How to Sing [Meine Gesangskunst]
MY PURPOSE My purpose is to discuss simply, intelligibly, yet from a scientific point of view, the sensations known to us in singing, and exactly ascertained in my experience, by the expressions "singing open," "covered," "dark," "nasal," "in the head," or "in the neck," "forward," or "back." These expressions correspond to our sensations in singing; but they are unintelligible as long as the causes of those sensations are unknown, and everybody has a different idea of them. Many singers try their whole lives long to produce them and never succeed. This happens because science understands too little of singing, the singer too little of science. I mean that the physiological explanations of the highly complicated processes of singing are not plainly enough put for the singer, who has to concern himself chiefly with his sensations in singing and guide himself by them. Scientific men are not at all agreed as to the exact functions of the several organs; the humblest singer knows something about them. Every serious artist has a sincere desire to help others reach the goal--the goal toward which all singers are striving: to sing well and beautifully.
machine. The consequence is that jewellery work of the finest fashion
is made in small establishments, but as I have said there are so many of
these that the "turn-out" in the way of "hands" is a formidable element
in our local population.
It is, we know, an ancient saw that tells us that two of a trade cannot
agree, but it has always struck me that jewellers belie this generally
accepted maxim. I came to this conclusion from knowing and visiting a
colony of goldfinches--I mean master jewellers, who are quite civil to
each other, will sit at meat and drink together, go to the same place of
worship, and generally behave as friends, neighbours, and Christians.
How it was that these employer blow-pipers could maintain and assume
such a benign and almost brotherly attitude towards each other was a
little puzzling to me till I thought the matter out. Jewellers they
might all be, but they did not all jewel alike. They rowed in the same
boat, but not with the same sculls--to use Jerrold's old joke, They
blowed the same pipe, but played different tunes. In a word they
produced different varieties of jewellery, and consequently did not cut
each other's throats in competition. One would chiefly make chains,
another lockets and pendants, a third studs and sleeve links, a fourth
rings, a fifth bracelets and brooches, and another miscellaneous
high-class productions, including mayoral chains, &c., &c. Under these
circumstances the two or three of a trade to whom I have referred have
been able to agree, and will be able to maintain good fellowship till
such times as some largely enterprising bold blow-piper forms himself
MY PURPOSE My purpose is to discuss simply, intelligibly, yet from a scientific point of view, the sensations known to us in singing, and exactly ascertained in my experience, by the expressions "singing open," "covered," "dark," "nasal," "in the head," or "in the neck," "forward," or "back." These expressions correspond to our sensations in singing; but they are unintelligible as long as the causes of those sensations are unknown, and everybody has a different idea of them. Many singers try their whole lives long to produce them and never succeed. This happens because science understands too little of singing, the singer too little of science. I mean that the physiological explanations of the highly complicated processes of singing are not plainly enough put for the singer, who has to concern himself chiefly with his sensations in singing and guide himself by them. Scientific men are not at all agreed as to the exact functions of the several organs; the humblest singer knows something about them. Every serious artist has a sincere desire to help others reach the goal--the goal toward which all singers are striving: to sing well and beautifully.