w can be found on any one of them.

Every vocal teacher selects the materials of instruction from these
controverted doctrines, but neither rule nor reason determines what
materials shall be embodied in any one method. There is no coherence
whatever in the matter. Further, there is no agreement as to which
topics of instruction are most important. One teacher may emphasize
breath-control and support of tone as the foundations of the correct
vocal action, another may give this position to nasal resonance and
forward placing. Yet both these teachers may include in their methods
about the same topics. The methods seem entirely different, only because
each makes some one or two doctrines the most important. In short, it
might almost be said that there are as many methods as teachers.

Three fairly distinct types of method may be defined, depending on the
class of materials adopted. At one extreme are found those teachers who
attempt to follow strictly the scientific principles. These teachers
generally profess to employ only the purely mechanical doctrines of
Vocal Science, and to ignore all empirical interpretations of these
doctrines. They generally devote a portion of every lesson to toneless
muscular drills, and insist that their pupils practise every exercise in
singing, with special attention to the throat action. These teachers
attempt to follow a definite plan and order in the giving of exercises
and rules. This systematic arrangement of instruction is, however,
seldom followed out consistently with any one student. An important
reason for this is considered in Chapter I of Part II.

A very different type of method is taught by many teachers who pay
special attention to the empirical topics of instruction. Of course no
teacher professes to teach empirically; on the contrary, every method is
called scientific, no matter what materials it embodies. Indeed, a very
little attention paid to breathing, attack, registers, and nasal
resonance, is enough to relieve any teacher of the reproach of
empiricism. The teachers now being considered touch to some extent on
these topics; but most of their instruction is based on the traditional
precepts, the singer's sensations, and the special vowel and consonant
drills. In the first few lessons of the course they usually give some
special breathing exercises, but almost always ignore breath-control.
Not much is done for vocal control in the strictly muscular sense.
Special "voice-