is faulty
voice production a source of great discomfort, but it is the cause of
many diseases of the chest, throat, and head.

The gentle practice in easy range of the exercises given in the
chapter following, will do much to restore a normal condition.

CHAPTER VIII

PLACING THE VOICE

What is called "placing the voice" or "tone production" or "focusing
the voice" is, as already stated in the previous chapter, chiefly a
matter of resonance--of control of the resonator. Now vocalization is
largely vowelization, and vocal tones are a complex of sound and
resonance. The character of a vowel is given it by the shape of the
vowel chamber; and the shaping of the vowel chamber depends upon
delicate adjustment of the movable parts,--jaw, lips, cheeks, tongue,
veil of the palate, and pharynx. While this adjustment is made through
more or less conscious muscular action, the parts must never be forced
into position; local effort to this end will invariably defeat itself.
The important consideration in all voice movements is a flexible,
_natural_ action of all the parts, and all the voice movements are so
closely allied, so sympathetically related, that if one movement is
constrained the others cannot be free. It is a happy fact that _the
right way is the easiest way_, and a fundamental truth that =right
effort is the result of right thought=. From these axiomatic principles
we deduce the very first rule for the singer and speaker,--=THINK the
right tone, mentally picture it; then concentrate upon the picture,
not upon the mechanism=.

WHEN IS THE VOCAL ACTION CORRECT?

There are two sound criterions for judging the correctness of vocal
action,--first, the _ease_ of the action, its naturalness, its
flexibility. As Mills concisely states it: "He sings or speaks best
who attains the end with the least expenditure of energy." Second, the
_beauty_ of the result. Harsh, unlovely tones are a sure indication of
misplaced effort, of tension somewhere, of wrong action. On the other
hand the nearer the tones approach to perfection the closer does the
organism come to correct action. _Beauty of tone_, then, is the truest
indication of proper vocal action.

Judgment as to the relative beauty of a tone depends on the training
of the ear. Pupils should habitually listen to their own voices, for
between the hearing and feeling of the voice a knowledge of progress
can be obtained. The function of the ear in governing voice prod