Singing Toward The Nose Head Voice

When the peak of the softest part of the palate is placed forward

toward the nose, instead of being drawn up high behind the nose, as in

the head voice (see plate, head voice and nasal tone), it forms a kind

of nasal production which, as I have already said, cannot be studied

enough, because it produces very noble tonal effects and extraordinary

connections. It ought always to be employed. By it is effected the

connect on of tones with each other, from the front teeth back to a

point under the nose; from the lower middle tones to the head tones.

In truth, all the benefit of tonal connection depends upon this

portion of the soft palate; that is, upon its conscious employment.



This is all that singers mean when they speak of nasal

singing--really only singing toward the nose. The soft palate placed

toward the nose offers a resonating surface for the tone.



The reason why teachers tell their pupils so little of this is that

many singers are quite ignorant of what nasal singing means, and are

tormented by the idea of singing toward the nose, when by chance

they hear something about it. They generally regard the voice as one

complete organ acting by itself, which is once for all what it is.

What can be made of it through knowledge of the functions of all the

cooeperating organs they know nothing of.



Blind voices are often caused by the exaggerated practice of closing

off the throat too tightly from the head cavities; that is, drawing

the pillars of the fauces too far toward the wall of the throat. The

large resonating chamber thus formed yields tones that are powerful

close at hand, but they do not carry, because they are poor in

overtones. The mistake consists in the practice of stretching the

pillars too widely in the higher vocal ranges, also. In proportion as

the pillars are extended, the breath spreads over the entire palate,

instead of being concentrated on only one point of it, and bringing at

the same time the resonance of the head cavities into play. The soft

palate must first be drawn up to, then behind, the nose, and the

attack of the higher tones be transferred thither. The pillars of the

fauces must necessarily be relaxed by this action of the soft palate.

Thereby breath is introduced into the cavities of the head to form the

overtones, which contribute brilliancy and freshness to the voice.



Many singers persist in the bad habit here described, as long as

nature can endure it; in the course of time, however, even with the

most powerful physiques, they will begin to sing noticeably flat; with

less powerful, the fatal tremolo will make its appearance, which

results in the ruin of so many singers.