Page images
PDF
EPUB

TO THE TEACHER :-Rhythmical exercises like the following will be found useful in attaining flexibility and accuracy in the use of the agents of articulation:

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

In common time: Bộ ba bà, bà bà bà, bởi bà bể, bà. Repeat three times, sustaining the last bä a full beat, making a succession of three triplets and a quarter note; the last time sustain the final bä as long as possible.

4

In common time: Bä bä bä bä, bä bä bä bä. bä bä bä bä, bä, as if there were three groups of sixteenth notes, and a quarter note. Distinguish carefully between successions of ba and of äb, på and äp. Careless practice will result in something like äb ä bä bä bä bä, etc. This caution applies to many other combinations.

LESSON XXV.

The Head.

The head has gestures and attitudes. The gestures of the head are few but full of meaning. The common ones are the nod, meaning yes; the shake of the head, meaning no; and a contemptuous fling of the head to one side, which latter, like a shrug of contempt, which it usually accompanies, is to be avoided, except when absolutely necessary to the expression.

The attitudes or positions of the head are more numerous and important than are its gestures. We find nine fundamental positions of the head,

I.-The Head Erect. (Fig. 8.)

This is the attitude of simple attention without sympathy. We find it in the attitude of Respect (Lesson VI.). As a bearing or habit, it indicates strong vitality, consciousness of power. Be careful that the position of the body, either in sitting or standing, corresponds to that of the head, so far as your knowledge goes,

II.-The Head Bowed. (Fig. 9.)

FIG. 8.

This indicates one of two conditions: Either the mind is so occupied that the attention is drawn away from surrounding things; or, we are submitting ourselves to some one or something more powerful than ourselves; we say, for instance, "man must bow to the inevitable."

This, then, is the expression of reflection, thought,

FIG. 9.

mental concentration, or of respect and submission. As a bearing, the bowed head might indicate a thoughtful character, or a very humble, abject person. What would be the difference in the bearing of the hips and chest?

The ordinary bow means that you place yourself at the service of the person you salute. You are, for the time, his "humble servant." The attitude of the body will vary with the condition you wish to represent.

FIG. 10.

III.-The Head Lifted. (Fig. 10.)

The head is lifted in joy, animation, exultation, vehemence, expressions of pride, superiority, and the like, and, as a bearing, would indicate similar mental characteristics.

IV.-The Head Pivoted. (Fig. 11.) The head pivoted or turned toward an object or person shows a feeling of attraction; turned from, that is, in an opposite direction, the pivot indicates dislike, repulsion, aversion. This is not a bearing; people do not go about habitually with the head turned to one side.

EXAMPLES.

The train from out the castle drew,

But Marmion stopped to bid adieu.

FIG. 11.

[Speaker's Position.]

"Though something I might 'plain," he said,

Of cold respect to stranger guest

Sent hither by your king's behest,

Part we in friendship from your land

And noble earl, receive my hand."

II. [But with coldness.]

-Scott.

My liege, your anger can recall your trust,
Annul my office, spoil me of my lands,
Rifle my coffers; but my name, my deeds,

Are royal in a land beyond your sceptre.-Bulwer Lytton.

This selection would be begun in the attitude of conscious power (I.), and gradually develop into

[ocr errors]

(III.) that of conscious superiority, at the words royal in a land beyond your sceptre." Of course, a conventional bow at the words "my liege" would be very appropriate. Also, the head might pivot (IV.) toward the imaginary "office," "lands," and "coffers;" but such movements would be very slight, and are not

necessary.

To be or not to be-that is the question. II.

-Shakespeare.

Now glory to the Lord of Hosts, from whom all glories are! III.
-Macaulay.

NEPHEW. A merry Christmas, uncle! God save you! III.
SCROOGE. Bah! humbug!-Dickens. IV.

Shall I bend low and, in a bondman's key,

With 'bated breath and whispering humbleness, say this:
"Fair sir, you spit on me on Wednesday last;
You spurned me such a day; another time
You called me-dog; and for these courtesies
I'll lend you thus much monies ?”—Shakespeare.

Oh, where is the knight or the squire so bold,

As to dive to the howling charybdis below?—Schiller.

Here the head will pivot from side to side, as the king glances over the assembled courtiers, while his bearing may be either I. or III., more likely the latter, as he is rather a haughty individual. This is an example of the combination of two attitudes.

Remember that there are many degrees to all actions and attitudes, and that you must exercise sufficiently good taste to avoid overdoing on the one hand and tameness on the other.

LESSON XXVI.

Articulation.-Continued.

With the lips closed we have one other sound, m, sometimes called a nasal consonant, because its sound escapes through the nostrils. It is in reality a humming sound, and is one of the few consonants that may be sustained for an indefinite time.

F and v are formed by pressing the lower lip against the teeth.

W, in wine, wh, in whine, are formed by rounding the lips somewhat, as in the formation of the vowel 00. Wh is really hw; we say hwen, hwine, not w-hen, w-hine.

With the tongue in various positions we form the following consonants:

T, d, by the recoil of the tip of the tongue from the upper teeth.

L, n, by keeping the tip of the tongue in its position against the upper teeth, but more relaxed than in t and d. N is the nasal sound in this position.

R is formed in two ways: With the tip of the tongue very much relaxed we get what is commonly

« PreviousContinue »