e should end with the breath
unexhausted. When the flow of text and music forbid the taking of a
full breath, half-breaths must be quietly taken at convenient points.
Instead of letting the whole reservoir of motive power exhaust itself
and then completely refill it, we should, by taking these
half-breaths, maintain a reserve. A notable advocate of the use of the
half-breath in singing is that past mistress of sustained and smooth
delivery, Marcella Sembrich.

CHAPTER V

REGISTERS

The subject of registers has always been the _bete noire_ of
vocalists, a source of controversy and confusion. The term "register,"
as commonly used, means a series of tones of a characteristic clang or
quality, produced by the same mechanism. The term "break" is generally
used to indicate the point at which a new register with sudden change
appears.

The advocates of registers lay stress either on the changes in
laryngeal action, or the changes in tone quality. Before the days of
the laryngoscope, registers were treated simply as different qualities
of tone, characterizing a certain portion of the voice's compass.

Those who encourage the cultivation of register consciousness claim to
do so for the sake of the differences in tone-color which they
associate with the different "registers." The purpose of the following
chapters is to show that the quality or color of a tone is altogether
a matter of resonance, and _not_ a question of laryngeal action.

Moreover, the mechanism of the larynx is not voluntary in its action,
but automatic, and even if a singer knew how the vocal cords should
act it would not help him in the least to govern their action. The
fact is that the results of laryngoscopic study of the vocal cords
have been disappointing and contradictory and investigators have
failed to define what correct laryngeal action is. There are those who
even deny that the vocal cords govern the pitch of the voice.

In her thoughtful _Philosophy of Singing_, Clara Kathleen Rogers,
while upholding "registers," says that considered physiologically "the
different registers of the voice should be regarded by the singer as
only so many _modifications in the quality of tone_, which
modifications are inherent in the voice itself." She then adds
significantly: "These modifications are not brought about by conscious
adjustments of the parts employed, as any interference with the parts
will produce that obstacle to quality we call a 'break