The Sensations Of The Palate
The sensations of the palate are best made clear to us by raising the
softest part behind the nose. This part is situated very far back. Try
touching it carefully with the finger. This little part is of
immeasurable importance to the singer. By raising it the entire
resonance of the head cavities is brought into play--consequently the
head tones are produced. When it is raised, the pillars of the fauces
are lowered. In
distended and to close the head cavities off from the throat, in order
to produce the chest tones; that is, to permit the breath to make
fullest use of the palatal resonance. As soon as the soft palate is
lowered under the nose, it makes a point of resonance for the middle
range of voice, by permitting the overtones to resound at the same
time in the nose. (See plate, middle range.)
Thus the palate performs the whole work so far as concerns the
different resonances, which can be united and separated by it, but
must always work together in close relation, always bound together in
all tones, in all kinds of voices.
The lowest chest tones of the bass, the highest head tones of the
soprano, are thus the two poles between which the entire gamut of all
voices can be formed. From this it can be perceived that with a
certain degree of skill and willingness to work, every voice will be
capable of great extension.
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