"The first thing to be considered is the position of the body; for
beauty of tone cannot be obtained unless all efforts harmonize to
produce the desired result. An easy, graceful, buoyant position is
essential; it can be cultivated in front of a mirror, from the first
lesson.
"Tone production is the result of thought. Picture to yourself a
beautiful tone; sing it on the vowel Ah. If you stood in rapture before
an entrancing scene you would exclaim, Ah, how beautiful. Producing a
beautiful tone rests on certain conditions. First, breath control;
Second, Freedom of throat; Third, Correct focus of tone.
"We know that a stiff jaw and tongue are the greatest hindrances to the
emission of good tone. Muscles of chin and tongue must be trained to
become relaxed and flexible. Do not stiffen the jaw or protrude the
chin, else your appearance will be painful and your tones faulty.
"To think the tone forward is quite as important as to sing it forward.
Without the mental impression of correct placing, the reality cannot
exist. It is much better to think the tone forward for five minutes and
sing one minute, than to practice the reverse. One should practice in
fifteen-minute periods and rest at least ten minutes between. The
student should never sing more than two hours a day--one in the morning
and one in the afternoon. As most singers love their work, many are
inclined to overdo.
"Do not tamper with the two or three extreme upper or lower tones of
your voice lest you strain and ruin it permanently. Never practice when
suffering from a cold.
"Ideal attack is the tone which starts without any scooping, breathiness
or explosiveness. Breathe noiselessly, the secret of which is to breathe
from down, up. Faulty emissions of tone are: nasal, guttural, throaty
and tremulous. I will give you examples of all these from the record No.
33, which will show you first the fault and then the perfect example. If
the pupil studies these perfect emissions of tone and tries to imitate
them, there is no need for her to have the common faults mentioned.