vocal cords, and the slightest change in this (dryer, moister, thicker, harder than necessary) has a disadvantageous influence upon the metal of the tone.

The Strength.

The strength of the tone may be increased if the chest and lungs are widened by means of deep breathing and gymnastic exercises. (See Part IV.) As these exercises also strengthen the organs of respiration, the evenness of the tone is also influenced, as this depends upon the evenness with which the air is expelled from the lungs.

The Evenness.

The evenness of the tone depends upon correct breathing, and will be treated under "Breathing."

The Power of Duration.

The power of duration of a tone depends upon the strength of the muscles of the larynx, and can be attained only if these parts are nourished by animal food and by a gradual heightening in singing, but never without allowing the necessary rest to follow. This is the case not only with the singer, but also with the orator, as we shall see further on.

How the voice gains in height and depth will be shown in Part IV.

Before the muscles of the vocal organs have attained the necessary strength, the voice will always more or less vary from the correct pitch, as well as tremble. This may also be in case of poor musical hearing and of poor method of teaching. Strengthening of the voice, cultivation of the hearing, and correct method of teaching are the chief conditions for the prevention of singing out of tune.

Tonsils that are too large must be made smaller by means of caustic or tincture of iodine.

What the condition of the organs of respiration should be has already been told in the discussion upon the lungs, the windpipe, the larynx and the muscles, and will be treated further in Part IV. Here we must only speak of the production of the tone and of the position of the necessary organs.

SECTION 2.

POSITION OF THE BODY.

When the body is in a quiet position during the production of the tone, the following directions are to be observed:

The body should not be distorted in any of its

parts. It must stand straight, with protruded chest, the shoulders back. The chin should not be held high or low, but should have a horizontal position.

The neck must set free and unforced upon the shoulders, and not, as we frequently see, between them. The shoulders should not accompany the tone or word with rising and falling in order to give it a particular expression. It is understood that shrugging of the shoulders, as well as some few cases in which the shoulders may move, are excepted. To the latter, among others, belongs the representation of fright, whereby the neck, and, consequently, the head fall between the shoulders, etc.

The arms should not be pressed against the sides of the body, but should hang light and unforced (in which case the pushing back of the elbows, an often noticeable mistake of women, will be prevented), and when they are moved it must be done without any excessive straining of the muscles.

SECTION 3.

POSITION OF THE LIPS AND ORGANS IN THE ORAL CAVITY.

The organs in the oral cavity and the lips must be placed according to rule:-The jaws separate a

little, the lips are slightly drawn back from the teeth (in a as in father, a as in fate) as in a friendly smile, whereby the tips of the teeth become visible, but without allowing any strain to appear, or that one lip is drawn back more than the other. But in e (in eve), o (in old), oo (in ooze), the lips should be held as is described in Part III; but they should not, as we often find in noted singers, be pushed too far forward, whereby they get the appearance of a carp's mouth; nor may they close on one side of the mouth and open wider on the other, thereby forcing the tone to pass unclearly and poorly from the side of the mouth.

We often find other mannerisms of holding the lips, and for that reason we mention them: One is the so-called pointing of the mouth, whereby the opening through which the tone has to pass becomes so small that a clear, full tone is impossible; and the other is the holding and pressing of the under lip upon the teeth, while the upper lip is pulled from the teeth

The mannerism of opening the mouth wide during production of high tones and of reducing it to its minimum opening in production of deep tones, is entirely incorrect. The width of the jaws and opening of the mouth (during production of tone) is

normal when we can put the thumb between the teeth. The singer should always attempt to reach the normal opening, although this opening undergoes various modifications by the formation of different vowels.

I cannot understand why singing teachers are not stricter about the position of the mouth and of the organs of the oral cavity, as a pure, clear tone is impossible with incorrect position of these organs.

I once had a pupil who (having had a few years' musical education in Paris) sang with the most disadvantageous and ugliest position of the mouth; it required the greatest strictness on my part, and the most continual diligence on the part of the pupil to change these incorrect positions of the lips, for they had become her second nature.

Singing teachers cannot, therefore, be told too often: before all, be particular about the correct position of the mouth as well as of the organs of the oral cavity.

The soft-palate must be raised as much as possible, the tonsils (altogether the side walls of the softpalate) should not be pressed together.

The knowledge how to hold the palate is of the greatest importance to singers and speakers. The disagreeable singing of so many comes from their not having learned how to lead and break the waves of tone correctly by means of the soft-palate. This is an art the attainment of which requires a long period of time, but the singer must obtain possession of it, for he who cannot regulate his palate, will never learn how to sing.

The fauces must be as wide as possible and should not be decreased in width by the tonsils.