ing to distinguish
between the two registers must not be disregarded. If the voices of
children were never entrusted to any save professional voice-teachers,
a very few hints upon their management would perhaps suffice, for the
ear of the teacher of voice and singing is presumably trained in the
differentiation in tone-quality occasioned by changes in the action of
the vocal mechanism. When, however, we reflect that of the thousands of
teachers in our public schools very few, indeed, have ever heard of
voice-registers, and much less been accustomed to note distinctions in
tone-timbre between them, the need of a detailed plan of procedure is
seen.

It is safe to assert that anyone with a musical ear can with a little
patience learn to distinguish one register from another. There is no
vocal transition so marked as the change from thick to thin register in
the child-voice, unless it be the change from the chest to the head or
falsetto in the man's voice. Suppose we take a class of say twelve from
the fourth year averaging nine years of age. Give them the pitch of C.

[Music: c']

Require them to sing up the scale loudly. As they reach the upper tone

[Music: c'']

stop them and ask them to sing that, and the two tones above _very
softly_. The change in tone will be quite apparent. The tone used in
ascending the scale of C, singing loudly, will be reedy, thick and
harsh-- the thick register. The tone upon

[Music: c'' d'' e'']

singing very softly, will be flute-like, thin and clear-- the thin
register. Again, let them sing E first line with full strength of voice
and then the octave lightly, or have them sing G second line, first
softly and then loudly, or, again, let them ascend the scale of E
singing as light a tone as possible, and then descend singing as loud as
they can. In each case the change from thick to thin voice, or vice
versa, will be illustrated; and in singing the scale of E as suggested,
the break of voice a little higher or lower in individual cases will be
noticed. It is quite possible that some members of the class may use the
thick voice on each tone of the descending scale beginning with the
highest.

Care must always be taken that in singing softly the mouth be well
opened. The tendency will be to close it when required to sing lightly,
but the tone, then, will be nothing but a humming noise. It may as well
be said here that a great deal of future trouble and labor may be
avoid