e =too little= breath than to take =too
much=. Most beginners take too much breath, which makes it impossible to
control it. Until you understand control of the breath, it is better to
only take enough to extend your ribs against your hand as far as they
will go =without discomfort=.

Don't let anyone tell you that "diaphragmatic," "intercostal" or
"abdominal" breathing =alone= is the only safe course; perfect breathing
is a =combination= of these and more.

By practicing the above exercises you will find in a short time all the
organs that nature intended to be used for breathing will be in play.

The reason the beginner is instructed to place the hands on the ribs is
to work from the =central= point, and as the student progresses, by
continuation of the exercises it will be found that the costal,
intercostal, dorsal, diaphragmatic and abdominal muscles are all doing
their share.

Place your hands as in the first position. =Exhale--inhale.= Sustain the
syllable "saw" on an easy medium tone. As you attack the tone do not let
the ribs collapse, but as you sustain it, let the ribs very slowly
collapse under the palm of your hands. Try to resist so as to not let
too much breath escape. Don't let your chest collapse any more than is
absolutely necessary. The lower the tones you sing the =less= resistance
you need, while the higher tones you sing the =more= resistance you need.
In order to sustain a high tone, =draw in= slightly under the ribs,
leaving the chest extended. Singing the tone, now takes the place of the
=exhaling= exercise.

[Illustration: musical notation, saw ...saw ...saw ...]

The word "saw," besides giving you the vowel "ae," also gives you the
correct sound of the Italian "ah" and what the "ah" should be in
singing.

The average beginner sings too much on the tone color of "a" as in =hat=,
which, as you ascend the scale, would finally land the tone in the
region of the back of your neck.

In learning to sing the "ah" or Italian "ae," always use words like
"saw," "raw," "law," "paw," "daw," "gnaw," sustaining the tone.

THE VOWELS

a e i o u

Pronounced: a as ae in saw

e as a in fate

i as ee in meet

o as o in note

u as oo in moon

Example--

[Illustration: musical notation demonstrating pronounciation ae [=a] ee o oo]

In ascending the scale, you should cover the tone. To cover the tone
simply put a little more "o" in your "ah," so that by the time you are
up near your high lim