the same conditions. Aikin, indeed, asserts that if the directions given
above be fulfilled, there will be variations between full-grown men and
women of one or two tones, and between different men and different women of
one or two semi-tones, and not much more. As he truly affirms, if the tube
is six inches long a variation of three-quarters of an inch could only make
a difference of a whole tone in the resonance, and he implies that the
different results obtained by these different experimenters were due to the
faulty use of the resonator.

In ordinary conversation much faulty pronunciation is overlooked so long as
the words themselves are intelligible, but in singing and public speaking
every misuse of the resonator is magnified and does not pass unnoticed.
Increased loudness of the voice will not improve its carrying power if the
resonator is improperly used; it will often lead to a rise of pitch and the
production of a harsh, shrill tone associated with a sense of strain and
effort. Aikin claims that by studying the whispering voice we can find for
every vowel sound that position of the resonator which gives us the maximum
of resonance. By percussing[A] the resonator in the position for the
production of the various vowel sounds you will observe a distinct
difference in the pitch of the note produced. I will first produce the
vowel sound _oo_ and proceed with the vowel sounds to _i_; you will observe
that the pitch rises an octave; that this is due to the changes in the form
of the resonator is shown when I percuss the resonator in the position of
the different vowel sounds. You will observe that I start the scale of C
with _oo_ on f and proceed through a series of vowel sounds as in
whispering _who_, _owe_, _or_, _on_, _ah_. I rise a fifth from f to c, and
the diagram shows the change in the form of the resonator cavity to be
mainly due to the position of the dorsum of the tongue. Proceeding from
_ah_ to the middle tone of the speaking register, we ascend the scale to
_i_ as in _me_, and the dorsum of the tongue now reaches the roof of the