You have no need to take any special exercise in walking for the ordinary purposes of life; but, if you wished to be a "walkist," you would need special practice to train and develop the muscles for that purpose. You may be a good singer, able to sing for your own amusement or that of your friends, without specially training the singing-voice; but, if you wished to sing in public, you would, if you were wise, train your singing-voice very carefully. As in these cases, so with the voice in speaking. For all ordinary purposes of speech, you need no special training of the speaking-voice; but when, as teacher, clergyman, lawyer, lecturer, actor, public reader, or in any other capacity, you are called upon to do more with the voice than others, you ought to train and develop your vocal powers. For this purpose, the following series of exercises are given for practice.

BREATHING.

As it is necessary that you should take in and give out more breath in speaking than at other times, you ought to be able to do this in a natural manner. If you will practise these breathing-exercises until they are easy for you, the breath in your reading or speaking will take care of itself. Practise breathing in the open air, and take in and give out the breath through the nose without making the slightest sound in so doing.

1. Abdominal Breathing.—Take standing position and active chest; place the fingers on the abdominal muscles, and the thumbs on the costal muscles; take a full breath, making the abdominal muscles start first, and move outward; then let the muscles sink in as the breath comes out. Make as much movement of these muscles as you can, both in and out; and be sure you keep the shoulders from moving. Pay particular attention to the movement of the abdominal muscles, letting all the rest (except the shoulders) move as may be easy to you. Practise this way of breathing until you can do it easily; and, if it makes you dizzy, do not be alarmed, but wait till the dizziness is entirely gone before you try again.

2. Costal Breathing.—Assume standing position with active chest; place the fingers on the costal muscles, and thumbs at the back; inhale a full breath, expanding as much as possible the costal muscles and ribs. In giving out the breath, make them sink in as much as possible. Keep shoulders still in breathing in and out, and let all other muscles be free to move as they may.

3. Dorsal Breathing.—Assume standing position with active chest; place the fingers at the back on dorsal muscles, and thumbs on the side; take a full breath, trying to expand the muscles under your fingers as much as you can. Rightly done, the abdominal and costal muscles, and the ribs, will also expand; the chest, if not already active, will rise; the shoulders will remain quiet. In giving out the breath, let the chest be the last to sink. This is the way of breathing in every healthy man, woman, and child. Any manner of dressing the body that hinders free and easy action of the abdominal, costal, and dorsal muscles, and the ribs, leads to ill health, because it interferes with the vital process of breathing; and ill health is fatal to success in any art.

4. Puffing the Breath.—Assume standing position, with active chest; take a full breath, and, rounding the lips as if you were about to say the word "who," blow the breath out as you would in blowing out a light; inhale again, and repeat the puffing.

5. Puff and Pause.—Puff the breath as before, three times, pausing about five or more seconds, holding the breath between the puffs. In holding the breath, let there be no pressure upon the lungs or throat, but control it by keeping the waist-muscles still. (See "Holding Breath.")

6. Puff and Breathe.—Puff three times in the same way as before, breathing between the puffs, thus: place the fingers of one hand on the upper part of the chest, the fingers of the other hand on the abdominal muscles; keep the chest still, and make the abdominal muscles sink every time you puff out the breath, and expand, every time you take in breath, between the puffs. In this exercise breathe through both nose and mouth. By practice of these three ways of expelling breath you get command of it.

7. Holding the Breath.—When you hold your breath for a longer or shorter time, or try to control it for any purpose of speech, you should do so by means of the muscles spoken of in "Dorsal Breathing," as being the ones used in right manner of breathing. You must try to control the breath by keeping the waist-muscles still; and there should be no feeling of pressure or uneasiness on the lungs, or in the throat or mouth. "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again: time will bring you your reward: try, try again." Get control of the waist-muscles so as to keep them still; and, while you hold them still, there is no possibility of the breath getting out.

TONE.

A good tone in speech is as much to be desired as it is in song. Some have it as a gift of nature; and all can acquire it, in a degree, by judicious practice. If you have an excellent voice, you can make it still more excellent by practice; and, if you have a poor voice, you can, by practice, make it full, pleasant, and effective, and excel that one who has a good voice, but makes no effort to improve it. The tone-exercises here given are designed to give command of tone, and develop purity and power. They should be practised five minutes at a time, at four different times of the day, and double that time if possible, in order to get the greatest amount of good from them. Use any tones of your voice, high or low, without being at all particular about an exact musical pitch; though, if you can practise with an organ or piano, you will find it much more beneficial.

