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- Interval: perfect fourth
Interval: perfect fourth
You sing a note, leap 5 semitones up and come back.
Root, perfect fourth, root: a leap of five semitones and back, with a two-beat root at the end. The perfect fourth has a strong, open quality and appears constantly in melodies, especially at the start of phrases. It's also the interval between the fifth and the octave, so it shows up in every arpeggio that reaches the octave. Three notes, slow tempo, sung on 'lah'. Each repetition is a semitone higher, until you're near the top of your range, then the pattern comes back down the same way.
How to do it
- Listen to the piano leap a fourth and return.
- Hear the fourth before you sing, then sing root, fourth, root on 'lah'.
- Watch the roll: five rows up, then back down to the same root.
- Each pass is a semitone higher, until you're near the top of your range, then it works back down the same way.
Coach's tip: Hear the second note in your head before you open your mouth.
What to watch out for
Singers tend to land the fourth slightly low, closer to a major third, or overshoot to a fifth. Hear it as open and stable. Scooping shows up as a curved rise on the roll; leap straight. The return root often sits lower than the first one because the voice relaxes. Keep them identical. This range is comfortable, so any tightness means the range setting is too high, not the interval.
Who it's for
Beginners ready to move past thirds, and intermediate singers whose fourths land low. Use it in the main block before Interval: perfect fifth. 1-5-8-5-1 puts a fourth between the fifth and octave, so it's a natural follow-up. Not listed in a preset program; work through the Intervals category in order.
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