of tone-quality in her pupils. Let the
beauty of soft, light tone as contrasted with loud, harsh tone be once
clearly demonstrated to a class, and the interest and best efforts of
every girl or boy who has the germ of music within them will be
enlisted. Those who grumble because they may not sing out good and loud
may be disregarded, and with a clear conscience. The future will most
likely reveal such incipient lovers of noisy music as pounders of drums
and blowers of brass.

Select now a number of the class who upon trial have been found to have
light, clear voices and who are not prone to shout. Let them sing

[Music: e'' {or} f'']

and then slowly descend the scale of E or F, singing each tone softly,
and those below C

[Music: c'']

very lightly. This will insure the uninterrupted use of the thin
register to the lowest note. Let them now sing up and down the scale
several times, observing the same caution when notes below C or B are
sung, and also insisting that no push be given to the upper notes. Now,
first excusing monotones, let the other pupils in the room sing first
down the scale and then up, imitating the quality and softness of tone
of the picked class. Recollect, you are asking something of your pupils
which it is perfectly easy for them to do. It may be that the strength
of well-formed habits stands opposed to the change, but, on the other
hand, every musical instinct latent, or partly awakened, is becoming
alert and proving the truth of your teaching better and faster than can
any finespun reasoning. Illustrate the difference in tone-quality
between the thick and thin register as often as it is necessary, to show
your pupils what you wish to avoid and how you wish them to sing. When
in doubt whether or not the thin quality is being sung, require softer
singing until you are sure. It is better to err upon the side of soft
singing than to take any chances.

In time teachers will become quick to detect the change in register, and
in time also the pupils who are trained to sing in the thin voice will
yield to the force of good habit, as they once did to bad habit, and
seldom offend by too loud or too harsh tone.

The inquiry may naturally have arisen ere this: Are syllables, i.e.,
_do_, _re_, _mi_, etc., to be used, or the vowel-sounds? It is
immaterial from the standpoint of tone-production, whether either or
both are used. Until children are thoroughly accustomed to sing softly,
they will