No matter your vocal ability or skill level, practicing scales for singing is vital for taking care of your voice.
Scales help to warm up and tone your vocal muscles, and they can also help you identify problem areas in your singing. By working on scales every day, you’ll be able to make faster progress with your voice and avoid any long-term damage.
So don’t skip the scales – start practicing today!
Which Scale is Best for Singing?
To become a better singer, you should learn these common piano scales for singing:
- Major scales (C4 – D4 – E4 – F4 – G4 – A4 – B4 – C5) (Do – Re – Mi – Fa – Sol – La – Ti – Do)
- Minor scales (C4 – D4 – E♭4 – F4 – G4 – A♭4 – B♭4 – C5) (Do – Re – Me – Fa – Sol – Le – Te – Do)
- Chromatic scales (C4 – C#4 – D4 – D#4 – E4 – F4 – F#4 – G4 – G#4 – A4 – A#4 – B4 – C5) (Do – Di – Re – Ri – Mi – Fa – Fi – Sol – Si – La – Li – Ti – Do)
- Whole tone scales (C4 – D4 – E4 – F#4 – G#4 – A#4 – C5) (Do – Re – Mi – Fi – Si – Li – Do)
As you’re learning scales for singing, take the time to master the basics. You can learn more about scales, whether you’re looking for a basic scale to sing for warmups or more advanced scales that will help you become a true professional, by taking singing lessons.
Learn more about what singing lessons have to offer as you are learning scales for singing by checking out the video below:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsmwvyWaKnI
Scales for Singing: Why and How
It’s a common misconception that singers and instrumentalists are two completely different types of musicians. They’re actually much more alike than you might think! The difference is that, as singers, your instrument is your body! Because of this, as you learn how to sing, you’ll likely come across some specific issues of technique.
One of the most important things for singers to work on is singing notes that are perfectly in tune. Generally, producing the correct notes for an instrumentalist is almost automatic: once you know the correct fingering or position for a note on your respective instrument, it’s relatively easy to play. More so, the note will likely be close to being in tune already, just by virtue of the consistent physical dimensions and regulations in instrument building. For singers, however, singing the right pitches is not achieved by pressing down the right fingers. This is where singing scales can help
Why are Singing Scales Important?
Scales are the foundation of all music. This is why mastering your particular instrument – your voice – should begin with mastering all the different scales! This is true for virtually every genre of music, from classical to jazz to pop and so on. Just think: if most music is built on scales and you can already sing them all proficiently and confidently, then you have a head start on learning almost any piece or song that you want to sing.
Besides being a fundamental baseline for learning vocal literature with ease, singing scales as part of your daily practice routine is also necessary for building advanced technique. Much like an athlete that starts and ends their daily training with specific fundamental exercises, stretches, and calisthenics, singing scales allows you to keep your “singing body” in excellent shape. Because there are no words to be memorized, melodies to remember, nor any complicated rhythms to maneuver, you can better address things like breath control, extending your vocal range, developing a variety of vocal timbres and colors, perfecting pitch and intonation, and controlling your mental and emotional focus.
The Best Ways to Practice Singing Scales
There is no right or wrong way to practice scales, but there are several good tips for singing scales you should keep in mind. Most singers prefer to focus on scales at the beginning of a practice session. This is because scales serve as an excellent vehicle for warming up the voice.
Be sure to focus on a variety of scales. Major and minor scales are the most important to learn and implement in your routine. There are 12 musical keys, and for each of those keys, there is one major scale and three different types of minor scales: natural, harmonic, and melodic. Start with one octave of each scale. As you become increasingly proficient and confident, you can develop your range by doing two octaves. You can also learn and incorporate other types of scales: jazz, blues, whole tone, octatonic, chromatic, and so on.
Most Important Singing Scales for Beginners
Whether it’s classical musical scales for singing or some other style of scales that you’re interested in, these basic scales for singing are sure to help you improve your skills.