1. Glottis Stroke.—Assume standing position with active chest; take full breath, and whisper forcibly the word "who" three times. Repeat the same. Now whisper "who" twice, and speak it aloud the third time; then whisper "who" once, and speak it aloud the second and third time; then speak "who" aloud three times. Now speak "who" twice, and the third time say "oo" as those letters sound in the word woo; then say "who" once, and "oo" the second and third time; then "oo" three times. You should make both the whisper and vocal sound very short and sudden, without any feeling of contraction or effort in the throat or mouth. It should seem to you as if the sound came from the lips; and, while you are energetic in the exercise, it must be done with perfect ease. You have thus proceeded, from an easy, forcible whisper, to an easy, forcible sound, and have thus obtained what is called the "Glottis Stroke." After diligent practice on the above exercise, use any of the short vowels (see "Articulation"); speaking each vowel three times very shortly, as you did the vowel-sound oo.

2. Soft Tones.—Assume standing position with active chest, and take breath; prolong very softly oo as long as your breath will let you, being careful not to force the sound to continue after you feel the slightest need of breath, and also not to change the position of the mouth from beginning to end of the sound. Repeat three times. In this exercise you will probably hear the voice waver, and find it difficult to keep it very soft, and yet distinct. Practice will overcome this, and the exercise will be found very beneficial. The ability to do it shows cultivation of voice. After some time, use also the long vowels. (See "Articulation.")

3. Swelling Tones.—Assume standing position with active chest, and take full breath; then begin the vowel oo very softly, and gradually swell it to a full tone, and then as gradually diminish it to the gentlest sound. Be careful, as in soft tone, as to breath, and position of mouth. After some practice, you should be able to continue on one breath, either the soft tone or swelling tone, twenty seconds; which is long enough for practical purposes. Use same vowels as in soft tone.

PITCH.

It is necessary to all expressive reading that there should be as much variation in pitch of voice—that is, as to high and low tones—as possible, and not overdo. The pleasantest quality of voice, without variation in pitch, is tiresome to the listener. To get command of pitch, you must practise till the high and low tones are as easy to make as the common conversational tones. If you can sing the musical scale of one octave in key of C, or B flat, you will find these exercises more beneficial than if you cannot sing. If you cannot sing, take a relatively high or low pitch, as your ear may guide you, and practise the chanting and reading of sentences as well as you can.

1. Learn the Musical Scale.—Sing the scale in music, using first the glottis stroke; that is, speak each very short as you go up and down the scale. Then practise soft tone and swelling tone on each tone within compass of your voice.

2. Chant Sentences.—Use one tone of voice, and take any sentence, prolonging the words without reference to the sense, without change of tone from beginning to end. When you use a high tone, make it light and clear; when you use a low tone, make it full, free, and forcible. Chant on each tone separately within the compass of the voice.

3. Read Sentences.—Use the same sentences as for chanting, and, beginning on each tone of the voice, speak it as you would in earnest conversation, in a way to give the meaning of it. You will see that if you begin with high pitch, although your voice varies in speaking, it will be a relatively high pitch through the whole sentence; and, if you begin low, it will be relatively low. With high pitch, make your voice light and clear; and with low pitch, full, free, and forcible.

INFLECTION.

In inflection the voice slides up or down in pitch on a word, and by so doing impresses your meaning on the listener. Inflections are infinite in number; but a few of them practised will be of benefit in getting command over them. When the voice slides up, it is called rising inflection; if down, a falling. If it slides both ways on the same word, it is called circumflex; and if it varies but little, and is very like a chant in song, it is called monotone. A major inflection gives an effect of strength; a minor, of feebleness.

1. Major Falling Inflection.—A falling inflection is indicated by (`) over the accented syllable of an emphatic word. If you do not already know the difference between a rising and falling inflection, suppose I say to you, "The book is on the table," and you, not understanding what place I said, should ask, "Where?" and I answer, "On the table." Your question would be made with rising, and my answer with falling inflection. Use any vowel-sounds, and practise the falling inflection as you would hear it on the word "table," avoiding all motion of head, arms, or body, and making it with much energy of voice, as if expressing strong determination.

2. Major Rising Inflection.—This is indicated by a (´) over the emphatic word. Practise with any vowel-sounds the inflection as you would hear it on "where," as above, observing same directions as in major falling inflections.

