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A Plus course · 16 lessons

Tell it plainly.

A plain, storytelling voice over a drone, the old scales that make a tune sound old, the small ornaments folk singers add, and a ballad sung on your own, with nothing underneath, without sliding off key.

  • 16 lessons, about 3 minutes each
  • About 40 minutes in all
  • Every tune public domain

Try the first lesson free See the lessons

The ballad

By the last verse, you can

  1. Sing a plain, steady tone that rings with a drone.

  2. Hear and sing the old scales: Dorian's bright note and Mixolydian's soft note.

  3. Add a flick and a turn where they fit, light and small.

  4. Sing a ballad on your own and keep your key with nothing underneath.

The old modes

The old scales

A tune sounds old when one note of its scale is different from the major and minor we're used to. You hear the difference by ear: no theory needed.

The bright note Dorian: a minor tune with one note higher, its sixth. Drunken Sailor is in it.
The soft note Mixolydian: a major tune with one note lower, its seventh. Old Joe Clark is in it.

Grace notes

Small ornaments

Folk singers decorate a tune with small, quick touches, light and from the breath, with the plain voice between them.

A flick A quick touch of the next note up before the main one. Real flicks are under a tenth of a second, so you practise them slower.
A turn Above, the note, below, the note: on "youth" in Barbara Allen.

Four verses

Four verses, from a shanty to a ballad alone

4 units, 16 lessons

  1. Stage 1Verse I

    The plain voice

    A shanty over a drone, the ring of a true note, and Barbara Allen told plainly.

    1. Join the crew Free
    2. Ring with the drone
    3. Tell it
    4. Barbara Allen

  2. Stage 2Verse II

    Old scales

    The bright note and the soft note, telling the modes apart, and Drunken Sailor end to end.

    1. The bright note
    2. The soft note
    3. Name that mode
    4. All hands

  3. Stage 3Verse III

    Ornaments

    A flick from above, a turn, hearing where they go, and a decorated ballad.

    1. A flick from above
    2. The turn
    3. Spot the ornament
    4. Decorate a ballad

  4. Stage 4Verse IV

    On your own

    Where do re mi come from, lining out, a ballad on your own, and an encore.

    1. Where do re mi come from?
    2. Lining out
    3. On your own
    4. Encore

Strike up

Sing a shanty

A sea shanty from the 1830s. Strong, not loud.

  1. Start here. Sing the first line of Drunken Sailor: "What shall we do with a drunken sailor?"

  2. Sing it plainly, like telling a story: no wobble on the long notes.

  3. Keep the top notes light. A shanty invites shouting: sing strong, not loud.

  4. If you can, sing it over one held low note from a tuning app, and listen for the ring.

Lesson 1 sings the verse over a drone, and you echo it line by line. Then your verse plays with the guide singing along over the drone: a crew of two.

What the app listens for

It hears each note's pitch, a steady hold with the drone, and how far you drift from your key singing alone. Words and tone are yours to judge.

Up to 3 stars for the lesson's measure: the notes on pitch, a steady hold with the drone, or your key held alone, plus XP.The same take says it plainly, like "You held your key to the end, and 88% of your intervals were in tune", with no stars.

Join the crew: the shanty's first line at your own pace, each note waiting on the lane until you find it. Join the crew: the shanty's first line at your own pace, each note waiting on the lane until you find it.
Ring with the drone: two clips to compare, and an answer explaining the quick wobble of a note a little high. Ring with the drone: two clips to compare, and an answer explaining the quick wobble of a note a little high.

On the tavern wall

From the old books

For the singer

Before you sing

Who it's for

  • Singers drawn to ballads, shanties, early music and chant.
  • Anyone whose voice wobbles on long notes, or drifts off key when singing alone.
  • Choir singers curious why old tunes sound the way they do.

What you need

  • A quiet spot, and a voice in the middle of its range.
  • Headphones help you hear the drone and yourself.
  • No reading music: every tune is taught by ear, in your own key.

Singing it safely

  • A plain tone is a relaxed sigh, never a held or squeezed throat.
  • Shanties invite shouting: sing strong, not loud, and keep the top notes light.
  • Ornaments come from the breath, light and small, with the jaw still.

The songs

  • Drunken Sailor Sea shanty, traditional, public domain
  • Barbara Allen Traditional ballad, its tune from an 1891 printing, public domain
  • Old Joe Clark Appalachian, traditional, public domain (the chorus)
  • Ut queant laxis Latin hymn, 8th century, public domain (its six syllables)
  • Wondrous Love American shape-note hymn, about 1840, public domain

Questions

Questions

How long does it take?

16 lessons of about 3 minutes, about 40 minutes in all.

What are modes?

The old scales that make a tune sound old. Dorian is minor with one note higher; Mixolydian is major with one note lower. You learn them by ear, over a drone.

Is it safe for my voice?

Yes. A plain tone is a relaxed sigh, never a squeezed throat: strong, not loud, in the middle of your voice. Stop if anything tightens, tickles or hurts.

Do I need to read music?

No. Every tune is taught by ear, in your own key, and you see your notes land as you sing.

What does it cost?

Lesson 1 is free, with no account needed. The rest is part of Plus; saving your progress takes a free account.

All hands

Join the crew.

Lesson 1 takes a few minutes: a shanty over a drone, one line at a time, then your verse with the guide singing along.

No account needed to try it. Saving your progress takes a free account.

Try the first lesson free See Plus

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