larynx in my own case as shown in the plates.

As soon as we have the tongue under control,--that is, have acquired
the habit of forming a furrow,--we can use it confidently as a support
for the breath and the tone, and for vowels.

On its incurving back it holds firmly the vowels; with its tip, many
of the consonants. With all its elasticity, it must be trained to
great strength and endurance.

I, for instance, after every syllable, at once jerk my tongue with
tremendous power back to its normal position in singing; that is, with
its tip below the front teeth and the base raised [Illustration]. That
goes on constantly, as quick as a flash. At the same time my larynx
takes such a position that the tongue cannot interfere with it, that
is, press upon it. By quickly raising the tongue toward the back, it
is taken out of the way of the larynx, and the mass of the tongue is
cleared from the throat. In the middle range, where the tongue or the
larynx might be too high or too low, the furrow, which is of so much
importance, is formed, in order to lead the vocalized breath first
against the front of the palate beneath the nose, then slowly along
the nose and behind it. Then when the highest point (the peak, which
is extremely extensible) is reached, the pillars of the fauces are
lowered, in order to leave the way for the head tones to the head
cavities entirely free. In doing this, the sides of the tongue are
raised high. Every tongue should occupy only so much space as it can
occupy without being a hindrance to the tone.

The bad, bad tongue! one is too thick, another too thin, a third too
long, a fourth much too short.

_Ladies and gentlemen, these are nothing but the excuses of the
lazy!_

[Illustration: Red lines denote that with the inspiration of breath:
I, the diaphragm is sensibly stretched backward; II, enlarges the
capacity of the chest by the drawing down of its floor; III, and so
forms the supply chamber for the breath; IV, indicates the pressure of
the breath against the chest tension muscles; V, the attack.]

SECTION XXIII

PREPARATION FOR SINGING

No one can sing properly without first preparing for it, mentally and
physically, with all the organs concerned in the production of the
voice.

We have in this to perform three functions, simultaneously:--

_First_, to draw breath quietly, not too deeply; to force the breath
against the chest and hold it there firmly till the upward and outward