rements of
a large auditorium; and the care and attention which should be devoted
to the benefit of all should not be spent for the advantage merely of
the few.

And moreover, those practices and studies which voice culture and the
attainment of a knowledge of the principles of vocal interpretation
demand, may be pursued by all in common. That alone which is necessary
for the public reader or orator, is a more extended, and, perhaps, a
more earnest and thoughtful practice.

Although practices for the improvement of the voice cannot proceed far
without attention to the principles of vocal interpretation, and though
the study of the latter necessarily includes the former, yet for the
sake of clearness the elementary principles of voice culture may be
discussed separately from their application in the interpretation of
thought and sentiment.

With respect both to articulation and expression _the generic properties
of the voice are five_, namely: _Quality_, _Pitch_, _Force_, _Time_,
_Abruptness_. Of these properties there are, of course, many modes or
degrees, but the voice must, in every tone that it utters, manifest
itself in some mode or other of each; and it is the possibility of
infinite choice in the ways of combining the modes that gives to vocal
expression its infinite possibility of variety. The principles of voice
culture will be best understood, however, if these properties be
considered separately.

=Quality= has reference to the _kind_ of the voice in respect of its
smoothness or roughness, sonority or thinness, musicalness or harshness;
also in respect of the completeness of its vocality.

=Pitch= has reference to the degree of elevation or depression in what
is called in music the _scale_. It may be used specifically, in
reference to single tones or syllables (either as to their opening, or
as to their whole utterance), or generally, as descriptive of the
prevailing tone or note which the voice assumes in reading a sentence or
passage.

=Force= has reference to the power or intensity with which the sounds of
the voice are uttered. When force is used in the utterance of single
syllables, in whole or in part, it is spoken of as =Stress=.

=Time= is rate of utterance. It is used with reference both to single
syllables, and to phrases, sentences, and passages. In regard to single
syllables it is sometimes called =Quantity=. In the consideration of
time may be included that of _pauses_ and _rhythms_.

=