ould hardly note a change in the form
of instruction. Simply call the pupil's attention always to the quality
of the tones, and never to the throat. Cease to talk of breathing and of
laryngeal action, and these subjects will never suggest themselves to
the student's mind. Continue to have the student sing vocalises, scales,
songs, and arias, just as at present. Teach the student to listen
closely to his own voice, and familiarize him with correct models of
singing. This covers the whole ground of rational Voice Culture.

It is a great mistake to suppose that a vocal student comes to the
teacher with a definite idea of the need of direct vocal management.
Several months of study are required before the student begins to grasp
the teacher's idea of mechanical management of the voice. Even then the
student rarely comes to a clear understanding of the mechanical idea. In
the great majority of cases the student never gets beyond the vague
notion that he must "do something" to bring the tones. Yet this vague
idea is enough to keep his attention constantly directed to his vocal
organs, and so to hamper their normal activity. So soon as a teacher
drops the mechanical idea, his pupils will not think of their throats,
nor demand mechanical instruction. There will be no need of his
cautioning his pupils not to pay attention to the muscular workings of
the vocal organs. No vocal student ever would do this were the practice
not demanded in modern methods.

At first thought it may seem that for a teacher to drop all mechanical
instruction would leave a great gap in his method. How is the correct
vocal action to be imparted to the pupil if not by direct instruction to
this end? This question has already been answered in preceding chapters,
but the answer may well be repeated. The correct vocal action is
naturally and instinctively adopted by the voice without any attention
being paid to the operations of the vocal mechanism. It is necessary
only that the student sing his daily exercises and listen to his voice.
The voice's own instinct will lead it gradually to the perfect action.
Nothing need be substituted for mechanical instruction. Present methods
of Voice Culture will be in every way complete, they will leave nothing
to be desired, when the mechanical idea is abandoned. This change in the
character of vocal instruction will not be in any sense a return to
empiricism. It will be a distinct advance in the application of
scientific