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9-note scale
More than an octave – you pass through the passaggio both ways.
A major scale that overshoots the octave: up through the octave to the major ninth, a whole step above, then all the way back down, seventeen notes at a fast tempo. Because the span is fourteen semitones, most singers cross their passaggio on the way up and again on the way down. That's the point. The syllable 'yah' starts each note with a light glide that helps the top stay thin. Each repetition is a semitone higher, until you're near the top of your range, then the pattern works back down the same way.
How to do it
- Listen to the piano run up past the octave to the ninth and back down.
- Sing on 'yah', letting the volume get lighter, not louder, as you climb.
- Watch the tall peak on the roll; the ninth is the top and you pass the octave twice.
- Each repetition starts a semitone higher, until you're near the top of your range, then it comes back down the same way.
Coach's tip: At the top reduce volume instead of pushing. Thin and bright.
What to watch out for
The common error is pushing at the octave and ninth, which makes them loud, tight and usually flat. Thin the sound out instead, as if the top were farther away and quieter. Speed causes rushing on the way down; stay with the piano. If the voice cracks at the passaggio, sing softer through that spot. Any pain or a pinched feeling in the throat means stop, lower the range, and come back later.
Who it's for
An exercise for advanced singers with a secure octave scale. Use it in the main block after a full warm-up and after Major scale (octave). Downward sigh (yawn) beforehand helps the top stay loose. It's listed in the Range extension program. Not for a tired voice or a first session of the day.
Part of programs: Range extension
Opens the app in your browser. Free to start, no account needed. Put on headphones first.
Related exercises
- Chromatic (5 notes) Each next note a semitone higher. An extreme intonation test.
- Blues scale with the “blue note” The minor pentatonic plus a flattened fifth, the “blue note”. Three notes a semitone apart are the heart of blues and soul.
- Broken thirds 1-3-2-4-3-5-4-6-5... Trains thinking in intervals.
- Bebop scale down The mixolydian scale with one extra semitone between the octave and the minor seventh. Thanks to it, in swing the tones of the seventh chord land on the strong beats.