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Singing exercises
193 exercises in 11 categories. Pick one, read how to do it, then practice it in the app with live pitch feedback.
Warm-up
Gentle humming, sirens and trills. Always start here.
- Hum on one note Closed lips, an “mmm” you feel in the lips and nose. Four seconds, calmly.
- Hum 5-4-3-2-1 Five notes downward on “mmm”. Warms up without loading the folds.
- Lip trill – siren Lips buzz like a motorboat, the sound slides an octave up and back.
- “Oo” siren (octave) Smooth glissando up and down on “oo”. Connects the bottom and top of the voice.
- “Ng” siren (fifth) The sound at the end of “soNG”. Leads resonance into the “mask”.
- Gentle 1-2-3-2-1 Three notes up and down. Change the vowel: mee, meh, mah.
- Twang on “nyah” A bright, narrow “nyah” on the first five scale degrees, holding the fifth. Twang is the safe base of rock edge – the voice sounds sharp while the throat stays loose.
- Five vowels on one note One note and five vowels in a row: mee, eh, ah, oh, oo – with no gaps between them. Trains even vowels and legato: pitch and tone stay, only the shape of your mouth changes.
- Downward sigh (yawn) From a high “haa” freely down, like a tired sigh. Relaxes the larynx.
- Scat warm-up in swing Root, second, third, fifth and back down – lightly, on “doo-bee”. Swing rhythm: the first note of each pair is longer, the second short, as in jazz.
- Pentatonic over a drone The piano holds a low drone – the tonic an octave down, like bagpipes or a hurdy-gurdy – and you sing the major pentatonic over it, up to the sixth and back. You hear the melody first, then sing it alone with just the drone.
- Hum with a blue third Root, second, a minor third that slides smoothly up to the major third, second and root – with lips closed. That slide from the minor to the major third is the “blue third”, a signature sound of soul and R&B.
- Flow warm-up “yo” A short rhythmic phrase on a few neighbouring notes of the minor pentatonic, like melodic rap. Warms up your voice and your sense of the beat at once.
Scales
Intonation step by step. The foundation of clean singing.
- 5-note scale The classic: five notes up and back. The most important intonation exercise.
- Major scale (octave) A full octave up and down.
- Minor scale Natural minor scale – a darker sound, typical of ballads.
- Major pentatonic Five notes that almost all pop runs are built from.
- Chromatic (5 notes) Each next note a semitone higher. An extreme intonation test.
- 9-note scale More than an octave – you pass through the passaggio both ways.
- Major scale downward From the octave down. Teaches you not to sag on low notes.
- Minor pentatonic The minor pentatonic up to the octave and back, the basic scale of R&B and soul runs. The minor third and the seventh give it a darker color than the major pentatonic.
- Blues scale with the “blue note” The minor pentatonic plus a flattened fifth, the “blue note”. Three notes a semitone apart are the heart of blues and soul.
- Broken thirds 1-3-2-4-3-5-4-6-5... Trains thinking in intervals.
- Slow legato up to the sixth The first five degrees of the major scale, the sixth held for three beats and back down to the root – slowly, on one vowel, with no gaps between notes.
- Dorian scale in swing A minor scale with a major sixth – the dorian mode, the basis of jazz improvising over minor chords. Up to the octave and back, eighth notes in swing.
- Bebop scale down The mixolydian scale with one extra semitone between the octave and the minor seventh. Thanks to it, in swing the tones of the seventh chord land on the strong beats.
- Pentatonic waltz The major pentatonic in three-four time: steps up to the sixth, back down, then the sixth degree below the tonic and home. Most simple folk tunes are built on this scale – no half steps.
- Minor pentatonic to the fifth Root, minor third, fourth, fifth and back – the lower part of the minor pentatonic, the scale of runs in R&B, rock and blues. A small range and a calm tempo: a good first step before the full scale.
