pages: practicalmagicia00harr.pdf, 88
This data as json
path | page | folder | text |
---|---|---|---|
practicalmagicia00harr.pdf | 88 | 78 THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN. or contracting the pharynx; by dilating or contracting the mouth ; by contracting the communication between the pharynx and mouth, so as to constitute them distinct chambers, or by dila- ting the opening so as to throw them into one, which is chiefly attained by movements of the soft palate and by altering- the form of the mouth'scavity, which is effected by varying the position of the tongue. Each of these modifications of the vocal tube con- veys a peculiarity of quality to the voice,-all however, being local or laryngeal sounds. Moreover, sounds can be produced in the vocal tube, apart from the larynx. These, strictly speaking, are not vocal sounds, though some of them may be of a definite and uniform pitch, while others are mere noises-as rustling, whisper- ing, gurgling, whistling, snoring, and the like. Now, as every- thing audible comes under the classes of noise, sound, or musical sound, and as each variety originates in the vocal apparatus of man, it is obvious that an ordinary vocal apparatus is all that is required foi the achicvement of the fents of ventriloquism. A person having an ear acutely perceptive to the nice distinc- tions of sounds, may, by a little practice, imitate many sounds with accuracy. Those persons, however, who are highly endow- ed with the mental requisites, which consist of an intense desire to mimic, coupled with the ability to originate mimetic ideas, are able to imitate sounds at first hearing. We next proceed to treat of those illusions, where the voice so perfectly counterfeits the reality intended, that it appears not to issue from the mimic, but from an appropriate source, in what- ever direction, and at whatever distance the source may be. Wo do not hear the distance which a sound has travelled from its source, but we judge the distance from our former experience, by comparing the loudness which we hear with the known distance and known loudness of similar sounds heard on former occasions. Common experience will prove that we oftener err in estimating the distance of uncommon tuan of familiar sounds. In apology for such an error, the ordinary language is, "It seemed too loud to come so far," or " It seemed too near to be so faint a sound, as the case may be, -both of which are apologies for an erroneous judgment, and not for faulty hearing. Near sounds are louder than distant ones. Now, by preserving the same pitch, quality, and duration, but with an accurately graduated reduction of loudness, a series forming a perspective of sounds may be created, which, falling in succession on the car, will suggest to the mind a constantly in- creasing distance of the sound's source. The estimate, then, which is formed of the distance which a sound has travelled be- fore reaching the car is a judgment of the mind formed by com- paring a present perception (by hearing) with the remembrance of a former loudness in connection with its known distance. With regard to direction, it is observed; "The direction whencea sound |