(1

(Expression)

All musical notes are analysed by the ear and are found to consist of a fundamental note generally of great intensity and a number of notes of subordinate intensity & higher pitch. The number & loudness of these subordinate notes (called harmonies) varies very much in different kinds of sounds. The human voice is peculiarly rich in harmonics, as many as 16 notes or harmonics above the fundamental one having been observed. ─

[1v]

Every vessel has a note peculiar to itself ─ that is to say a note wh. it wd. itself give out if blown out & made a sound ─ and it is found that if a vessel is placed near an instrument which sounds the note peculiar to the vessel that the note given out by the instrument is much intensified by resonance, and if the vessel's note is the same as that of the [illeg] harmonic of the note sounded by the musical instrument then that harmonic is reinforced.─

In giving out the vowel sounds the mouth plays exactly the same part of the vocal chords that the vessel plays to the musical instrument. ─

P 149

Helmholtz has then found that for a given vowel sound the note [profer] to the mouth that is the note wh. The mouth wd. give if blown out note & made to give a sound of itself ─ is

[2]

The same at whatever pitch the vowel sound is sung ─ so that for each vowel sound there is a fixed note which is reinforced & made to predominate through the slip of the [2 words illeg] in whatever pitch the vowel is sung ─ but a number of other subordinate sounds always coexist with this predominant sound. ─

Helmholtz has shown that the A (french) 'correspond à une overture de la bouche assez ordinairement en forme déntonnoir" (p 139)

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For the vowels O & OU 'la bouche est rétrécie en avant par le moyen des lèvres (c'est dans l'OU que le rètrécissment est le plus grand) tandis que dans la partie moyenne, la langue se retirant donne à la cavité toute la capacité possible; la forme générale se rapproche de celle d'une bouteille sans goulot dont l'orifice, la bouche est assez étroit, mais dont la capacité intérieure s'etend dans toutes les directions sans aucune séparation'

In the vowels A, AI É & I the lips are drawn on one side & the form of the mouth 'se rapproche alors de celle d'une bouteille à goulot étroit.

In the vowels U & EU the lips are contracted & pushed out so as to prolong the neck of the bottle

In appears from this that when the mouth is in its most natural position that it is very nearly

In position for sounding the letter O sounded in an open manner thus if from any emotion (as surprise without any admixture of alarm) a man has a tendency to make a simple noise it will probably be O; ─ this probably shows why O is the common exclamation where no agitation is felt. ─ Helmholtz also says that a husky (voilé) voice ─ i.e the opposite to piercing ─ comes from p 136 the orifice of the glottis not shutting exactly during the vibration of the vocal chords

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Now in making an involuntary exclamation in which no particular sound was intended it is probable no endeavour wd. Be made to shut the glottis exactly; this will perhaps explain how little piercing (or how voilé) the prolonged 'O' of word is; moreover the force of the mouth in making the sound O is such as to reinforce a note somewhat low in the scale to smoothen the piercing harmonic. ─

Again in the sounds pooh ugh wh. The [onomatopecits] give a signs of

[3v]

disgust the lips are protruded as representing tendency to spit or vomit; Now shape of the mouth in the OU sound only differs from that of the O in that the lips are protruded & contracted together thus granting the spitting & vomiting

Explanation of these signs of disgust if appears clear why the vowel sound should be OU. The guttural sound in 'ugh' may perhaps be explained thus; a guttural is only an intense 'h' nd an 'h' is merely formed by emitting the breath whilst making the sound, thus when the breath is violently emitted in the spitting or vomiting the guttural sound wd very probably occur.

The cry of terror or pain is ah! or ach! Uttered harshly.

Now when such a cry is given the object is to make the cry as piercing as possible and thus the mouth wd. Be made as like a trumpet mouth as possible.

[9]

So as to smother as little of the Sound as possible; ─ perhaps also the convulsive contraction of the muscles (includg the platysma)

[insertion: is not the excln. In yawng. ah!?

May help to open the mouth.

In any case the open mouth is the form for giving the A Sound & the guttural at the end of the exclamation might be explained in the same manner as 'ugh' ─

Helmholtz says 'Le timbre particulier de voix mordantes

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tire peut-étre son origine de ce que les bords des cordes vocales ne sont pas assez polis ou assez droit, pour pouvoir former entre eux une fente étroite rectiligne sans se heurter l'un à l'autre.' (186)

Is it not probably that in a convulsive cry it wd. be impossible to make a 'peute étroite rectiligne' betw. the vocal chords & that by too violent a contraction the chords wd. beat together & give the 'timbre mordant'

[4v]

corresponding to 'instruments à auche battante' beating reed (as clarionette)

In exclamation of this opinion Helmholtz says Au moins on obtient avec des anches membraneuses artificielles, des modifications analogues dans le son, lorsqu'on change de cette manière la position relative des anches.' 136

Moreover the form of the mouth in the A sound corresponds to a note high in the scale & thus the harmonics wh. are most powerful are those notes which of all others the human ear is most sensitive ─ so that the A sound wd. be heard for a great distance

Helmholtz has written at some length on the sensitiveness of the Ear to certain high pitched notes.

The change from the hee! hee! of a giggle to the ha ha! of a hearty laugh may be explained by the gradual opening of the mouth as the excitement increases.─

Helmholtz shows that I correspond

to a slight opening of the mouth & that the form of the mouth corresponds to a high note. This may explain why a giggle is higher in pitch than a hearty laugh.─