- Major pentatonic to the sixth The five notes of the major pentatonic – root, second, third, fifth, sixth – up and back. A scale with no half steps that pop and folk melodies and simple runs are built on.
Arpeggios
Leaps across chord tones. Accuracy and register connection.
- Major triad 1-3-5-3-1 The basic broken chord.
- 1-3-5-8-5-3-1 Chord with the octave. The most popular exercise in singing lessons.
- Minor triad The broken minor chord.
- Octave leap 1-8-1 One leap, but a big one. Connects registers.
- Dominant chord 1-3-5-b7-8 A minor seventh between the fifth and the octave – a bluesy sound.
- Staccato 1-3-5-8-5-3-1 Short, separated notes. Trains a fast, accurate onset.
- Power fifths Root twice and the fifth, two times over, then the octave held for three beats. The same notes as a guitar power chord.
- 1-5-8-5-1 Fifth and octave – the skeleton of every chord.
- Tuning a chord like a choir Root, major third, fifth and octave – each note long and straight, without vibrato. The piano gives only the first note; you tune the rest yourself, like one voice in a choir chord. The score also counts steadiness.
- ii–V–I arpeggios The most common chord progression in jazz, sung through its chord tones: minor seventh up, dominant down and major seventh at the end. Eighth notes in swing.
- Sixth chord in swing Root, third, fifth and major sixth – a major chord with an added sixth, one of the most common chords in jazz – up and back in swing rhythm: long–short.
- Arpeggio to the tenth 1-3-5-8-10 A major triad through the octave up to the third above it (a tenth) and back. Almost an octave and a half – the harder relative of the 1-3-5-8-5-3-1 arpeggio.
Intervals
Hitting specific distances between notes.
- Interval: major second You sing a note, leap 2 semitones up and come back.
- Interval: major third You sing a note, leap 4 semitones up and come back.
- Interval: minor third You sing a note, leap 3 semitones up and come back.
- Interval: perfect fourth You sing a note, leap 5 semitones up and come back.
- Interval: perfect fifth You sing a note, leap 7 semitones up and come back.
- Interval: major sixth You sing a note, leap 9 semitones up and come back.
- Interval: major seventh You sing a note, leap 11 semitones up and come back.
- Interval: octave You sing a note, leap 12 semitones up and come back.
- Interval mix 1-3-1-5-1-8-1 Bigger and bigger leaps from the same base.
- Octave leap with a strong top An octave leap and a held peak, then a fresh start on the top note and a way down through minor-pentatonic notes to the root.
- Intervals from the tonic, no piano The piano gives only the first note. From the tonic you sing a second, third, fourth and fifth on your own, returning to the tonic each time – like in solfège.
- Wide intervals, no piano Leaps across the major scale, interleaved: fifth, third, sixth, fourth, seventh and octave. You hear only the first note – intonation without help, like an a cappella choir.
- Leaps on the “and” in swing From the tonic, a leap of a major third, a major sixth and a minor seventh – each time the top note comes in on the short eighth before the beat and carries over. A typical jazz push.
- Harmony a third above First the piano plays your line, then it plays the melody while you sing a second voice over it – a third higher, step for step. That’s the high harmony of folk and country.
- Harmony in sixths The piano plays the melody up high while you sing a second voice below it – a sixth lower, in parallel, step for step. Major and minor sixths alternate, as in a folk duet.
Mix and belt
The top of your voice without forcing. Powerful, long high notes like in big pop choruses.
- “Nay” 1-3-5-8-5-3-1 (mix) A nasal, bratty NAY. Sets the voice in mix – the top without shouting and without falsetto.
- “Gee” 1-5-8-5-1 (cord closure) A hard “G” closes the folds, “ee” keeps it thin. High notes without air in the tone.
- “Mum” 8-5-3-1 (top down) Start at the top, come down. Teaches carrying the lightness of the top into the bottom.
