they grip the parts to hold the tone, and the
higher or louder they sing, the firmer the grip or contraction. This
virtually paralyzes action, and makes flexible articulation impossible.
Articulation knows no pitch. It should be as easy on a high tone as on a
middle or low tone. If there were no direct or local effort of the
articulating muscles to hold the tone, articulation on the high tone would
be as easy as on the middle or low tone. This is a fact which has been
demonstrated again and again. Of course it is more difficult to learn to
sustain the high tone without placing more or less effort upon the face,
jaw, and throat; but under right conditions, the result of right position
and action, this can be done, and has been done many times.

Articulation, to be artistic, must be spontaneous,--the thought before the
action. Think and feel the effect desired, and give no thought to the
action of articulation. The action, under right conditions, if there is no
restraint, will respond to thought and feeling; it will be automatic and
spontaneous. Just as the singer, after a certain stage of study, should
never produce a tone that does not mean something, that has not character,
so in the use of words, he should always sing them in a persuasive,
impressive manner, and with free, flexible action. As, under this system,
we never locally influence vowel form, so, after a certain stage of study
we never locally influence consonantal action. To be right, it must be
automatic and spontaneous.

Of course we recognize the fact that in all vocal study there must be a
beginning. The pupil must be taught to know and think correct physical or
mechanical action in singing. He must know what it is, what it means, and
how to think it. Then it must be trained to respond to thought and will.
This we call the first two stages of study, or the physical and mental. The
mental, as the student progresses, must dominate and control the physical;
and finally, as we have before stated, the true motor power is emotional
energy or the singer's sensation. This order of study and development holds
good in this fifth principle of artistic singing, as in all others.

The device to which we first resort for the understanding and development
of articulation, is a study of the three points or places of contact. On
page 183 of "Vocal Reinforcement" (by the author of this work) will be
found a full explanation of these three points.

A vowel sound is the r