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Korobeiniki

The melody of a 19th-century Russian folk song (to a poem by Nekrasov): a minor tune with a dotted rhythm, sung on “dah”. The second, best-known half comes twice.

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

The melody of a Russian folk song from the 19th century, set to Nikolay Nekrasov's poem of 1861. There are no words here: you sing it on “dah.” The tune is in a minor key, with a raised seventh in the first half. It spans an octave and a fourth, from a perfect fifth below the root to the octave. The better-known second half starts on the fourth and climbs to the octave.

How to do it

  1. Wait for the two count-in clicks. The piano plays the opening phrase alone, then plays along with you.
  2. Sing every note on “dah,” with a clear but gentle start to each note.
  3. In the first half, climb the dotted notes of the opening chord, long then short, without bumping the short note.
  4. In the second half, reach up from the fourth to the octave, then step down to the dotted bar.

Coach's tip: Keep the dotted long–short rhythm crisp and steady – the tune likes to speed up. In the second half, aim the octave at the top cleanly, then come down step by step.

What to watch out for

The dotted rhythm of 1.5 beats plus half a beat is the hard part. Singers make the short note too long, or hurry it. Think long–short, not even. The raised seventh just below the root tends to sound flat, so aim slightly high and resolve upward. The jump to the top of the second half can get pushed; keep it light. Quick eighth notes blur, so slow the tempo with the slider if needed.

Who it's for

Level 2, for singers who can already sing a simple song and want to practice rhythm and a minor key. Warm up with Fast 1-3-5-8-5-3-1 so the quick notes feel familiar, and follow with Long note 10 s to settle your breath. No program lists it. The daily training brings it up more often with the Folk / country style.

Practice this exercise

Opens the app in your browser. Free to start, no account needed. Put on headphones first.

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