- “Wee” siren through the passaggio The narrow “ee” vowel helps you ride through the voice “break” (E4–G4 for men) without a flip.
- Belt: long note on “eh” A strong, bright, open note on “eh” (as in “ten”). Four steady seconds, high up.
- Messa di voce on a high note Soft → loud → soft on one high note. This is how big pop choruses build tension.
- Flip into falsetto 1-8-1 on “oo” Bottom note in chest voice, top in light falsetto, back down. A trademark of acoustic pop.
- Falsetto: long high “oo” A light, airy falsetto on “oo” above your chest range.
- Leap 1-5-8 holding the top Two leaps up and three seconds at the peak. An emotional “release” like in a chorus.
- Legit: round “oh” up high A long note in the upper part of your range on a round “oh”: light, with an open throat, like a classic musical theatre ballad.
- Legit: legato arpeggio “moh” A 1-3-5-8 arpeggio up and back, joined legato. A round, calm tone instead of a strong belt.
- Belt: “hey” call A short run-up and a held “hey” up high, like a shout from a musical stage, but on healthy support.
- Belt and legit in turns The same short pattern once in belt on a bright “eh”, once in legit on a round “oh”. Teaches switching colour at the same pitch.
- Register change in one phrase An arpeggio spanning more than an octave on “yah”: from the bottom through the break to the top and back, with no pause and no seam.
- Falsetto flip in a run A climb up, a light flip into falsetto on the octave, then a pentatonic run back down into chest voice.
- Yodel flips into falsetto Quick flips between chest voice and falsetto: from the bottom a sixth up into falsetto, back to the third in chest voice, up to the octave and down. The audible break is the point here – that’s the country yodel.
- Climb into a long strong note Three steps up the minor pentatonic and a long, strong note on the fifth in the upper half of your range – a typical ending of a rock phrase.
- Strong note without wobble A long, strong note in the upper half of your range held straight – no vibrato and no drifting pitch. The score also counts steadiness.
- Twang accents on “hey” Two short, accented “hey”s on the fifth, then a quick turn through the fourth and the minor seventh and a held note. Safe rock edge: bright twang instead of shouting.
- Octave up in head voice A triad up to the octave with a held top, then down the scale – light, on a round “oo”. Extends your range upward without pushing heavy chest voice.
- Swing blues line in mix The minor pentatonic in swing rhythm up to the minor seventh, held for two beats, then back down to the root – in the upper half of your range. This is how a bluesy jazz line sounds in mixed voice.
- Swing climb to a high note A sixth chord in swing leads up to the octave, held for three beats, then down through the minor seventh to the fifth – like the end of a big-band chorus, in the upper half of your range.
- High lonesome straight note The major pentatonic up to the sixth, held for four beats, and back – in the upper half of your range, in a straight tone without vibrato. This is the high, lonesome sound of bluegrass and country. The score also counts how steady the long note is.
- High hook without vibrato A chorus line in the upper part of your range on the minor pentatonic, sung in a clean straight tone – the sound of melodic rap hooks. No auto-tune here: the pitch has to be yours.
Riffs and runs
Pentatonics, runs, ornaments and scoops.
- Pentatonic run down 8-6-5-3-2-1 The most common run in pop – from the octave quickly down the pentatonic.
- Pentatonic run up A run-up ending on a long octave.
- Blues run (minor pentatonic) A darker, R&B version of the run. Seventh and minor third.
- Turn 5-6-5-3-1 The classic pop “ornament” at the end of a phrase.
- Mordent 1-2-1 and 1-7-1 A quick “touch” of the neighboring note and back. Upper and lower mordent.
- Pop scoop (slide into the note) A short, deliberate slide from below into the target note. It should be an effect, not a habit.
- Long run 8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 The whole scale down at a fast tempo.
- Rhythmic pentatonic phrase A short phrase with syncopation – like a line in a song.