3. Major Rising and Falling Inflections.—Practise rising followed by falling, as Óh, Òh, Áh, Àh, a?e, a?e, &c., using long and short vowels. Then falling followed by rising, as Òh, Óh, Àh, Áh, a?e, a?e, &c., using long and short vowels. Use these as if asking a simple unimportant question, and giving a like answer; then a question and answer of earnestness; then of surprise; then of great astonishment. In so doing, your voice will range higher and lower in inflection than you otherwise would make it. Do not let any of the inflections sound plaintive or feeble, but make them strong and decisive.

4. Minor Rising and Falling Inflections.—Use the same exercises as under major rising and falling, just mentioned; with this difference, that you make them so as to sound week, feeble, plaintive, or sad. They should be practised that you may become familiar with their sound, and have them at command, so as to use them when needed for expression, and avoid them when not.

5. Circumflex Inflection.—This inflection is indicated by a mark (v ?) or (? ?) because it is a combination of rising and falling inflection. The first is rising circumflex, because it ends with the rising; the second is falling circumflex, because it ends with falling inflection. It is used in expression of doubt, irony, sarcasm; as in "The Merchant of Venice," act 1, scene 3, Shylock says to Antonio, "Hath a dog money? Is it possible a cur can lend three thousand ducats?" You will see, if read to express Shylock's irony and sarcasm, that the words would be inflected, as marked, with rising circumflex. Practise these circumflex inflections with vowels as directed under major rising and falling inflections. The falling circumflex being the reverse of the rising, when once you are familiar with the rising, can be easily made.

6. Monotone.—This comes as near to being one tone of voice as it can be, and at the same time keep its expressiveness as reading. It is not really, as its name might indicate, one tone, as that would be like chanting in singing; but it is variation of inflection within very small limit of range in pitch. It is best practised as song, however. Prolong, on a low pitch, any of the long vowels, about five seconds. The mark for monotone is (-) placed over a word.

QUALITY.

The quality of the voice is that which affects us agreeably or disagreeably; and we say it is gruff, or husky, or harsh, or pleasant, &c. Four general and distinct qualities need to be practised until they are at command of the mind.

1. Whisper.—Whisper the long and short vowels very easily and quietly at first, without the slightest feeling of effort in throat or mouth, and perfectly free from hoarseness or murmuring. As soon as you can make a clear whisper heard across the room, whisper so as to be heard farther off, and so proceed gradually, day by day, until you can whisper, clearly and without effort, loud enough to be heard in a large hall. Do not practise whispering more than three minutes at a time.

2. Aspirate Quality.—This is what, in general, is called undertone. It is a mixture of whisper and voice, and is what you would be likely to use when in company you speak to any one with a desire not to be overheard by others. Practise with vowels as in whisper.

3. Pure Quality.—Speak the long vowels in your conversational tone as pleasantly as you can, tossing the tone lightly, as if speaking to some one across a large hall. Speak each vowel three times on one breath. Practise them first speaking shortly, then with prolonging of each tone not over five seconds.

4. Orotund Quality.—This quality is seldom to be heard in uncultivated voices, but is much to be desired in a speaker. It can only be acquired slowly and with much practice. It will be easily recognized when heard, as it possesses a fulness and richness of tone very pleasing. It is not high, but seems low in pitch; and, although it does not sound loud, it seems to be effective, and reach a long distance. To acquire it, practise, as recommended in "Pitch," the chanting and reading of sentences on the conversational and lower tones of the voice; also swelling tone under "Tone," on low pitch, using long vowels, especially oo, oh, awe, ah.

FORCE.

Force is the degree of loudness or softness we may give to the voice. You should be able to speak gently without feebleness or weakness of voice, and so as to be distinctly heard in a large hall, and also to make the fullest and loudest voice without showing any effort to do so.

1. Gentle Force.—Chant and read sentences, as under "Pitch," with the gentlest force you can, and yet make it so as to seem to be clear and distinct. Do this on every pitch you can, high or low.

2. Moderate Force.—Read and chant as above on the middle and higher tones, with about the force of earnest conversation.

3. Loud Force.—Read and chant as above, using only the middle and lower tones of the voice, making the loudest tones you can, without straining the throat. Force of voice depends on the management of the muscles below the lungs; and you should have perfect freedom from all effort on the part of lungs, throat, or mouth, on any pitch, high, middle, or low. If any effort is perceptible to you, it will be a feeling of strength and power at the waist; and experience and practice must teach you how much or how little effort to make at that point. The loudest force, and at the same time the purest quality, is secured when it seems to make itself without the slightest feeling of effort on your part.

