Speaking clearly. Improving voice and articulation: Фонетический практикум. Фомиченко Л.Г. - 73 стр.

                                                                     73
                         S E C T I O N III

                    THE EXPRESSIVE VOICE

                     MUSIC TO YOUR EARS
      There is a unique instrument, developed somewhat indepen-
dently by a number of cultures, that most of us admire and consider
musical. It’s called the bagpi pe.
      The bagpi pe has a bag — a bellows — that is squeezed by the
pi per to produce the breath of the instrument. That air is then
directed into as many as five drones, each of which emits a different
pitch. Those sounds remain constant, unmodulated, ...as long as air
passes through them. They begin tentatively, but build quickly to full
volume. At that point, the bagpi pe is not fully functional.
      Ah, but then the remaining component of the instrument, the
reed melody pi pe, the chanter, begins to skirl, laying the tune over
the drones, and music happens! The music is sometimes plaintive,
sometimes exuberant, as the pi per varies the phrasing and tempo of
the piece.
      Many of us have seen and heard the massed pi pers and drum-
mers of the famous Black Watch, in their ribbons and kilts, proudly
marching down a field. When that stirring melody, «Scotland the
Brave» fills the air, everyone present must respond with excitement
and awe! That’s an expressive musical voice!
      Your voice, if you use it effectively, is just as expressive! The
human voice can be a mirror of your thoughts and emotions. …...
      Nothing equals the beauty, the power, the flexibility, or the
expressiveness of the human voice!
      That expressiveness comes from the use of a variety of techniques
that impart vitality to speech. Your voice is unique and instantly
recognizable because of six characteristics in your delivery. These are
pitch, inflection, energy, duration, tempo, and volume. …
      Pitch. High or low, the pitch of your everyday voice has been
developed throughout your life. It has been influenced by your gen-
der, your physical size and the kind of life you’ve led. All of these
characteristics interact to give your voice expressiveness and to make
you a concise articulator.
      A woman’s vocal cords vibrate about twice as fast as those of a
man’s, so her normal pitch is usually about an octave higher. The