Among female voices I have seen many
that could sing nothing but a full tone in the upper register, and that
only with an unsteady, unsympathetic quality.

Now a point upon which all voice teachers can agree is that the upper
voice is not properly trained until it has a perfect _messa di voce_
that is, until the singer can swell the tone from the lightest
pianissimo to full voice and return, on any tone in his compass, without
a break and without sacrificing the pure singing quality. How shall this
be accomplished? If the singer is forcing the upper voice it is safe to
say in the beginning that it never can be done by practicing with full
voice. Such practice will only fasten the habit of resistance more
firmly upon the singer. To argue in the affirmative is equivalent to
saying that the continued practice of a bad tone will eventually produce
a good tone.

There is but one way to the solution of the problem; the singer must get
rid of resistance. When he has succeeded in doing that the problem of
the head voice is solved. The bugaboo of voice placing permanently
disappears. The difficulty so many have in placing the upper voice lies
in this, that they try to do it without removing the one thing which
prevents them from doing it. When the voice is free from resistance it
places itself, that is, it produces without effort whatever quality the
singer desires. The term "head voice," doubtless grew out of the
sensation in the head which accompanies the upper tones, and this
sensation is the result of the vibration of the air in the air head
cavities. Many have taken this sensation as a guide to the production of
the head voice, and in order to make sure of it they instruct the
student to direct the tone into the head. This is not only an uncertain
and unnecessary procedure, but is almost sure to develop a resistance
which effectually prevents the tone from reaching the head cavities.
When there is no interference the tone runs naturally into the proper
channel. It is not necessary to use force to put it there.

HEAD RESONANCE

Whether or not the head cavities act as resonators is one of the many
mooted points in voice training. Those who believe they do are much in
the majority, but those in the minority are equally confident they do
not. What are the arguments? That there is a sensation in the head
cavities when singing in the upper part of the compass no one can deny.
Does it affect tone quality? The minority offer