STRESS.

Stress is the manner of applying force to a word or accented syllable. Prof. L. B. Monroe, in his book on vocal culture, enumerates six kinds. The marks he uses to represent them exhibit clearly to the eye what the voice is required to do. With radical, terminal, and compound stress, after facility is gained by use of stroke from the shoulder, omit it, and do them forcibly without movement of any part of the body.

1. Radical Stress.—So called, because the stress is on the beginning of the word, and marked thus (>). Assume standing position with active chest, and take breath; touch the fingers to the shoulder, and strike forward and downward, stopping the hands half way, and clinching the fist very tightly; at the moment of stopping, speak the vowel "ah" very shortly. You will notice that the voice issues full, and seems to suddenly vanish in a manner well indicated by the mark above. Use any vowels, long or short, with middle pitch of voice. Practise afterward without any movement of the arms.

2. Median Stress.—So called, because the force is on the middle of the word, marked thus (<>). It is the same as swelling tone, but is much shorter. Practise with long vowels on middle tones of voice, making three short swells on the same vowel in one breath.

3. Terminal Stress.—So called, because the force is on the end of the word, and marked thus (<). Use the same movement as in radical stress; begin the sound softly when the hand leaves the shoulder, stopping it suddenly as the hands clinch. The voice seems to be jerked out. Practise also without arm-movements, using the same vowels as in radical stress.

4. Thorough Stress.—So called, because the force is loud from beginning to end, and marked thus (=). Prolong about ten seconds long vowels, with a loud full voice on middle pitch.

5. Compound Stress.—So called, because it is a union of radical and terminal stress, and marked (><). The force is on both beginning and end of the word, and may be made by striking twice in succession, continuing the voice from radical to terminal without pause of voice between the strokes.

6. Tremolo Stress.—This is a trembling of voice, and marked thus (?). Prolong long vowels, making the voice tremble while you do so.

Movement is the degree of rapidity or slowness with which you speak the articulate sounds. The danger in fast movement is, that you will not articulate plainly; and in slow, that you will drawl.

1. Quick Movement.—Use exercise of chanting and reading sentences, as under "Pitch," using the middle tones of voice; and repeat the words with the utmost possible rapidity, with perfect articulation. In chanting, do not mind the sense; but, in reading, be particular to give the meaning of the sentence.

2. Moderate Movement.—Use exercise as above about as fast as ordinary talking.

3. Slow Movement.—Use exercise as above, with very slow movement of voice. In chanting, prolong each word about alike; in reading, give good expression, and you will see that the more important words usually take the longest time.

ARTICULATION.

Articulation is the utterance of the elementary sounds, which, when combined, make language. You have been using the sounds that make up speech, in combination, every day; but it is a good practice to make each element separately. After you are able to make each sound distinctly, you will find you can make yourself understood in a large hall without using a loud voice. Your jaw, lips, and tongue should move actively and easily. For this purpose use long vowels,—No. 1, No. 8, No. 14,—speaking them in quick succession, one after the other, making them distinct, and making the jaw and lips move as much as you can with ease. Continue to the extent of your breath. Then use the same with p, b, or m before them; then with t, d, or n; then k, g, or y. Continue this practice about five minutes at a time, until the jaw, lips, and tongue will move with perfect ease.

ELEMENTARY SOUNDS.

In the exercises here given, use the sound, not the name of the letters which represents the sound, and practise separately the sounds represented by the Italic letters below. The only correct way to learn them is from the lips of a competent teacher; but you will do well, and improve, if you try the best you can in your way.

VOWELS.

Glides.—1-14 of the vowels, and r when it follows a vowel, are by Prof. Bell called "Glides."

CONSONANTS OR ARTICULATIONS.

