Although I have devoted two chapters to the registers of the voice, I shall also quote Dr. Van Baggen on the faulty use of these and the physical ills that result therefrom, since there are but few singers who do not know the difficulties which the registers of the voice offer; and many who spoil their voices forever by the misuse of those registers. Generally, the misuse consists in the exaggeration of a lower register at the expense of the higher; that is, in order to produce "big tone," forcing a register _up_ instead of bringing the higher one _down_. Especially with dramatic singers, this fault is frequent. There is no voice, however strong it may be, which can endure this overstraining of the registers, and sooner or later the singer must experience the disastrous results of his or her fault--hoarseness, fatigue, roughness, and impureness in singing, and last, but not least, premature wearing out of the vocal organs. The exaggeration of the registers is generally united with faulty breathing, which first of all must be corrected. Only after good results have been obtained with regard to breath practice, can exercises for the correction of the use of the registers be made with success. When the fault consists in the exaggeration of the low register, the singing in this register must be avoided for some time; when both the low and middle registers have been used beyond their limit, exercises can at first be sung only in the high register. The pupil, while practising (in the first case in the middle and high register, in the second only in the high register), must limit himself to a few tones, singing always downwards and very softly. The tones will be weak, husky, and often impure in the beginning; by and by, however, they will improve. When those few tones are pure and clear, the pupil may extend the exercises downwards, always singing _pianissimo_ and avoiding the lower register. The high and middle registers, or only the high register, must be extended downwards as far as possible. Only after all the tones, sung as indicated, are clear and pure and have gained sufficiently in strength, may the low or the low and middle registers be used again, but even then not more than is strictly necessary. The extending downwards of a higher register is also an excellent help in smoothing out the break in the voice at the passage from one register to the other. This extending downwards of the higher registers always can be done without any danger to the voice. The "timbre" of the voice will even gain considerably in brilliancy and fullness by exercising in this way.