- Run in groups of three The minor pentatonic going down in groups of three notes, each group starting one step lower. This is how longer R&B runs are built.
- Gospel run with turns A run from the octave down the minor pentatonic, with two turns on the way. A typical gospel and soul ornament.
- Syncopated groove A short phrase full of syncopation: notes come in between the beats and carry over the pulse. Trains rhythm and relaxed R&B phrasing.
- Fall-off at the end of a phrase A held note, then a glide down at the end – the “fall-off”, a common way to finish a phrase in soul.
- Riff at the end of a phrase A phrase that ends with a short riff: after the held note, a few quick pentatonic notes and back to the tonic.
- Slide up into a strong note Three short slides from below into higher and higher notes, each ending in a long, strong hold. A deliberate rock way into the note, not accidental pulling up.
- Portamento – gliding between notes A fifth up and back, but instead of a jump – a deliberate, smooth glide through every pitch in between. A classical expressive tool that connects notes without smearing them.
- Call-and-response lick – new every time The piano plays a short, random blues-scale phrase in swing and you sing it back – like trading phrases with a band. Every repetition is a new lick, so you can’t learn it by heart.
- Country slides and the cry Classic country ornaments: a slide up into the tonic, a slide into the third and the “cry” – dropping onto the fifth from the sixth above, like a catch in the voice. Then a calm walk down to the tonic.
- Scale run to the final note The end of a phrase – third, second, root – then a quick major-scale run through the whole octave to a held top note. A classic ending of a musical theatre number: the last note on top.
- Ad-libs A short phrase followed by two ad-libs: a “yeah” an octave up that falls a fourth, and a lower “ay” sliding down to the root – like the little interjections behind a lead vocal.
Breath and long notes
Support, stability, messa di voce, vibrato.
- Long note 6 s Hold one note steadily for 6 seconds.
- Long note 10 s Ten seconds without wavering and without sagging.
- Long note 15 s Fifteen seconds. The level of a big ballad chorus.
- Stability: 3 long notes Three chord tones, 4 seconds each, with a breath between them.
- Messa di voce (soft → loud → soft) Crescendo to the middle, then decrescendo. The pitch stays put.
- Long phrase on one breath (12 s) Eleven legato notes on one breath. Phrases in pop ballads are sometimes longer.
- Crescendo on a long note Eight seconds of one note from soft to loud, like the final note of a show number. Pitch and an even rise in volume both count.
- Three phrases, quick breaths Three minor-pentatonic phrases back to back, with short rests for breath; the last one reaches the octave. Builds stamina for long rock parts.
- Timed “sss” hiss Release air on “sss” for as long as you can. We measure seconds. Goal: 30+.
- Vibrato on a long note Start straight, after a second let a natural wave in. We measure rate (goal 5–7 Hz) and depth.
- Straight tone without vibrato The opposite of vibrato: a perfectly straight, motionless note. The pop “straight tone”.
- Vibrato only at the end of a note A long note: straight for most of it (about 60%), with vibrato only at the end – the way a jazz ballad ends a phrase. We measure both: the straight start and the waver at the end (goal 5–7 Hz).
- Long folk phrase without vibrato An original phrase in the style of a folk song, on the pentatonic, all on one breath. Straight tone, no vibrato – as in acoustic singing. The score also counts how steady the long notes are.
- Soul phrase on one breath A long phrase on the minor pentatonic ending with a short riff, all on one breath. It teaches you to spread the air so there is still enough for the ornament and the last long note.
- Legato line on one breath Five steps of the major scale up in long notes, the fifth held for four beats and a quicker way down – the whole phrase on one breath, with no gaps between notes. A first step toward long, even classical phrases.
- Four bars on one breath Non-stop eighth-note flow for four bars with no rest, ending on a long note. Teaches you to spread your air across a long verse.
Agility
Fast scales and melismas. Precision at tempo.
- Fast 5-note scale The same scale as in the basics, twice as fast.
