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“Mum” 8-5-3-1 (top down)

Start at the top, come down. Teaches carrying the lightness of the top into the bottom.

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

“Mum” 8-5-3-1 flips the usual direction: you start on the octave and come down through the perfect fifth and major third to the root, a descending major triad. You never climb to the top note; you begin light and carry that lightness down. Each repetition moves down a semitone until you reach the bottom of the zone, then the pattern climbs back up the same way. The “m” lets you start as a hum, and the neutral “uh” vowel keeps the jaw and tongue relaxed on the way down.

How to do it

  1. Listen to the piano play the four notes from the top, then sing them on “mum”.
  2. Start the octave as softly as you can, almost a hum.
  3. Keep the same soft weight on the fifth, third, and root. Don't get louder going down.
  4. Watch the first note on the roll: green right away, not after a scoop.
  5. Each repetition begins a semitone lower, until you reach the bottom of the zone, then the pattern climbs back up the same way. Keep every top note as gentle as the first.

Coach's tip: Sing the first (highest) note softly, like the “mmm” of a hum.

What to watch out for

Most singers get heavier as they descend, so by the root the sound is chesty and the third lands slightly flat. Keep the volume level; the descent should feel like coasting, not landing. Attacking the top note with a push flashes red before it settles. Think of the “m” arriving before the pitch, like sighing onto the note. If the top notes feel tight or make you cough, lower the range; this exercise should feel almost lazy.

Who it's for

A level 2 exercise for anyone whose high notes feel like a separate, heavier voice. Use it in the main block after a siren, or as a cool-down. Downward sigh (yawn) is a good preparation, and Hum 5-4-3-2-1 makes a gentle follow-up. Listed in Path: Pop (mix & belt).

Part of programs: Path: Pop (mix & belt)

Practice this exercise

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