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Kalinka
Ivan Larionov’s song from 1860, long thought to be a Russian folk song, sung on “dah”: the refrain twice, two long held notes, a verse in the relative major and the refrain once more.
Ivan Larionov wrote this song in 1860 for a play staged in Saratov, and for a long time people took it for a Russian folk song. A folk choir of the time put it in its repertoire and made it popular. The app has no Russian words: you sing it on “dah.” The refrain, about the snowball tree (kalina), is in a minor key. The verse that follows is in the relative major. The whole song has 121 notes and lasts about 47 seconds at 112 beats per minute in 2/4 time.
How to do it
- Wait for the two count-in clicks. The piano plays the first phrase alone, then plays along with you.
- Sing every note on “dah.” Start the refrain on the fifth and come down in quick pairs of eighth notes to the root.
- After the refrain twice, hold the octave, then a whole step below it, as two long notes.
- In the verse, leap up a minor third, step down, then drop a fourth. Rise again to end on the fifth, ready for the refrain.
- Slow the tempo with the slider in the exercise view if the quick pairs blur.
Coach's tip: Keep the quick pairs of the refrain light and even – the tune likes to rush. The verse opens with a leap of a minor third; hear the upper note before you sing it.
What to watch out for
The tune likes to rush. In Russia the refrain speeds up each time, but here the tempo stays steady, so keep the quick pairs light and even. The second half of the refrain has a dotted pair, long then short, so don't turn it into two equal notes. The leap of a minor third at the start of the verse often lands flat: hear the upper note before you sing it. The long octave needs a steady breath. If it strains, stop and lower the tempo or rest.
Who it's for
Level 2, for singers who can already follow a simple tune and want to practice quick notes in a minor key and a clear change to the relative major. Warm up with Minor pentatonic to the fifth and Interval: minor third, then use Long note 10 s afterward to settle the held octave. No program lists it. The daily training brings it up more often with the Folk / country style.
Opens the app in your browser. Free to start, no account needed. Put on headphones first.
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