How to Be An Amazing Singer- Pentatonic and Blues Riffs and Runs

SINGING TIPS: PENTATONIC AND BLUES RIFFS AND RUNS

Many riffs, runs, and licks in contemporary singing come from the blues and pentatonic scales. When you learn to sing these scales and exercises, you will eventually begin to be able to come up with your own riffs and runs rather than simply copying another singer.

A copier is not an artist- an artist has the musical vocabulary and skills to come up with something new, fresh, and original.

Learning the blues scales and the pentatonic scales in all inversions will give you the musical vocabulary to come up with your own riffs and runs!

The word pentatonic comes from the Greek word pente (five) and tonic (tone). The pentatonic scale consists of five notes within one octave. The pentatonic scale can be played and sung in any inversion-that means you can start on any of the notes in the major or minor scale.

The inversions are:

• 1-2-3-5-6
• 2-3-5-6-1
• 3-5-6-1-2
• 5-6-1-2-3
• 6-1-2-3-5

In the key of C, that would be

• C-D-E-G-A
• D-E-G-A-C
• E-G-A-C-D
• G-A-C-D-E
• A-C-D-E-G

The two basic forms of pentatonic scales are:

Major pentatonic: 1-2-3-5-6 from the major scale (C, D, E, G, A)

Minor pentatonic: 1- b3- 4 – 5 – b7 from the major scale (C, Eb, F, G, Bb) or, using the same notes as the major pentatonic scale but starting on the sixth step: 6-1-2-3-5.

Many R&B riffs come from this version of the scale.

The Blues Scale is similar to the minor pentatonic, with one added note- the #4 or b5: 1-b3-4-#4-5-b7.

The b3, #4 or b5, and b7 are the “blue” notes.

When singing riffs and runs, incorporate the dynamics and vibrato skills you have been learning in Step Seven!

VIBRATO: When singing riffs and runs, add vibrato on sustained pitches.

DYNAMICS: Try to vary dynamics; don’t sing everything at the same volume level.

INTONATION: When singing the scales, riffs, and runs that follow please remember that, as always, pitch accuracy is important. Start by singing each exercise very slowly, then gradually work up to faster tempos.

The Amazing Slow Downer app is a great tool for this. Click and drag an mp3 of the song into The Amazing Slow Downer app, slow down the tempo, and loop the section you want to work on.

Intonation (singing in tune) is vital!

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