Page:Choirmaster's Manual.djvu/20

8 this and in their own little handbook to be used in conjunction with this method, of using square notes where the head-notes must be employed.

Having obtained a fair increase in expansion, slow notes on "ah" should be taken, very softly. The student should try to imagine that breath is being inhaled, a sort of yawning feeling. This has the advantage of making the voice bright and clear by raising the soft palate, and also of saving the breath.

Exercise 1.

Work to between 20 and and 30 seconds. As the breath leaves the body, care must be taken that the chest remains expanded, the waist-line alone shrinking by the use of the abdominal muscles, and the note should be finished with the mouth open and plenty of reserve breath.

Registers. On the subject of registers much has been written. The best results have been gained by "anticipating" the head-register in ascending, and bringing the head-register down in descending scales. This is the "golden rule" of singing; in many books the first half is taught. "Never allow the lower register to be forced up."

It may be taken as a safe rule never to allow the use of "chest"-tones by the boys. These notes are naturally those below E.  Out of a mass of evidence, it is also safe to commence the head-voice on D:   a convenient letter, easily remembered by boys as standing for "danger." It is the lively "anticipation" of the head-tones that insures good tone always.

Exercise 2.

The best vowel for head-tones is "oo." Take F on