Mental action is necessary, but only through trained muscular action can the mental action materialize in a finished performance.
So too the mind must anticipate the action of the vocal organs, but the organs themselves must be led to interpret the mental concept until such action becomes spontaneous.

Action in turn quickens the mental process, and the mental picture becomes more vivid.
Note with emphasis that the mental concept _precedes_ the action and governs it.

Therefore, instead of producing tone by local effort, by conscious muscular action of any sort, correctly _think the tone_, correctly shape and color it _mentally_.

=Every vocal tone is a mental concept made audible.= The beginner and the confirmed bungler alike fail in this prime essential--they do not make this mental picture of tone before singing it.

Kindred to this is deficiency in hearing, in discriminating between good tone color and poor.