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Broken thirds
1-3-2-4-3-5-4-6-5... Trains thinking in intervals.
A scale in broken thirds: root, major third, second, perfect fourth, third, fifth, fourth, major sixth, then a straight walk down from the fifth to the root, thirteen notes in all. Every pair is a third, some major and some minor, so you're constantly leaping and stepping. That's why it trains interval thinking rather than just scale singing. The syllable 'dah' gives each note a clear consonant start. Four repetitions, up a semitone each.
How to do it
- Listen to the pattern; hear it as pairs: up a third, down a step, up a third again.
- Sing on 'dah', starting every note cleanly with the consonant.
- Follow the zigzag on the piano roll; the highest bar is the major sixth.
- Watch the walk-down at the end and land the long root note in green.
- Four passes, each a semitone higher.
Coach's tip: Hear each third as a separate “question and answer”.
What to watch out for
The zigzag makes people lose the scale underneath, so the fourth and sixth drift sharp or flat. Keep the step notes in mind as anchors. Rushing the pairs blurs them; each note gets a full beat. The major sixth at the top often comes out flat because it arrives after a leap; aim slightly above it. If the descent feels hurried and sloppy, slow the tempo. This is a brain exercise more than a voice exercise, so no strain is expected.
Who it's for
Best for advanced singers and for anyone learning harmony or sight-singing. Do it in the main block once you're warm and accurate on 5-note scale. It pairs well with Interval: major third and Interval: minor third, which isolate the two kinds of third. It isn't part of a preset program; choose it from the Scales category when you want a mental challenge.
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