- Fast 1-3-5-8-5-3-1 Arpeggio in eighth notes.
- Trill 1-2-1-2-1-2-1 A fast alternation between two notes.
- Melisma 1-2-3-2-1-2-3-2-1 Nine notes on one vowel.
- Fast octave scale A full octave in eighth notes.
- Fast diction “ta ka di mi” Quick syllables on a few neighbouring notes: diction training like a song with a fast lyric.
- Diction on an arpeggio “pa ta ka la” Quick syllables on an arpeggio up to the octave and back. Crisp consonants, yet every note in tune.
- Enclosing a note – chromatic approach You approach the tonic, the third and the fifth from both sides: a scale step from above, a semitone from below. This is the enclosure, a chromatic figure bebop lines are built on.
- Triplet flow Four triplets on the minor pentatonic – three syllables per beat, the signature rhythm of melodic rap – then a long note to land on.
- Flow switch: eighths and triplets One phrase, two rhythms: eighth notes first (“ta ka”), triplets in the middle (“ta ki ta”), eighths again at the end. That’s how a rapper switches flow in a verse without losing the beat.
Ear
Hear it and repeat it. No notes shown.
- Repeat the note You hear one note and repeat it. The note is revealed only after your answer.
- Repeat the interval Two notes – repeat both.
- Repeat 3 notes A short random three-note melody.
- Repeat 5 notes Five random notes from the scale.
- Repeat the chord (broken) A random major or minor triad. Recognize it and repeat it.
- Reading a melody from the roll Five notes from the major scale, a new melody every time. You hear only the first note – you read the rest from the piano roll, like from sheet music.
Melodies
Songs and original phrases in many styles. Sing with lyrics.
- Are You Sleeping (Frère Jacques) A simple, well-known melody. A warm-up with lyrics.
- Twinkle Twinkle Little Star A fifth leap at the start, then walking down the scale.
- Ode to Joy (Beethoven) The theme of the 9th Symphony. Only seconds – a step-by-step intonation test.
- Happy Birthday An octave leap in the third phrase. A classic trap.
- Jingle Bells (chorus) Rhythmic, repetitive. Trains holding the same note.
- Silent Night A wide range (1.5 octaves) and long notes. A ballad in its purest form.
- Amazing Grace Pentatonic in practice. Melismas on “zing”, “a”, “was”, “but”.
- When the Saints Go Marching In Energetic, with long notes at the end of phrases.
- Pop phrase: acoustic verse An original phrase in the style of acoustic verses: low register, minor pentatonic, speech rhythm.
- Pop phrase: chorus with a high note An original chorus: a leap to the octave and holding it for 3 beats. Twice.
- Pop phrase: falsetto hook An original hook: twice up into falsetto and down the pentatonic.
- Pop phrase: belt An original phrase: a 5-7-9 run-up and a four-second belt on the octave.
- Show tune phrase An original stage-style phrase: an arpeggio up, a short turn and a held note at the top.
- Show finale An original finale phrase: two approaches to a high note and a long held peak at the end.
- R&B verse An original R&B-style verse: syncopated rhythm, minor pentatonic and a short run at the end.
- Soul ballad An original soul ballad phrase: a calm opening, a climb to the top and a melisma to finish.
- Rock verse An original rock-style verse: rhythmic eighth notes on the minor pentatonic, three lines climbing higher and a return to the root.
- Rock chorus An original anthem-style rock chorus: two climbs to the octave with a held peak and a way back down to the root.
- Legato arietta An original phrase in the style of a classical arietta, in three-four time: three legato arcs, the last one peaking on the octave and returning to the tonic.
- Cadenza to end an aria An original phrase in the style of an aria ending: a triad up to a long top note on the octave, then a cadenza – a turn through the ninth and a scale down in eighth notes to the tonic.
- Scat – call and response An original scat phrase in swing: a question that stops on the second, then an answer through the minor seventh down to the tonic. Both halves put the minor and the major third side by side.
