n in Singing and Speaking_,
1906.)

One more citation from Mrs. Rogers must suffice. "And now, in
conclusion, let me once more remind the singer that in practising these
and all other vocal exercises the ear is the only safe guide."

Given a fine natural voice and a trained musical ear, skill is acquired
in the use of the voice by the repetition of effort. The only necessity
is for the singer to have a clear mental conception of the effects to
be obtained, and to listen attentively to the voice. With each
repetition of an exercise, whether on sustained tones, scale passages,
crescendo and diminuendo, or whatever else, the voice responds more
smoothly and accurately to the mental demand. Each time the student
practises the exercise he listens to the tones and notes how they differ
from the desired effect; he strives the next time to correct this
departure.

Psychological principles verify the proverb that practice makes perfect.
This is true of all complex activities. Through repeated performance the
muscles, or rather the motor-nerve centers, become habituated to complex
activities. Coordinations gradually become perfect and automatic because
the nerve impulses naturally tend to take the well-worn paths. To this
rule the voice is no exception. Practice makes perfect, with the voice,
as with every other muscular activity.

In practical Voice Culture the ear and the voice are normally trained
together. The proper function of the teacher is to guide the student in
developing along the two lines. Listening to his own voice is a valuable
means for the student to develop his sense of hearing. It is for the
master to point out the salient qualities and faults in the pupil's
tones in order that the pupil may know what to listen for. As the ear
gradually becomes keener and better acquainted with the characteristics
of perfect singing, it also becomes more exacting in its demands on the
voice. In its turn the voice steadily improves in its responsiveness to
the ear.

Skill in using the voice involves something more than has thus far been
considered under the head of tone-production. Skill in singing is
synonymous with finished vocal technique, and the basis of technique is
the correctly produced single tone. It is seen that a single tone can be
sung correctly when, first, the singer knows the sound of the perfect
musical tone, and second, the vocal organs are not hampered by muscular
stiffness. When these conditions are ful