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Unit 2

Steady notes

Hold a note without a wobble or a slide, tune it against a drone, and keep the pitch still as the vowel opens from oo to oh to ah. Free, step by step.

Sing this unit

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Hold a note

A steady note doesn't wobble or slide.

Breathe first. Low and easy

Start it cleanly. Right on the note, no scoop

Keep the air even. Like a long, slow "sss"

What you sing

  1. Listen, then hold the note for four beats.
  2. Now six beats. Breathe low first.
  3. Now eight beats, steady to the end.

Against a drone

Singers have tuned to drones for centuries, from Indian classical music to choir warm-ups.

Listen to the drone. One note that keeps sounding

Sing with it. Your note against its note

Hear them melt. A slow wobble means close. When it stops, you match

What you sing

  1. Hold your note with the drone under it.

Vowels

Your mouth moves; the pitch stays.

Start on "oo". Round lips, one note

Open to "oh". Same note, a little wider

Then "ah". Still the same note

What you sing

  1. Listen, then sing the three vowels on one note.

Challenge: Six beats with the drone

What you sing

  1. The unit's challenge: hold your note for six beats against the drone.

Singing safely

Sing at an easy volume, in the middle of your range. Stop if anything tightens, scratches or hurts, and rest your voice.

Free tools by Stackapella

All of these are free, and so is every course.

Stackapella teaches you to sing harmony one part at a time, right in your browser.

Stackapella recording the alto part of Amazing Grace: each note is a bar with its name, and the one being sung says A little low, go up. Stackapella recording the alto part of Amazing Grace: each note is a bar with its name, and the one being sung says A little low, go up. Stackapella recording the alto part of Amazing Grace: each note is a bar with its name, and the one being sung says A little low, go up. Stackapella recording the alto part of Amazing Grace: each note is a bar with its name, and the one being sung says A little low, go up.
  • A guide sings your partHear your line over the others, slow it down, then take your turn.
  • Your notes light upEach note shows where you landed, and a hint when to go up or down.
  • Record every part yourselfStack your takes in time until you're the whole choir.
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