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Interval: major seventh
You sing a note, leap 11 semitones up and come back.
Root, major seventh, root: a leap of eleven semitones and back, the root held two beats. The major seventh is a semitone short of the octave, and that closeness is what makes it hard: the ear wants to round it up. It's a tense, bright interval heard in jazz-influenced pop. Three notes at a slow tempo on 'lah'. Five repetitions, each a semitone higher.
How to do it
- Listen to the piano leap almost an octave, then return.
- Hear the top note as just under the octave, then sing it lightly on 'lah'.
- Check the roll: the top bar is one row below where an octave would be.
- Five repetitions, each starting a semitone higher.
Coach's tip: Sing the top note lighter than the bottom one. Big intervals need a “gear change”.
What to watch out for
The most common error is singing a full octave instead of the seventh, which reads yellow or red on the high side. The second is landing too low, near a minor seventh. Both mean the interval isn't yet in your ear; listen to the piano twice before singing. Keep the top light; pushing makes it sharp and tight. If the top notes feel like a strain, lower the range.
Who it's for
For advanced singers with a reliable octave leap and a good ear. Do it in the main block after Interval: major sixth and before Interval: octave, so you can feel the one-semitone difference. Major scale (octave) also depends on a well-placed seventh. Not part of a preset program; choose it from the Intervals category.
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