Again, each lesson must form a definite link between past and future lessons.  It is often a temptation to a teacher of initiative to draw attention to a new aspect of the subject, in which she happens to be specially interested at the time, when the previous work is not in a fit state to be left, even for two or three lessons.  Something happens to make her realize this, and the new piece of work is hurriedly left—­suspended in mid-air, as it were—­and is not referred to again until an accident recalls it to her mind.  Such teaching certainly has the charm of novelty to a class, but we must remember that one of the faults of childhood is an undue readiness to pass on quickly to learn ‘something new’ before the previous work is secure.

In taking a lesson the teacher should aim at speaking in her ordinary voice.  Inexperienced people sometimes imagine that it is necessary to shout when speaking in a fairly large room.  But provided the voice is clear, and the articulation good, a low voice carries just as well as a loud one, and certainly produces a greater sense of repose.

Another fault to avoid is monotony of tone—­we need ‘modulations’ in speaking just as much as in music, and a class is keenly, though often unconsciously, susceptible to this.  A change of position is helpful.  The voice of the mistress will brighten at once if she comes down from the platform and walks about a little.  But she must never turn her back on a class when actually telling them something.  Musical people, who have not the same experience in such matters as the ordinary teacher, constantly do this, and will even hide the greater part of a blackboard when pointing to notes of a tune.

In beginning a lesson the maximum effort will be gained if communal work be taken before individual, i.e. sight-singing before dictation, extemporizing, &c.  The reason for this is obvious, a certain momentum is thus generated, which is impossible later, when the force has been diffused.

Before a tune is sung at sight the class should analyse it, giving the key, time signature, starting note, modulations, sequences, general construction, &c.  Remind the children from time to time that the last sharp in a signature gives the te in a key, the last flat the fah; that when modulating to the dominant key the fe of the first key becomes the te of the second, in going from a key to its subdominant taw becomes fah, for the relative minor se becomes te, and for the relative major taw becomes soh.  Also that if in a minor key taw occurs in an ascending scale passage, or is taken or left by leap, it is a sign of a modulation to the relative major.

In starting the tune the tonic chord is played, and the teacher beats a whole bar, together with a fraction of the next if the tune begins on an off-beat, before the class takes it up.

Do not tap time when beating:  it cultivates a habit of inattention on the part of a class.  Nor should the teacher beat time when the class is doing so, unless for a moment, to correct an error.  One reason for this is that if the time signature be anything but [2/4] or [6/8], the teacher’s arm moves in a different direction in certain beats from that of the class facing her, and this is most confusing.