sening the depth of the thorax. This pressure forces
the air from the lungs and prepares them for another inspiration.

CORRECT METHOD

That the lateral-abdominal--more accurately chest-abdominal--breathing
is correct and natural for both male, and female, and that the
shoulders should remain as fixed as were Demosthenes' under the points
of the swords hung over them, is now so generally admitted as to need
no argument here. If any one has still a doubt on the subject let him
observe a sleeping infant. It affords a perfect example of
lateral-abdominal breathing, and no one can have a suspicion of sex
from any difference in this function. Among the lower animals sex
shows no difference in breathing at any age. All the peculiarities of
female breathing are the results of habits acquired in after life.

Chest and shoulder heaving are vicious and evidence impeded breathing.
The singer who, forgetting the lower thorax, breathes with the upper
only is sure to fail. Therefore breathe from the _lower_ part of the
trunk, using the whole muscular system cooerdinately--_from below_
upward. In other words breathe deeply, and _control deeply_, but with
the whole body--from below, not with the upper chest only, or with
lateral expansion only, or abdominal expansion only.

Every teacher and pupil should remember that "singing and speaking
require wind and muscle," hence the breathing power must be fully
developed. Weak breathing and failure to properly focus the voice are
the most frequent causes of singing off the key. They are much more
common and mischievous than lack of "ear."

Dr. May tested the breathing of 85 persons, most of them Indians, and
found that 79 out of the 85 used abdominal breathing. The chest
breathers were from classes "civilized" and more or less "cultured."

Nature has provided that for quiet breathing when at rest the air
shall pass through the nose. But when a person is taking active
exercise, and consequently demands more air, he naturally and of
necessity opens the mouth so as to breathe more fully. While speaking
or singing the air is necessarily taken in through the mouth.

BREATH CONTROL

Firmness of tone depends upon steadiness of breath pressure.
Steadiness of tone depends upon a control of the breath which allows a
minimum volume of air to pass out under sufficient tension to produce
vocalization.

The tension and flow of breath can be gradually lessened until the
tone vanishes and not