ortant factor in giving to the tone its "point," brilliance, and
carrying power.

So far as instruction in the use of nasal resonance is concerned,
teachers owe but little to the mechanical doctrines of Vocal Science.
No voluntary muscular operation has ever been found, by which the air in
the nasal cavities can be directly thrown into vibration, and so made to
reinforce the tones of the voice. Instruction in the management of nasal
resonance is therefore similar to that in chest resonance. The teacher
describes the sensations experienced by a singer who produces the exact
quality of tone desired. Use is also made of special vowels and
consonants, for (supposedly) acquiring command of nasal resonance. A
description of this form of instruction is given in the following
chapter.

_Sounding-Board Resonance_

The acoustic principle of sounding-board resonance, in its application
to the voice, is discussed by several vocal scientists. It is usually
treated under two heads: first, the entire body is looked upon as a
sounding board, capable of reinforcing the tones of the voice under
certain conditions. Second, the bones of the chest and of the head are
thought to be thrown into vibration, in sympathy with the vibrations of
the air in the chest and nasal cavities respectively.

The importance attached by Howard to the sounding-board resonance of the
entire body has already been noticed. Aside from the teachers of the
Howard system, very few masters pay any attention to this feature of
vocal reinforcement. Those who do so have no difficulty in dealing with
the subject. When the singer stands in the position generally considered
correct for singing, the body is said to be in the position most
favorable for securing the benefits of this form of resonance. For this
no special rules or exercises are needed.

Very little attention is paid, in practical instruction, to the
vibrations of the bones of the resonance cavities. Each cavity is
treated as a whole; the fact is only occasionally mentioned that the
bones inclosing the cavities may vibrate, as well as the inclosed air.

CHAPTER V

EMPIRICAL MATERIALS OF MODERN METHODS

A series of topics included in modern methods is now to be considered,
different in scope from the strictly mechanical features of
tone-production so far described. It must be apparent to the reader that
the present understanding of the muscular processes of singing is not
sufficient to furnish