3. That its quality or tone is somewhat altered.
4. That its duration remains unaltered.
5. That the human speech is somewhat obscured, chiefly in the consonant sounds.
It must be remembered that the ventriloquist makes the sound, not as it is heard at its source, but as it is heard after travelling from a distance.
Too much attention cannot be bestowed on the study of sound as it falls on the ear, and an endeavor to imitate it as it is heard, for the secret of the art is, that as perspective is to the eye, so is ventriloquism to the ear. When we look at a painting of a landscape, some of the objects appear at a distance, but we know that it is only the skill of the artist which has made it appear as the eye has seen it in reality. In exactly the same manner a ventriloquist acts upon and deceives the ear, by producing sounds as they are heard from any known distances.
We have given the acoustical theory of the effect on the auric nerve, and the means are the organs of respiration and sound with the adjoining muscles. The organs and muscles used are the diaphragm, the lungs, the trachea, the larynx, the pharynx, and the mouth.
3.—PRACTICAL RULES AND ILLUSTRATIONS.
The first voice a student of ventriloquism will strive to acquire is what is called “The voice in the closet.” To acquire this voice, which we so name for distinction’s sake, speak any word or sentence in your own natural tones; then open the mouth, and fix the jaws fast, as though you were trying to hinder any one from opening them farther, or shutting them; draw the tongue back in a ball; speak the same words, and the sound, instead of being formed in the mouth, will be formed in the pharynx. Great attention must be paid to holding the jaws rigid. The sound will then be found to imitate a voice heard from the other side of a door when it is closed, or under a floor, or through a wall. To ventriloquize with this voice, let the operator stand with his back to the audience, against a door. Give a gentle tap at the door, and call aloud in the natural voice, inquiring, “Who is there?” This will have the effect of drawing the attention of the audience to a person supposed to be outside. Then fix the jaw as described, and utter in the “closet voice” any words you please, such as, “I want to come in.” Ask questions in the natural voice, and answer in the other. When you have done this, open the door a little, and hold a conversation with the imaginary person. As the door is now open, it is obvious that the voice must be altered, for a voice will not sound to the ear when a door is open the same as when closed. Therefore the voice must be made to appear face to face, or close to the ventriloquist. To do this, the voice must not be altered from the original note or pitch, but be made in another part of the mouth. This is done by closing the lips tight and drawing one corner of the mouth downwards, or towards the ear. Then let the lips open at that corner only, the other part to remain closed. Next, breathe, as it were, the words out of the orifice formed.
Do not speak distinctly, but expel the breath in short puffs at each word, and as loud as possible. By so doing you will cause the illusion in the mind of the listeners that they hear the same voice which they heard when the door was closed, but which is now heard more distinctly and nearer on account of the door being open. This voice must always be used when the ventriloquist wishes it to appear that the sound comes through an obstacle, but from some one close at hand.
The description of voice and dialogue may be varied, as in the following example:—