The San Francisco call., 1904-03-02
INSTRUCTIVE CTUDIENC
By INOTEzDEzAMf AND
ks0MEN

PIE Is just the same IN the nFst pldce
we taught the pupil how to sing a sin
gle note@then two notes in copjunc-
JIon, then a short scale exercise em-
.phasizing every other note lin other
words: singing the scale in: "twos'D.
Now We are giving it to him in.
-athirds,': and so preparing him for
more intricate work.
Each day when the pupil begins his
vocal practice. he must take up his
breathing exercises before attempting
anything else. After this he must take
the singing" exercises one after an
other in the. order in wfrich. / have
given them if he wishes to obtain the
best results. Each is related to the
other. in a direct line of progression
and all are related to the Things which
are. to. come; after. -.
In helping the boy through these
exercises be: sure that he. always keeps
on the key. Strike the chord often
enough 10 keep him from straying, if
he has any disposition to do so. In
the effort to acquire, a good tone don't
neglect to acquire a true one, and to
make the pupil listen to his voice al
ways teaching him in this way TO
detect at once a fall from pitch. 1t
is well not to use: the piano any more
than is absolutely necessary at this
time, but chord: or two to steady the
pupil will do no harm.
: BY this time the pupil will have ac-
customed, his vocal chords to daily use
in singing and his practice time can be
lengthened a. little One cannot set
down an exact rule for this. further
than that the voice must never be
tired: After a. few weeks the practice
can gradually be heightened to twenty
minutes or half an hour, but never
more than that at a time. Fifteen or
twenty minutes in the morning and
the same amount Later in the day is
.a good rule, if: the pupil works con-
scientiously and does not try to force
his voice. Remember that a little
forcing now may. ruin his voice. for
ever. and the pupil must be content
to go slowly and give his voice "a
chance to grow as it will.
There is one. great defect that our
student must look for, and that is
nasal tones. :. Ii is astonishing how
many people sing through their. noses
and never know il. Nothing is more
.hoplesessly musical to my mind than
such singing, and nothing, also, is
harder to- cure. for, as a rule. the
singer is unconscious of the trouble
and often refuses to believe. it when
told of his fault by: friend or teacher.
.0fteptintes the reason that he fails
to realize the situation IS because he
also talks through his nose, and so.
being accustomed 10 the sound, thinks
nothing Oft and does not realize that
his intonatien is different from that
of any one else: If our pupil has any
such tendency do try TO eradicate it at
once for the longer he sings or talks
in that way the harder ii will. be for
him to: overcome il. Sometimes, in
fact, il can never be overcome, as for
instance in the case Of a young girl
i knew, who from her. babyho'od had
been accustomed To sing at. Sunday
school concerts and so forth. When
she reached the age Of 16 her mother
took her to. one of the finest vocal
teachers in the city where she lived.
He was delighted with her. voice (al-
though he noticed. the nasal quality)
for he. felt sure that he could conquer
that before long In a short time her
voice developed wonderfully, increas-
ing daily in volume until it. became a
tremendous voice, astounding the girl
herself, her relatives and teacher
alike. He told her that she was evil
IDENTIFY intended for grand opera and
must study with that end in view AT
this she. Of course. redoubled her ef-
forts. and. conquered all but ona diff
ficulty-she could not keep from sing
ing throu-! her nosei Her lungs were
wonderful, the volume of the tone
most remarkable and the smoothness
and roundness of her tones were
charming, when the nasal quality was
absent. but in spite of all this dhe
master was obliged to give her up in
despair at last. because she did not
know when she was. singing through
her nose and when not. and therefore
her trouble was incurable. Try as she
would 1and she tried desperately hard.
for a possibly great future was at
stakeJ she. could not detect the nasal
twang and when her teacher really
became convinced that she would
never know the difference in tone he
realized that in spite of her lovely
voice he could never make a singer of
her, naFd as II seemed, for, of course,
no audience would take seriously or
care: TO listen to a singer who every
few minutes lapsed into nasal way
Of singing, no matter how lovely her
other tones might be. :
One cannot help wondering if the
! trouble could not have been eradicated
II she had been taught to listen to her
voice as little girl, for, of course. long
usage and familiarity with the sound
Of her voice in singing and speaking
would make it just so much harder to
detect any fault Of that kind.
At any rate. we wish to begin in the
proper way with our pupil and give
him no chance TO say, IF only I had
been taught not to do that when / was
Doyi"
Nasal singing. comes from one of two
sources. Either because the singer un-
consciously tightens some muscle or
muscles in the nose, thus restricting
the free passage of air through the
nasal cavity. or because the student
is the victim of some catarrhal trouble.
This last reason is really much less
serious than the other form from a