- Jazz ballad An original slow phrase: a major-seventh chord, an arc through the sixth, a chromatic descent from the major seventh to the fifth and a long ending on the tonic. Soft and legato.
- Oh My Darling, Clementine A 19th-century American folk ballad in three-four time. A simple melody on the triad, with a dotted rhythm in every bar – just right for clean intonation.
- Drunken Sailor A traditional sea shanty in the Dorian mode: verse and chorus. One short motif steps down a whole tone and back up – easy to remember, made for singing together.
- Swing Low, Sweet Chariot A 19th-century African-American spiritual, one of the roots of gospel and soul. Short phrases on the major pentatonic, each ending on a long note.
- Korobeiniki The melody of a 19th-century Russian folk song (to a poem by Nekrasov): a minor tune with a dotted rhythm, sung on “dah”. The second, best-known half comes twice.
- Greensleeves An English tune from the 16th century in a minor key, with a gentle three-beat lilt: the verse and the “Greensleeves” chorus. Small melismas on “love”, “wrong” and “off”.
- Danny Boy An old Irish air with words from 1913: long arching phrases over an octave and a fifth. The leap up to “here” is the peak of the song.
- Habanera (Carmen) Carmen’s aria from Bizet’s opera (1875), sung on “lah”. The verse slides down by half steps over a dance rhythm, with quick ornaments; then four short calls lead into the famous refrain in major.
- Funiculì, Funiculà The famous chorus of the Neapolitan song from 1880. “Jamme, jamme” rocks between two neighbouring notes, then “funiculì, funiculà” runs on quick repeated notes up to the high root.
- Makin’ Whoopee A jazz standard from 1928: the first two sections of the chorus. Each line rocks on a quick, dotted “an-oth-er” and lands on a long note; half steps lead up to “makin’ whoopee”.
- Major-General’s Song The patter song from Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic opera The Pirates of Penzance (1879): one syllable on every quick eighth note. The notes are simple – the challenge is clear diction at speed.
- Nessun dorma (Turandot) The climax of the tenor aria from Puccini’s Turandot, from “Dilegua, o notte!” to the final “Vincerò!”: a rising line, repeated notes and a long top note at the end – placed high in your range.
- O Holy Night Adolphe Adam’s Christmas song (1847) with John S. Dwight’s English words: the whole first verse, from the calm opening to “Fall on your knees” and the high “O night divine.” Long phrases spanning a tenth.
- Deck the Halls An old Welsh carol tune with English words from 1862: a brisk melody in major with a “fa la la” after every line.
- God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen A traditional English carol in minor, to the tune printed in 1855: a whole verse with the refrain “O tidings of comfort and joy.” After a leap of a fifth at the start, the melody moves mostly by step.
- Joy to the World Isaac Watts’ words (1719) to Lowell Mason’s tune (1839): the first line is a major scale coming down an octave, and “and heav’n and nature sing” returns four times at the end.
- O Tannenbaum (O Christmas Tree) A German folk tune with Christmas words from 1824, sung in German: the opening “O Tannenbaum,” a middle part a fifth higher and the opening again, in three with a dotted rhythm.
- Adeste Fideles (O Come, All Ye Faithful) The Latin Christmas hymn known from John Francis Wade’s manuscripts of the 1740s and 1750s, sung in Latin: the whole first verse and the refrain “Venite adoremus” three times before the closing “Dominum.”
- Hark! The Herald Angels Sing Charles Wesley’s words (1739, opening lines by George Whitefield) to Felix Mendelssohn’s melody from 1840: the whole first verse, which reaches its highest notes in the closing “Hark! the herald angels sing.”
- Kalinka Ivan Larionov’s song from 1860, long thought to be a Russian folk song, sung on “dah”: the refrain twice, two long held notes, a verse in the relative major and the refrain once more.