Major Scales
A major scale is a musical scale with a happy, bright sound. The major scale is the most important scale in Western music.
If you want to learn to sing, it’s essential that you learn how to sing the major scale correctly. The major scale has seven notes, which are represented by the letters A, B, C, D, E, F, and G.
Each note has a different pitch, or frequency. When you sing the major scale correctly, you create a beautiful melody that sounds pleasant to the ear. In addition to sounding pleasant, the major scale is also an excellent tool for training your ear to recognize pitch.
By learning to sing the major scale correctly, you’ll be able to identify the pitch of other notes more easily. As a result, you’ll be able to sing in tune with other musicians and develop a better ear for music overall.
So if you’re serious about learning to sing, make sure you take the time to learn the major scale. It will pay off in the long run!
Minor Scales
Minor scales are often used to create a sad or longing effect, as they have a more melancholy feel than major scales. When choosing a minor scale to sing, it is important to consider the range of notes that you will be comfortable singing.
For example, if you have a higher voice, you may want to choose a higher-pitched minor scale. Alternatively, if you have a lower voice, you may want to choose a lower-pitched minor scale. Once you have selected a scale that is appropriate for your vocal range, you can begin practicing your vocal exercises.
By consistently practicing your minor scales, you will eventually become comfortable singing them in any key.
Chromatic Scales
When it comes to singing, having a solid understanding of chromatic scales is essential. Chromatic scales are essentially variations of the notes in a given scale, performed through changes in pitch rather than consonant or dissonant intervals.
While these changes can seem complicated at first, with time and practice any singer can learn to feel the notes intuitively and use them to create beautiful melodies.
A good way to begin learning about chromatic scales is by listening to recordings of different singers and experiment by slowly increasing or decreasing the pitch of your voice along the scale. With some focused practice and a bit of guidance from a skilled vocal coach, anyone can learn to master chromatic scales and unlock their full potential as a singer. And who knows? You might just be the next big star!
Whole Tone Scales
Whole tone scales are an essential part of any singer’s toolkit. Not only do these scales provide a beautiful, otherworldly sound when properly executed, but they can also help to improve vocal technique and range.
These scales work by introducing tension in the vocal cords, forcing the singer to engage different muscle groups in order to produce the desired pitch.
Additionally, practicing whole tone scales helps to develop an increased sensitivity and awareness of sound, which in turn can help singers become more attuned to the subtle differences in pitch that can make all the difference between a flat note and a perfect note.
Ultimately, then, whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out on your singing journey, whole tone scales are an invaluable tool for improving your craft and taking your vocals to the next level.
Making Scales Fun
As with anything else, repetition can get boring. Fortunately, there are a number of different things you can do to make scale-singing fun and fresh:
- Start with just a few scales and add one or two new ones every week. This will make every week feel new and give you a constant feeling of achievement.
- Incorporate different rhythms.
- Add words to the scales. This will help you practice your diction along with the scales, as well as make it fun. You can even try a tongue twister!
- Sing the scales in different interval patterns, such as thirds. This is great if you are more advanced and have already become proficient at singing scales straight.
- Use a tuner to make sure your intonation is accurate.
- You can even use an app for singing scales! One good option is Swiftscales
Vocal Scales for Beginners
You can also work with your teacher or fellow singing students to get more ideas and tips for singing scales.
Although scales have the reputation of being boring or pedantic, they are an invaluable part of any musician’s technical and artistic development. Just as important, they can also be fun! By acknowledging their usefulness and incorporating different routines and exercises through various tips for singing, you might even start looking forward to daily scale singing!
In short, if you want to improve your singing voice, practice your scales. It may seem tedious, but it will help you develop a consistent sound and better control of your vocal range.
And don’t forget to use these tips when practicing! Vary the tempo, mix up the pitches, and make sure to breathe properly. With a little bit of dedication, you’ll be on your way to becoming a more confident singer.
Photo by bobnjeff
Megan L.