HOW TO LEARN TO SING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2895, 8 September 1909, Page 84

HOW TO LEARN TO SING.

Madame Keusnietzoff, the eminent Russian singer, who after Storing triumph upon triumph in fcfae land of the Ciar and in Paris is now delighting English audiences at Covenfc Garden* gives some u&eful advice to youthful students in the art of singing. Sho says: "First of all, if you fcave a master, have a good one, or have none at all. The number of men and women who everywhere take up the teaching of einginsf as a profession without any of the indis- j pens&ble voice- and a little pianisric ability are not sufficient to give lessons in one of the most difficult arts existing. Secondly, young girls learning to sing should remember that, however excellent, the master cannot tell how the pupil feels. If you -feel tired j say co at one&: don't wait till you aie ] thoroughly exhausted or till youi- vocal ' chords are ruined. j ''The throat is a-mo»u delicate organ, | and if you Teel that trying to sing a eer- ; tain top note hurts, give up the attempt. | ''Thirdly, uae your head as much as your thi-oat, for the mind playe a considerable part in the art of singing. "It is not the professor who spoils the voice of the pupil — as co many beginners complain, — it is the pupil .herself S'.ie often neglects to use her mind. "' Another essential rule which few beginners realise is that one must sing as one speaks. Never force youi voice. One must always sing with the 'interest,' and not with the ' capital' — ir other words, when you sing, never spend all you have "When you ar© thoroughly trained and your lungs have become strengthened by regular and rational breathing exercise and singing practice, you may once or twice in the course of a beautiful song " let go' | and give more of yourself, but the rest of ! the time you must exercise restraint very strinotly " Fir^t, because it is indispensable to the health of your voice ; and, secondly, because the effect of those occasional outbursts — by which yoijr temperament will be able passionately to give vent to itself— will be marvellously magnified by their very rarity. " Besides, the person who sings at the top of her voice, spending recklessly all the power of her vitality in a ceaseless ami exaggerated display, however great an artiste she may be, is bound in time to tire of practising scales and exercises before attempting to sing a ballad "It is a curious fact that many young lady amateurs will insist on singing difficut pages of the great masters before they have properly trained their voices or mastered even a few of the difficulties which they are

I bound to meet more than once ia those pages. "Of course, I need hardly mention that th© preparation far a drawing room amateur singi&r is altogether different £rom tbe opera " singer's, but the elementary rules " ar© the same for both. It is the same as in piano-playing 1 , where we find that whether one studies to- become a professional pianist or merely to 'please oneself or one's friends,' tho principles are identi- j cal, and the same series of exercises must j be gone through at the outset. 1 "Sing standing, with head erect and s j shoulders thrown back, even when practis-1-ing. j "Finally, there is one . branch of he art , of singing wlhioh is very often overlooked by the young lady amateur — that of diction.. , ' Detaching" the syllables, insisting on the consonants, is essential. One must pronounce more plainly when on«-sing« than when on© talks. \ ! "In a mere drawing room song, just as I in grand opera, the, music itself may be j considered as essential, but it is also mii dispensable that ever; word should be heard. In « chorus it % well mgjh impossible, but in a solo the singer has no excuse if she does not make heieelf understood in a perfectly distinct manner."