ounce distinctly. The words will thus be formed outside the mouth
and be readily heard, as is a person talking in front of, instead of
behind, a screen. A single, intelligent trial will be sufficient to
show the correctness of the statement. Thinking of the upper lip as
the fashioner of the words makes speaking easy and singing a delight.

To smile while talking gives to the words a flat, silly sound, hence
the corners of the mouth should be kept well forward.

THE SINGER'S SCALE OF VOWEL SOUNDS

[Illustration:

1 n_ee_
2 n_i_t
3 n_e_t
4 n_a_y
5 n_ai_r
6 n_a_t
7 n_i_gh
8 N_a_h
7' n_o_t
6' n_a_w
5' n_e_r
4' n_u_t
3' n_o_
2' n_oo_k
1' n_oo_.]

It may fasten this in mind to remember that at one end of the vowel
scale is--_me_, at the other--_you_.

The teeth and lips are most closed at the extremes of this scale, and
gradually open toward _ah_, with which vowel they are widest apart.

In the series 1-8 the tongue is highest in the centre for _ee_ and
gradually descends until it lies flat in the mouth for _ah_.

The _upper_ pharynx is most closed in 1, most open in 8, and closes
more and more in the descending series 7'-1'.

The _lower_ pharynx gradually opens in the descending series 7'-1'.

The researches of Helmholtz, Koenig, Willis, Wheatstone, Appunn, Bell,
and others have shown that each vowel sound has its own characteristic
pitch. The Scale of Vowel Sounds given above corresponds closely to
the order of resonance pitch from the highest _ee_ to the lowest _oo_.
In the natural resonance of the vowels _ee_ is highest in the head,
_ah_ is midway in the scale, and _oo_ is lowest in resonance.

LIP POSITION

Figure 2 shows the best position of the lips to give the sound of
_ee_. Hold the under jaw without stiffness and as far from the upper
teeth as is consistent with delivery of the pure sound of this vowel.

Figure 3 shows the best position of the lips to produce the vowel
_oo_.

Figure 4 shows the position of the lips for the vowel sound of long
_o_. The opening of the lips should be made as round as is the letter
_o_. When preparing the lips to give the sound of _o_, the inclination
is strong to drop the lower jaw; in practice, to develop action of the
lips, the under jaw would better be held quite immovable. It will be
found possible to produce all of the vowel sounds without any change
except in the form of the opening of the lips. The vowel sound of _i_
is an exception; for