The Head Voice and Other Problems

“Can he build a voice?” is the first question students ask—and D. A. Clippinger begins by challenging what singers mean when they talk about “placing” one.

In these practical talks from the early twentieth century, Clippinger takes on a puzzle at the heart of singing: the voice can make countless kinds of sound, yet no singer can simply set its pitch, power, and quality once and for all. He questions the conflicting instructions teachers give about the larynx, palate, and where to direct a tone, arguing that such rules can leave students more mystified than skilled. The real test, he insists, is what the ear hears: beautiful tone, formed through a clear idea rather than conscious manipulation. Can singers learn to trust that idea—and let the voice find its own way?

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