e must be familiar with the characteristics of a
perfect musical tone in order to demand this tone of his voice.

In the student's progress the ear always keeps slightly in advance of
the voice. Both develop together, but the ear takes the lead. The voice
needs practice to enable it to meet the demands of the ear. As this
practice goes on day by day the ear in the meantime becomes keener and
still more exacting in its demands on the voice.

To train a voice is in reality a very simple matter. Nothing is required
of the student but straightforward singing. Provided the student's
daily practice of singing be guided by a naturally keen ear and a sound
musical taste, the voice will steadily progress. Little need be said
here about the technical demands made on the voice in modern music. The
standards of vocal technique are well known to all vocal teachers, and
indeed to musicians generally. Further, the scope of this work is
limited to the basic principle of vocal technique,--correct
tone-production.

For starting the voice properly on the road to the perfect action,
intelligently guided practice alone is needed. This practice must be
carried on under the direction of a competent teacher. But the teacher
cannot pay attention solely to the technical training of the student's
voice. As has been seen, the training of the voice is impossible without
the cultivation of the sense of hearing; and this is dependent in great
measure on the general musical education of the student. The teacher
must therefore direct the student's musical education as the basic
principle of Voice Culture.

_The Avoidance of Throat Stiffness_

A great advance will be brought about in the profession of Voice Culture
when vocal teachers become thoroughly familiar with the subject of
throat stiffness. This is the only troublesome feature of the training
of voices. Teachers must be always on the alert to note every indication
of throat stiffness. The correction of faults of production has always
been recognized as one of the most important elements of vocal training.
Faults of production are of two kinds, natural and acquired. Natural
faults are exhibited in some degree by every vocal student. These are
due solely to the lack of facility in the use of the voice and to the
beginner's want of experience in hearing his own voice. Acquired faults
develop only as the result of unnatural throat tension. The most common
cause of acquired faults of tone-produc