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Hum 5-4-3-2-1

Five notes downward on “mmm”. Warms up without loading the folds.

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
One repetition of the pattern. In the app it is transposed to your vocal range and scored note by note.

Five notes stepping down: perfect fifth, perfect fourth, major third, major second, root, which is the lower half of a major scale sung backward. Descending lines are easier than ascending ones because the voice relaxes as it drops, so this is a low-effort way to start moving between pitches. You stay on 'mmm', which keeps the sound small and buzzing in the face. Each repetition shifts up one semitone.

How to do it

  1. Listen as the piano plays all five notes; notice the last one lasts twice as long.
  2. Hum the line back, letting each note fall into the next like steps down a staircase.
  3. Check the piano roll: four short bars descending, then a longer one at the bottom.
  4. Repeat five times; every pass starts a semitone higher than the last.

Coach's tip: Each next note “falls” freely. Don't press the bottom.

What to watch out for

Singers tend to sag under the bottom two notes, pressing the sound down into the throat. Keep the hum light and forward, as if the low notes were still high in your face. Another slip is landing on the fifth too heavily, so start the top note soft. If notes turn red in a row, slow your air, not your tempo. Tightness anywhere means stop, drink water, lower the range.

Who it's for

Good for beginners and for anyone whose voice feels stiff at the start of the day. It sits early in a warm-up, right after Hum on one note and before anything on an open vowel. Move on to Gentle 1-2-3-2-1 to start opening the mouth. It's part of the 5-minute warm-up program.

Part of programs: 5-minute warm-up

Practice this exercise

Opens the app in your browser. Free, no account. Put on headphones first.

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