Of the vowels, the numbers indicate positions of mouth; and, where numbers are alike, the positions are alike. Each vowel-sound is made by unobstructed sounds issuing through a certain position of mouth. The position is unchanged with single vowels, and those have but one number. The position changes in double vowels and diphthongs; and those have two numbers,—one large, one small. As each number represents a position of mouth, you can easily see by comparing what sounds are made from combining others. The number in the largest size type of the two represents the position that is kept when the sound is prolonged: as in 8¹ prolong the 8 or ah, and make ¹ or ee very short; and in ¹14 make ¹ very short, and prolong 14. The positions represented by the small figures are called "Glides," because the position is hardly assumed before the sound is finished. Diphthongs are sounds made by combining vowel-sounds, as 8¹ ah-ee. Of the consonants, or, as well named by Prof. Bell, articulations,—because two parts of the mouth have to come together and separate in order to finish the element, thus obstructing the breath or voice,—those in line across the page with each other are alike in position of mouth; those in first column are made with breath only, passing out through the mouth; those in second column, with sound passing out through the mouth; those in third column are sound passing out through the nose. For instance, p, b, m, are in line with each other; and, if you will make the three sounds represented by those letters, you will see that the same position of mouth is assumed for each, and that p is breath forced out of mouth, b is sound out of mouth, m is sound passing out of nose.

Practise these sounds of vowels and articulations until you can make them forcibly and easily, with elastic movement of jaw, tongue, and lips; and remember that force depends on the strength and good control of muscles below the lungs. Then unite them by placing articulations before vowels, giving most force to the vowel, but make both clear and distinct. Then use articulations both before and after the vowel, still giving the vowel the most force, but making the articulation that begins and ends equally distinct and clear. To arrange these for your practice in this small book would take too much space. You have above each element of the English language clearly shown, and can easily combine them as directed.

SUMMARY OF PHYSICAL AND VOCAL GYMNASTICS.

PHYSICAL GYMNASTICS.

ATTITUDE.

1. Standing Position.
2. Speaker's"
3. Sitting Position.
4. Change"
5. Poise.
6. Rise on Toes.
7. Holding Book.

CHEST EXPANSION.

1. Active and Passive Chest.
2. Arms at Side.
3. Fore-arm Vertical.
4. Percussion. Full Arm.
5. "Hands on Chest.

BODY AND NECK MOVEMENTS.

1. Body bend forward and back.
2. ""right and left.
3. "turn""
4. Neck bend forward and back.
5. ""right and left.
6. "turn""

VOCAL GYMNASTICS.

Note.—Be sure and keep ACTIVE CHEST in all vocal exercises.

BREATHING.

1. Abdominal.
2. Costal.
3. Dorsal.
4. Puff.
5. Puff—Pause between.
6. "Breathe"
7. Holding Breath.

TONE.

Note.—In following exercises use first long, then short vowels.

1. Glottis stroke. Who, whispered, followed by short vowels quickly spoken.
2. Soft Tones. Use oo-oh-awe-ah first, then any other vowels.
3. Swell Tones. Use vowels as in Soft Tones.

PITCH.

1. Learn Musical Scale. Practise Tone Exercise on each tone within compass of voice.
2. Chant sentences on each tone.
3. Read sentences, beginning on each tone.

INFLECTION.

1. Major fall from different pitches.
2. "rise""
3. ""and fall from different pitches.
4. Minor rise and fall.
5. Circumflex, rise and fall.
6. Monotone, different pitches.

QUALITY.

1. Whisper.
2. Aspirate.
3. Pure.
4. Orotund.

FORCE.

Note.—Use exercises under Pitch, Nos. 2 and 3, with different degrees of force.

1. Gentle.
2. Moderate.
3. Loud.

STRESS.

1. Radical.
2. Median.
3. Terminal.
4. Thorough.
5. Compound.
6. Tremolo.

MOVEMENT.

Note.—Use exercises under Pitch, Nos. 2 and 3, with different rates of movement.

1. Quick.
2. Moderate.
3. Slow.

ARTICULATION.

Note.—Use only sounds represented by Italicized letters in the words and letters below.

1. Elementary Sounds.
2. Syllables.
3. Words.
4. Phrases.
5. Sentences.

Long Vowels. 1. meet. 3¹. may. 5. air. 6. her. 8. ah. 10. awe. 12¹⁴. oh. 12. ore. 14. woo.

Short Vowels. 2. it. 4. met. 5. at. 7. Cuba. 9. up. 11. on. 13. foot.

Diphthongs. 8¹. pie. 11¹. oil. 8¹⁴. out. y14. you.

Glides. 1.—14.-r.

Articulations. Lips—p, b, m-wh, w. Lips and Teeth—f, v. Teeth and Tongue—th (thin), th (then). Tip of Tongue—t, d, n-l-r-ch, j-s, z-sh, zh. Tongue—y. Back of Tongue—k, g, ng. Whispered Vowel—h.