operations of singing are subject to the general laws of
psychological control, the guidance of the vocal organs must be
furnished by the sense which observes the results of the movements
involved. This is the sense of hearing. Just as in writing the hand is
guided by the eye, so in singing the voice is guided by the ear. There
can be no other means of guiding the voice. Muscular sense may under
certain conditions supplement the sense of hearing, but under no
circumstances can muscular sense assume full command. The net result of
the application of psychological principles to the problem of
tone-production is simply this, that the voice is guided directly by the
ear.

It is thus seen that the idea of mechanical vocal management is utterly
erroneous. On pushing the analysis still further the fallacy of this
idea is found to be even more glaring.

Is a knowledge of anatomy of any assistance in the acquirement of skill
in performing complex muscular actions? Not in the least. An
understanding of muscular processes does not contribute in any way to
skilful execution. The anatomist does not play billiards or row a boat
one whit the better for all his knowledge of the muscular structure of
the body.

Even if the precise workings of the vocal mechanism could be determined,
the science of Voice Culture would not benefit thereby. Knowing how the
muscles should act does not help us to make them act properly. It is
utterly idle to tell the vocal student that as the pitch of the voice
rises the arytenoid cartilages rotate, bringing their forward surfaces
together, and so shortening the effective length of the vocal cords.
Whatever the vocal cords are required to do is performed through an
instinctive obedience to the demands of the mental ear.

And finally, a precise analysis of muscular contractions is impossible,
even in the case of comparatively simple actions. When, for example,
the hand describes a circle in the air, a number of muscles are
involved. True, it is known what these muscles are, and what effect the
combined contractions of any group would have on the position of the
hand. The direction of the hand's motion at any instant is determined by
the resultant of all the forces exerted on this member. But as this
direction constantly changes, so must the relative degrees of strength
exerted by the muscles also constantly change. At no two successive
instants are the muscular adjustments the same. This simple action,