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Fast 5-note scale
The same scale as in the basics, twice as fast.
Fast 5-note scale runs the first five degrees of the major scale up and back down, root to fifth to root, in eighth notes at 130 beats per minute. Nine notes pass in about two seconds. It's the same shape as 5-note scale at double speed, and it trains a light, quick voice that moves without dragging the jaw or pushing air. The syllable 'lah' keeps the tongue forward and the vowel open, so each pitch can speak clearly even at this tempo.
How to do it
- Listen to the piano play the nine-note scale once; notice how even the eighth notes are.
- Sing it back on 'lah' at about half your normal volume, the tongue tip tapping lightly for each 'l'.
- Watch the piano roll: all nine blocks should turn green, including the quick fifth at the top.
- Let the last root ring for its full beat before the next repetition starts.
- Each repetition begins one semitone higher; five repetitions climb a major third in total.
Coach's tip: Fast = light. Halve the volume.
What to watch out for
The usual failure is smearing: the third and fourth degrees blur into one slide and the roll shows yellow or red in the middle of the run. Fix it by singing the pattern slowly once, then returning to tempo. Rushing is the second trap; you finish before the piano does. Stay light on the fifth and don't lean on it. If your throat tightens as the repetitions climb, drop the volume further or restart lower. Pain means stop.
Who it's for
This is for intermediate singers who already sing 5-note scale cleanly at a slow tempo. Use it in the main block after a warm-up such as Lip trill – siren. It's a stepping stone to Fast octave scale and to the patterns in the Riffs and runs category. It appears in the Agility and runs program.
Part of programs: Agility and runs
Opens the app in your browser. Free, no account. Put on headphones first.