Agility, riffs and runs · Intermediate · Every style, Classical, Pop and R&B
Fast five, twice
Fast notes need a still jaw and a steady breath; the notes move, nothing else does. Start slow and raise the tempo only when every note is clear.
How to do it
- Keep the jaw still and let the voice do the moving.
- Every note must be heard, not smudged.
- Raise the tempo five beats at a time.
Remember Still jaw, moving notes.
| Numbers | 1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1 |
|---|---|
| Sargam | S R G M P M G R S R G M P M G R S |
| Solfa | do re mi fa sol fa mi re do re mi fa sol fa mi re do |
| Notes | G A B C D C B A G A B C D C B A G |
| Sung on | ah – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – |
Where it comes from
- Jacob's Vocal Academy: the fast pattern, your choice of vowel
- Co-Vo: García scales in quarters, eighths and sixteenths
More agility, riffs and runs
EE and AH runs
Switching vowel on every note makes the tongue move while the throat stays still: the coordination fast runs need..
Pentatonic run down
Most pop and gospel runs live on the major pentatonic (1 2 3 5 6).
Blues run
The minor pentatonic with the blue note (the sharpened 4th).
Turns on every step
A turn (above, home, below, home) on each note of the scale.