lvular action is supposed
to become so well established that the singer can dispense with the
glottic stroke in public performance. Needless to say, these teachers
usually recognize that this explosive sound is very harsh and unmusical,
and utterly out of place in artistic singing.

An important claim of the "breath-band" teachers is that their doctrine
contains the explanation of the traditional precept, "Support the tone."
Their idea is that the throat, being "firmly set," furnishes a secure
base for the tone to rest on. This explanation is of course utterly
unscientific, and it cannot be said to throw any light on the meaning of
the precept. "Singing on the breath" is also referred to this system of
breath-control, but with no more coherence than the "Support of the
tone."

No necessary connection obtains between systems of breath-control and
those of breathing strictly speaking, that is, of inspiration. As has
been said, the great majority of vocal theorists adhere to the "opposed
muscular action" breath-control. In this number are included advocates
of every known system of breathing. Bitter controversies have been
carried on between champions of different modes of breathing, who yet
agree that the breath must be controlled by "opposed action." This is
also true, although not to the same extent, among the "breath-band"
teachers. And to render the confusion on the subject of breathing and
breath-control complete, instances might be cited of controversies
between teachers who agree as to the correct mode of inspiration, and
yet disagree on the manner of controlling the expiration.

Both systems of breath-control cannot be right; if one is correct, the
other must necessarily be absolutely wrong. Instead of attempting to
decide between them, it will be seen that both are false, and that the
theory on which they rest is erroneous. This discussion is reserved for
a later chapter.

CHAPTER III

REGISTERS AND LARYNGEAL ACTION

Probably no other topic of Vocal Science has been studied so earnestly
as the registers of the voice. Yet on no other topic is there such wide
diversity of opinion among theorists and investigators.

Very little is definitely known regarding the manner in which the
subject of registers was treated by the old Italian masters. Suffice it
to say here that the old masters did not refer the registers to changes
in the laryngeal action. They were treated simply as different qualities
of to