ercises
for the Training and Development of the Voice," by the author of this work.
Published by William A. Pond and Company.]

ARTICLE THREE.

THE THIRD PRINCIPLE OF ARTISTIC TONE-PRODUCTION.

The third principle of artistic tone-production is

_High Placing and Low Resonance._

_Theory._--Tone, to be artistic, must be placed forward and high, and
must be reinforced by the low cavities and chest resonance; it must be
placed high, and reinforced or built down by added resonance through
expansion and inflation.

_Devices._--Place high by removing all restraint, all obstruction,
through flexible movements. The high, forward placing is the natural focus
of the voice. When the voice is thus placed and automatic control prevails,
reaction and reflection occur, and the sympathetic low resonance of the
inflated cavities is added to the tone. Also study the naturally high
placing of E and the naturally low color of oo; then equalize all the
vowels through their influence, and thus develop uniform color and quality
in all.

This third principle of artistic singing is a very important one, and means
much more than one might, at first thought, suppose. Many singers think of
placing simply as the point of contact or impact of the air current.
Placing, however, means more than this. It means not only the correct focus
of tone forward and high, but it also means reaction and reflection of the
air current; in short, sympathetic added vibration of air in the low
inflated cavities. This being true, we find that correct placing means even
much more. It means the true form and adjustment of all the parts--all true
conditions of tone.

The prevailing idea of placing is the thought of constantly pushing up the
tone. Result, the organ of sound is pushed out of place and all true
conditions disturbed. The pushed-up tone means local, muscular effort,
contraction, and a hard, unmusical voice. The voice thus placed may be loud
and brilliant, but never soulful or beautiful. The pushed-up tone means
singing from the larynx up. It means head-resonance only; and
head-resonance is but one side, and that the smallest side, of this great
question.

Tone must be placed spontaneously, with reaction and reflection. This shows
at once the importance of the first two great principles of
voice-production,--freedom and automatic breath-control; for without these
true placing is impossible. Tone placed in this way means the ring of the
forw