I need perhaps scarcely remind my readers who are or who wish to be singers that time concerns them quite as much as the conductor, the pianist, the violinist—in short, the whole orchestra. It behoves the student in singing to give early and careful attention to this important feature in his artistic training. You may have the voice of a Rubini, you may be a second Tamburini in quality and extent of voice, but unless you can sing in time yourself, and are able to do so with others, and with the counter-acting influences of an orchestra, you can never hope to rise in your profession. It may be argued that you have no desire to lay yourself out for a career on the lyric stage. Then, however, you shut yourself out from some of the largest prizes in the profession; beyond which there comes the question of oratorio business, and the growing taste for band accompaniments to songs. And if you restrict your ambition to a pianoforte accompaniment, time is needed even with that in order to produce anything like a satisfactory rendering of the piece you may be singing. The accompanyist may be a Sir Julius Benedict, or a Signor Randegger (than whom there is no better in this country, so neglected has this species of musical art-work become); but a perfect rendering depends not so much upon the pianist as the vocalist. If the singer flounders about with neither "rhyme nor reason," it is scarcely reasonable to expect the accompanyist, clever as he may be, to be always at his heels, like a cat after a mouse. I would therefore advise the student to invest his money in a Metronome—the most useful thing with which he could provide himself. They are not dear, bearing in mind their utility, and one will, I am sure, save the student much time and many a fiasco. Learn the working of this useful machine, and practise all your exercises with it. If you go to a good singing master, you should ask him to time your exercises to the pace at which you should sing them, and in this way you will not only be growing in a good habit, but your singing will be characterized by a crispness and a certainty of attack, which will be apparent to all musicians and amateurs with good taste. Your singing master will, no doubt, impress upon you the necessity of singing your songs in time, and especially of slightly accenting the first and third beats in the bar if it is common time, the first and fourth beats when it is compound common or 6/8 time, and the first beat when it is triple or 3/4 time. In this way there will be meaning given to your singing, and those who may be accompanying you will be able to feel where you are, and to keep time with you. In singing a passage like this from Cowen's charming song "Aubade,"—the master, if he knew his business, would instruct his pupil to slightly accent the words as I have indicated with the mark V, and to preserve strict time throughout the passage, and especially in the taking up of the words after the long note on the word sleep. The accompanyist would, we may assume, do likewise with his pianoforte part, and in this way a perfect ensemble would be secured.

Sleep, love, sleep,
the morn is wak - - ing,

With this brief introduction to the subject, I will proceed to give the student a few exercises in keeping and beating time, the assiduous practice of which will, I hope, soon place him in the desirable position of being able to sing in time.

Do Re Mi Fa Sol
La Si Do Do Si
La Sol Fa Mi Re Do

Do Do Re Re Mi Mi &c.

Do Do Do Do Re Re Re Re &c.

Do Do Do Re Re Re &c.

Do Do Re Re Mi Mi &c.

Do Do Do Do Do Do Re Re Re Re Re Re &c.

Do Do Do Re Re Re Mi Mi Mi &c.

Do Do Do Do Do Re Re Re Re Re &c.

Do Do Do Do Re Re Re Re &c.

Do Do Do Do Do Do Re Re Re Re Re Re &c.

Do Do Do Do Re Re Re Re Mi &c.

These exercises may be timed as slow as you like on your metronome—the slower the better—but 76 is a good pace to begin with; when you have thoroughly mastered them at 76, take them a little quicker until you can sing them accurately up to a good brisk time.

No 1 has but one note in the bar, and this must be held on steadily for four beats of the metronome—care being taken to leave each note in sufficient time to take a fresh breath, and attack the second note and syllable in precise time with the metronome beat. I need, perhaps, scarcely point out that much good will be obtained if the student can accustom himself to feeling in his mind the rhythm and beating, so as not to acquire the habit of trusting to mechanical appliances, which are dispensed with at public performances. The sol-fa-ing must be strictly adhered to, and in Exercises 2, 3, etc., it will be seen that the syllable must be sounded twice and four times respectively. With Exercise 5 the dotted note comes in; but I will not stay to explain that, as I assume that my readers will have acquainted themselves with the elements of musical theory before taking up singing. Especial care should be given to Exercise 7, as that is the first step in the difficult matter of syncopation, carried out elaborately in Exercises 8 and 9. With Exercise 11 the question of Rests comes in, but the same remark that I made as to the dotted notes applies here. Everything that it is necessary to know about them should be found in any elementary musical grammar.

Having mastered the above exercises, the reader may take the following with two beats in the bar—taking the precaution to set them at a slow time on the metronome, say 76, not singing them quickly until he is thoroughly acquainted with them.

Do Do Re Re Mi Mi Fa Fa Sol Sol
La La Si Si Do Do Do Si Si
La La Sol Sol Fa Fa Mi Mi Re Re Do

Do Re Mi Fa Sol La
Si Do Do Do Si Si &c.

Do Do Do &c.

Do Do Do &c.

Do Do Do &c.

Do Re Mi Fa Sol &c.

After which he may take the following with three beats in the bar:—

Do Re Mi Fa Sol
La Si Do Do Do &c.

Do Do Do &c.

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