1938-10-22 — Page 3

Page

THE CHINA MAIL, OCTOBER 22, 1938.-

Beauty Of The

VERY "woman can have

beautiful speak.ng voice →every, healthy woman, that is, for the voice, perhaps, more than any other part of us needs healthy surroundings to be at its best. But, given general fitness and a (moderately) easy mind, there is no reason why you, or any other normally healthy young woman should not possess a voice which is a pleasure to listen to a voice which is as much an asset to your person- ality as a radiant skin or a per- fect figure.

Probably you have quite a pleasant voice already; then you can build on that, making it full- er and richer, more varied in tone, more musical'in its effect. Perhaps you are not using all the riches you have, maybe your voice sounds thin or breathy, when it might be round and vibrant. Or if you are at all tired and worried, you may be using your voice wrongly, let- ting it get edgy and hard, strain- ed, throaty, neaal.

Well, there is no need to worry about it, still less to put up with it, for with a little care and attention you can bring out all the best in your voice, and surprise your friends and your- self with the beauty and the charm that lie hidden in it.

Now the first job in taking your voice in hand is to take your ears in hand. You must learn to listen carefully to your own voice. They say we

never hear qur voices as they sound to others. Perhaps not, but we can certainly hear enough to tell whether we speak clearly, whether we have "plums in our throat," whether our voices

nagal, or harah or

forced in tone. Listening to your own voice may not be easy at Arat, but try to compare your voice with other people's voices. You will hear plenty of hard and harsh tones around you, plenty of edgy, forced voices, as well as some that are rich and smooth: One tip, though, as you listen: Do not consciously copy any voice you hear, however beautiful you think it. It may not be your type of voice, and you may do yourself more harm than good trying to grow just like that: Instead, turn your attention to building up a beau- tiful volco along your own tine. Here are some general rules that will help you to make your voice beautiful?:

1. Breathe easily, as you learn to do in your 'classes.

2: Support your voice with your breath so that your voice feels like a ball resting on the top of a jet of water. If you are breathing properly, supporting the breathing with a firm abdo- gamon, gou vhould have this float- ing feeling ns you'speak. As the brbath passes through the vocal cords it is turned into sound, and it

comes up through the throît to the mouth" and nose. These dot as resonating cham- bère, amplifying this sound into the wolde we hear. Anöthèr tip:

· Forget all about sibur throat. It has nothing to do with produc- *ing the soundy as it is only a pás- sage for the breath: But think of your mouth so da dome-shaped chamber in which the fullest of. tones can be produend, and keep

to shape Don't be lazy, -through

1

is no use producing a good tone, if you do not use it to form good consonants and vowels. So listen to yourself to hear if you really do pronounce the sounds of the English language properly. No thin. screechy "o's" and "a's" no throaty "o's," and all begin- nings and endings of words

carefully sounded. Be careful that guttural consonants like "g" do not drag the voice back into throat, but try to speak al- ways with the sound well for- ward in the mouth. Be specially careful to avoid any little "click," as if a door were shut in the throat, as you begin certain words that start with a vowel, e.g., eight, apple.

Voice

you do, keep your voice from "grating." That is bad for it at any time:

6. Never shout, or force your voice.

If you are speaking well, with good tone and clear words, even if you are speaking softly, your voice will carry, because of its "overtones." which are amplified when they leave the mouth. If you shout and force your voice, the overtones are then destroy- ed, and the voice, though it ap- pears to be louder, loses a good deal of its carrying power. Re member this in fclephoning. The clearest telephone voice I have ever heard came from someone who always whispers intò, the

Mrs. Platt, of Patna, India, has four children and thinks her figure (thanks to the League of Health and Beauty) "not bad".

4. Use your voice at its na- tural pitch.

This is most important. Did you realise that, your speaking voice has just as définite & musical pitch as your ainging Voice, only it is harder to dis- cover, because it moves more quickly through much smaller intervals? Test Yourself.

You can increase the flexi- bility of your voice, and have a wider range of speaking tones, by a simple glissando (sliding) exercise: Speak (not sing), the figures 1-10, with a glissando on each word, sliding up for “ane.” down for "two" and so on, being careful not to go low at the bottom (E above middlo C is low enough).

And this brings up another useful rule:

5. Keep your voice up at the ends of sentences.

Do not let it drop in pitch too much, ́or you may find that the lower tones will be of a diffèr- ent quality, as if you were ́us- ing a different kind of voice (which in effect you are). In some women's voices (even in some trained actresses”, voices) you can hear this quite dis- tinctly, for there is quite a break between the two voices. Never use that second voice at the low- er end of your compass. It will ruin your other tones.

Keep your voice up în "feel," too, always as if it were, float- ing on the breath, aven when you are tired and it seems an effort. If you find your voice persists in dropping down through tiredness Into the throat, the trouble, is probably lower still. Most likely you are- not

from-the die

mouthpiece.

To finish, let us return to the beginning; if you would have a - beautiful voice, keep fitim mind as well as body. Any strain or tension tightens up the voice, and make it hard. So relax as much and as often as you can. Relaxation is a great beautifier, of voices as well as

· of faces,

'J. Elise Gordon.

1'ago

SHOP TO BEST ADVANTAGE AT

THE

ASIACOY

OF-XWAN BLDG. DESVOEUX RD, C. |

FOR GROCERIES BUTCHERIES- FRUITS GREENS & SUNDRIES

SAVE

DELIVERIES

LEAVING DEPOT 7. A.M. 12.NOON 4.P.M.

NO EXTRA CHARGE FOR MONTHLY CREDIT

TELEPHONES:

RETAIL & ACCOUNTS DEPT, 20416) WHOLESALE & GENERAL OFFICE 22338

READ

The China Mail

“EARLIEST WITH

THE LATEST”

HONG KONG'S PUBLIC SERVANT NO. 1

IT COOKS PERFECTLY

All the best cooks use gas-from the big restaurant chefs down wards because it is Bo, easily controlled, afid because it automatic-the oven looks after ItooLLA It is cloan, healthy an anoap.

IT HEATS WATER QUICKLY das Kaala water), antonia- tically-koops a supply of hot water always ready for you, or heats it up on its way to the hot Lap. healthy and cheap.

clean,

A

S

IT WARMS HEALTHILY

Doctors have gas fires bici

gun fire veriti

clean, healthy

cheap

GAS NEVER LETS YOU DOWN

THE HONG KONG & CHINA GAS CO LTD.

right

or Ups

feetlu. It.

CENTRAL SHOWROOM:

KOWLOON SHOWROOMS:

try speaking at higher pitch

GLOUCESITE BUILDING.

Phone 24704. 248 NATHAN ROAD.

Phone 57841.