By moving with the voice in this flexible manner we bring every part of the
body into action, and apply strength as nature demands it, without effort
or strain. Remember, there is no strength properly applied in singing
without movement. In this way the voice is an outward manifestation of an
inward feeling or emotion. "The voice is your inner or higher self,
expressed not _at_ or _by_ but _through_ the vocal organs,
aided by the whole body as a sound-board."
Our next study will be a simple arpeggio sung with the _la_ sound,
thus:
[Illustration: SECOND STUDY. La....]
This movement, of course, must be sung with the same action of hands and
body, starting from repose to the level of the first tone, and keeping
constantly upon a level with the voice by ascending and descending. Sing
this exercise first semi staccato, afterwards legato.
The special object of this exercise is to relax the jaw, the face, and the
throat muscles. A stiff, set jaw always means throat contraction. In this
exercise, if sung in every other respect according to directions, a stiff
jaw would defeat the whole thing, and make impossible a correct production
of every high tone.
In singing the _la_ sound, the tip of the tongue touches the roof of
the mouth, just back of the upper front teeth. Think the tone forward at
this point, and let the jaw rise and fall with the tongue. Devitalize the
jaw and the muscles of the face, move up in a free, flexible manner to the
level of every tone, and you will be surprised at the freedom and ease with
which the high tones come.
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