is it also with the consonants. The North Germans form the
letter _r_ with the soft palate, which is made to vibrate by
the exhalation of the breath. The South Germans, Russians and
Italians form the _r_ by the vibration of the tip of the
tongue. It is only this mode of forming the _r_ which is to
be used in singing, and must be learned by those who do not
usually form it thus. This is sometimes rather difficult, but
it can be done by repeating frequently and rapidly, one after
the other, the syllables _hede_, _hedo_, or _ede_, _edo_. In
this way the tongue gets accustomed to the right position and
motion, which it by-and-by learns rapidly enough for the
formation of the rolling _r_.
The Italians, likewise, form the _l_ with the tip of the tongue,
the Germans and English mostly with the side edges of the tongue.
With some attention one can, by feeling, find out in his own
organ the place for the formation of the different vowels and
consonants, and an ear accustomed to delicate differences of
tone will perceive the right place in others.
But in teaching, the example of the wagoners must be followed,
and as these people have found out the most appropriate vowels
and syllables whereby to make themselves understood by their
animals, we must choose what is best fitting to the formation
of tone in singing.
Long before I found the scientific reason of this mode of
proceeding, my attention was called by Frederic Wiek, in
Dresden, to the fact that a fine tone can be most quickly
attained by practising in the beginning upon the syllables
_sü_, _soo_, or _dü_, _doo_, and by not passing to the other
vowels until one is accustomed to produce tones in the front
of the mouth. These syllables are naturally spoken by the
Germans and the English in the front part of the mouth. The
_s_ is formed with the lips apart, while the air is blown
through the upper teeth; it thus assists one, united with _u_
(_oo_), to direct the tone forwards. But because in the _u_
the lips are almost closed, care must be taken that, within
the lips, the teeth are far enough apart. The cavity of the
mouth must be large enough to allow of the largest possible
wave of sound, since upon the size of that, as we know, the
strength of the tone depends. When the pupil, after some
practice, has learned to give the right direction to the
stream of sound, he must be required gradually to form the
other vowels like the _soo_ in the front part of the mouth,
passing from this syllable immediately to the other vowels,
as, for example, _soo-a_, _soo-o_, _soo-e_, _soo-o-e-ah_, &c.
Only care must be taken that the course of the air preserves
its right direction.
Solmisation, also, i.e., naming the tones, _c_, _d_, _e_, _f_,
_g_, _a_, _b_, by the syllables _do_, _re_, _mi_, _fa_, _sol_,
_la_, _si_, assists a good touch when the pupil employs it in
the more rapid exercises.
There is no fixed rule that can be laid down in regard to the
necessary opening of the mouth and its position. The structure
of the palate and the form of the jaw, and the position of the
teeth, lips, &c., vary in different persons. The ear of the
teacher must alone determine what position of those several
parts will best secure a good timbre. But in every case, for
the highest tones of the voice the widest possible opening of
the mouth is necessary, and even when, in the formation of the
vowels, the lips have to be brought nearer to each other, yet
the teeth within must be kept apart, that the cavity of the
mouth may remain large enough.
Wind instruments show the influence which the orifice and breadth
of the bell has upon the strength of the tone. In the human voice
the mouth occupies the place of the bell.
We have already made the remark, in speaking of the different
registers, that in the chest tones the position of the larynx is
lowered. The cavity of the mouth, then, is naturally lengthened,
and hence a moderate opening of the mouth, so that, in singing the
notes of the low chest register, the teeth are a thumb's breadth
apart, suffices for a good tone. The second chest register requires
the slightest opening of the mouth. It is enough if one can press
a finger between the teeth. With the high falsetto and head tones
the cavity of the mouth is always shorter and narrower towards the
back, but as the tones ascend, it must be always broader in front.
In singing the first falsetto register, the teeth should be about
the breadth of the thumb apart; in the second falsetto register,
two fingers apart; and in the head register, the mouth must be open
as far as possible. But precise rules cannot here be given. I have
observed, however, that in thin voices a too broad opening of the
mouth in the middle tones of the voice favors the high over-tones
more than the fundamental tone, and the tones are thus flat and
wanting in timbre.
Lips too thick and stiff sometimes injure the timbre of the
tone; they are often the cause of a veiled, muffled timbre,
acting like dampers and rendering a part of the over-tones
inaudible. In such cases, as soon as he has become accustomed
to a correct direction of the column of tone, the pupil should
keep the lips as close to the teeth as possible, and draw back
somewhat the corners of the mouth.
The tongue also is not infrequently a hindrance to the formation
of a good tone, especially when the pupils have not been taught
early enough to open their mouths sufficiently wide. When the high
tones are to be produced, which require much room in the forward
part of the mouth, the tongue is usually drawn back and raised,
in order to make the necessary room within the lower front teeth.
This, again, is a habit difficult to be broken, and care must be
taken that the lower front teeth are lightly touched by the tip of
the tongue in singing, in order that the tongue may be accustomed
to a natural position. But this is most easily attained when the
tongue is at the first kept occupied as much as possible by quick
exercises with the syllables of solmisation, or by practising
tones in slow time upon syllables beginning with consonants formed
by the tip of the tongue. As in pronouncing the German _Sch_ the
tongue presses the teeth all around with its outer edge, syllables
formed with these consonants serve excellently well to accustom
the tongue to a quiet, correct position.