CHAPTER VI THE REGISTERS The human lung is divided into three lobes or ventricles. Each of these lobes is the origin of a register of the voice. Each register of the voice has a tone peculiarity which is particularly well adapted for the rendering of specific emotions. The inferior register contains the tones best suited to convey the feelings of rest, comfort, kindness, gratitude, and love. These are the effects of the heavy air columns which are supplied through the voluminous division of the lower bronchial tube called the inferior branch. The middle register, through the middle branch of the bronchial tubes, contains the tones best suited to impress authority. This register should be used exclusively in commanding. It is also the best suited for usual conversations. From the superior register we have the high pitched tones of the voice, because they PLATE NO. 10 Original plate, illustrating the three bronchial tube branches and their controlling muscles originate from the small and short air columns supplied through the superior branch of the bronchial tubes. These tones are especially well suited to express the feelings of pain, sorrow, and fear. The illustration of Plate No. 10 is taken from the lung of the right side. The lung of the left side is to a small extent encroached upon by the heart and it differs a little in its outside appearance and also in its internal arrangement. This is plainly shown in the illustrations of plates Nos. 1, 3, and 6. This may be one of those wise provisions of Nature to fill in the weakness at the dividing lines of the registers so well defined in the left lung. A break in one's voice is through a weakness of the controlling force. The illustrations in Plates Nos. 1 and 10 plainly show that the origin of each of the registers has its special and independent provision of power and controlling force. Care should be taken that the normal action of all the registers be restored to usefulness through some proper breathing exercises and suitable vocalisms. Some persons have so lost the use of one, sometimes two of the registers, that they are skeptical about recovering that part of the voice which is lost. Except in some rare cases, where the air cells are atrophied, the natural functions of the organs are quickly regained. The majority of adults breathe by the action of the diaphragm, which is the powerproducing muscle of the inferior register. A pupil in this condition should cultivate chest breathing throughout the day, and especially during the breathing exercises. The chest should be held up and, while full of air, should be pounded with closed fists and massaged constantly until the powerproducing muscles of the superior register are brought back into action. Its practical use for tone production may then be at tempted. It is sometimes best brought on by a high tone made in a short coughing way and sometimes by imitating the twitter of a bird, with the pronunciation of the letter E with a head resonance. An exhaustion almost completed on tones of a 1 2 3 4 etc. ah C 12 3 etc. ah PLATE NO. 11 Original exercises for individual action of the registers lower register and ended on a pitch that calls for the action of the superior register, may be helpful, as illustrated in B, Plate No. 11. By asking the pupil to sustain the low tone and merely make a mental picture of the high one as he gets to it, sometimes the teacher can, by a gentle pressure of the |