Interval Tuning

Objective: INTERVAL JUMPING ————Very Important!  This makes you able to sing notes accurately that are more than two steps apart. Use all vowels.  This is a must to practice so you can easily play a song by ear recognizing the steps in a melody.  It only takes a short time of practicing to get this skill.  To be a top singer this skill is a must.

Four notes in each section;

1) the root and the minor and the root again

2) the root and the major 3rd, and then the root again.

3) the root and the subdominant 4th, and then the root again.

4) the root and the dominant 5th, and then the root again.

Set-           I  & IIIb & I     I & III & I    etc….

Then step up a semi tone and do the two set sequences at that level.   Do this through out your vocal range.

Set 1.  the   minor 3rd & the major 3rd, … and

Set 2.  the imperfect 4th & the perfect 5th

As you vocalize take a mental note and listen closely to the distance between root and the second note of a set.

Alternate the vowels every time you do a vocal range, so you do all the five vowels in your vocal range.  Alternate the vowels order.  You do this alternating vowel change each time you move up or down one semi tone.    Alternate the vowels every session so you do all five.  Alternate the jump vocalizing with

1) pure tones and with 2) vibrato.

With time constraints allotted to practice, at least do the tuning of your vocal range twice using two vowels.

Occasional extra exercise:   I & VI & I     I  & VIIb & I     I & VII & I    I & VIII & I  (an octave)

Optional: Do this with a metronome beat playing.

Pro Singer Interval Tuning

Sing the notes first, then play them on the piano.  Very beneficial!

Knowing the Interval Spacing

Minor Second = Jaws

Major Second = Frere Jacque

Minor Third = Madworld

Major Third = Stevey Wonder’s Sir Duke  or  David Bowie’s Let’s Dance

Perfect Fourth = Summer Nights from Grease Movie theme

Tritone = (most dissonant) Devil sound, Rush by YYZ, The Simpsons

Perfect Fifth = Star Wars theme, ET theme

Minor Sixth = Baker Street, Entertainer

Major Sixth =The Holly and the Ivy

Minor Seventh = Somewhere from West Side Story (There’s a Place for Us)

Major Seventh = Take on Me by A-Ha

Octave = Some Where Over the Rainbow from the Wizard of Oz