- La Paloma Sebastián Iradier’s habanera from around 1863, sung in Spanish: the first verse, “Cuando salí de la Habana,” the refrain “Si a tu ventana llega una paloma” and the closing “¡Ay, chinita, que sí!”
- Sakura Sakura A Japanese koto song from the 19th century, with the words printed in 1888, sung on “lah”: calm phrases in a Japanese five-note scale with two half steps.
- Shchedryk (The Little Swallow) Mykola Leontovych’s choral setting (1916) of a Ukrainian New Year’s song, the soprano line sung on “lah”: a four-note motif sixteen times, a higher middle part with two quick rising runs, then the motif again.
- Les anges dans nos campagnes (Angels We Have Heard on High) A French Christmas carol printed in Paris in 1842, sung on “lah”: a verse with repeated notes and dotted rhythms, then the refrain “Gloria in excelsis Deo” twice, with a run of 16 notes on “Glo-.”
- O Little Town of Bethlehem Phillips Brooks’ words to the tune his church organist Lewis Redner wrote for them in 1868: the whole first verse, with a half step down and back in the first bar and an octave leap before “Are met in thee tonight.”
- We Three Kings John Henry Hopkins Jr.’s carol from 1857, words and music: a verse in minor that rocks in three, then the refrain “O star of wonder” in major.
- It Came Upon the Midnight Clear Edmund Sears’ words (1849) to Richard Storrs Willis’ tune (1850): a flowing melody in six that opens with a leap of a sixth, and a third line that drops an octave on “Peace on the earth.”
- Away in a Manger An American cradle carol to James R. Murray’s tune from 1887: the first verse as a gentle lullaby in three, where the opening line falls a whole octave from the top note.
- Go Tell It on the Mountain A spiritual first printed in 1909: the verse “When I was a seeker” and the refrain “Go tell it on the mountain,” with dotted rhythms and a closing “Christ is born” in a triplet.
- The First Noel A traditional English carol, first printed in the 1820s and 1830s: the whole first verse and the refrain “Noel, Noel,” in three. Nearly every phrase climbs to the octave and walks back down the scale.
- Good King Wenceslas John Mason Neale’s 1853 words about Saint Wenceslas of Bohemia, set to a spring carol printed in 1582: the whole first verse as a steady march in even beats. The second half leaps up a fifth on “Brightly.”
- The Holly and the Ivy The English folk carol in the version Cecil Sharp collected in 1909 and printed in 1911: the first verse and the refrain “The rising of the sun,” in three, with a leap of a major sixth on “and the” and “of the.”
- Once in Royal David’s City Cecil Frances Alexander’s 1848 words to the tune Henry Gauntlett wrote for them in 1849: the whole first verse, a calm melody with dotted rhythms and two-note slurs that rises to a sixth above the root on “Mary.”
- Ding Dong Merrily on High George Ratcliffe Woodward’s 1924 words to a French dance tune printed in 1589: the first verse with its bell-like phrases, then the famous “Gloria” – one syllable stretched over a run of 31 notes that winds down the scale in five waves.
- Country verse An original country-style verse: major pentatonic, a bend from the minor to the major third and a slide into the last note. Sung close to speech, with a little twang.
- Two-part song An original folk song in two parts. The piano first plays your part, then the melody, and you sing the upper voice over it – a third above all the way, like a country duet.
- Simple hook A short, catchy chorus on four neighbouring notes of the minor pentatonic. A first step into melodic rap: few notes, and what counts is clean pitch and rhythm.
- Triplet hook An original chorus in a melodic rap style: eighth notes on the minor pentatonic mixed with triplets, climbing higher in the second half. Joins flow with a clean melody.
- Melodic rap verse An original verse: eighth notes, a sudden switch to triplets, a line that comes in on the off-beat, and a “yeah” ad-lib an octave up to finish. All on the minor pentatonic.
Tools
Vocal range test, free tuner.