Observations on the Florid Song; Or, Sentiments on the Ancient and Modern Singers

by Pier Francesco Tosi

CHAP. III.

Of the Shake.

e meet with two most powerful Obstacles informing the Shake. The first embarrasses the Master; for, to this Hour there is no infallible Rule found to teach it: And the second affects the Scholar, because Nature imparts the Shake but to few. The Impatience of the Master joins with the Despair of the Learner, so that they decline farther Trouble about it. But in this the Master is blameable, in not doing his Duty, by leaving the Scholar in Ignorance. One must strive against Difficulties with Patience to overcome them.

§ 2. Whether the Shake be necessary in Singing, ask the Professors of the first Rank, who know better than any others how often they have been indebted to it; for, upon any Absence of Mind, they would have betrayed to the Publick the Sterility of their Art, without the prompt Assistance of the Shake.

§ 3. Whoever has a fine Shake, tho' wanting in every other Grace, always enjoys the Advantage of conducting himself without giving Distaste to the End or Cadence, where for the most part it is very essential; and who wants it, or has it imperfectly, will never be a great Singer, let his Knowledge be ever so great.

§ 4. The Shake then, being of such Consequence, let the Master, by the Means of verbal Instructions, and Examples vocal and instrumental, strive that the Scholar may attain one that is equal, distinctly mark'd, easy, and moderately quick, which are its most beautiful Qualifications.

§ 5. In case the Master should not know how many sorts of Shakes there are, I shall acquaint him, that the Ingenuity of the Professors hath found so many Ways, distinguishing them with different Names, that one may say there are eight Species of them.[31]

§ 6. The first is the Shake Major, from the violent Motion of two neighbouring Sounds at the Distance of a Tone, one of which may be called Principal, because it keeps with greater Force the Place of the Note which requires it; the other, notwithstanding it possesses in its Motion the superior Sound appears no other than an Auxiliary. From this Shake all the others are derived.[32]