Elocution Simplified / With an Appendix on Lisping, Stammering, Stuttering, and Other Defects of Speech.

by Walter K. Fobes

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.