A Practical Step

How shall we utilize what we have learned, so that the student may convince himself that herein ties the truth which, properly understood and sensibly applied, will lead to a means of improving his tone. If the foregoing has been carefully read and understood, the following exercise to get the tone which results from a combination of the dark and the strident is simple.

I.	Stand erect as directed.
II.	Open the mouth without inhaling.
III.	Produce the dark tone ("u" as in hum).
IV.	Close the mouth and allow the air to pass in and out of the nostrils for a few seconds.
V.	Open the mouth without inhaling.
VI.	Make the strident sound ("e" as in when).
VII.	Close the mouth and let the air pass in and out of nostrils a few seconds.
VIII.	Open the mouth without inhaling.
IX.	Sing the vowel "Ah" as in father in such a manner that it is a combination of the dark tone and the strident tone.
X.	Do this in such a way that all of the breathy disagreeable features of the dark tone disappear but its foundation features remain to give it fullness and roundness, while all of the disagreeable features of the strident tone disappear although its color-giving, light-giving, life-giving characteristics are retained to give the combination-tone richness and sweetness. A beautiful result is inevitable, if the principle is properly understood. I have tried this with many people who have sung but little before in their lives and who were not conscious of having interesting voices. Without a long course of vocal lessons or anything of the sort they have been able to produce in a short time—a very few minutes—a tone that would be admired by any critic.