way from the correct position of the
mouth.

The young singer should practice constantly in front of a mirror as soon
as she begins to sing songs or to express emotions in her music, for the
girl with the expressive face is likely to contort her mouth so that the
correct emission of tones is impossible.

The dramatic artist depends largely for her expression on the changing
lines of the mouth, chin and jaw, and in any lines spoken which denote
command or will you will see the actor's jaw setting and becoming rigid
with the rest of the facial mask.

Now, a singer can never allow the facial expression to alter the
position of the jaw or mouth. Facial expression for the singer must
concern itself chiefly with the eyes and forehead.

The mouth must remain the same, and the jaw must ever be relaxed,
whether the song is one of deep intensity or a merry scale of laughter.

The mouth in singing should always smile lightly. This slight smile at
once relaxes the lips, allowing them free play for the words which they
and the tongue must form and also gives the singer a slight sensation of
uplift necessary for singing.

It is impossible to sing well when mentally depressed or even physically
indisposed slightly. Unless one has complete control over the entire
vocal apparatus and unless one can simulate a smile one does not feel
the voice will lack some of its resonant quality, particularly in the
upper notes, where the smiling position of the mouth adjusts the throat
and air passages for the emission of light tones.

The lips are of the greatest aid in shaping and shading the tones.
Wagnerian singers, for instance, who employ trumpet-like notes in
certain passages are often seen shaping their lips like the mouthpiece
of a trumpet, with a somewhat square opening, the lips protruding.

However, this can be practiced only after perfect relaxation of the jaw
and control of the tongue have been accomplished.

A singer's mouth must always look pleasant, not only because it creates
a disagreeable impression on the audience to see a crooked and contorted
mouth, but also because natural and correct voice production requires a
mouth shaped almost into a smile.

Too wide a smile often accompanies what is called "the white voice."
This is a voice production where a head resonance alone is employed,
without sufficient of the apoggio or enough of the mouth resonance to
give the tone a vital quality. This "white voice" should be thorou