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Strategies For Using Different Types Of Scales For Different Situations

2078 - Oct 2021

1. HOW MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF SCALES ARE THERE?

That is a very interesting question. Although there are seemingly a limitless amount of different patterns and scales and melodies that one can learn and use for singing, there are actually only 3 different types of melodic patterns in all of music. The Music theory training that most musicians receive focuses on what are called Major and Minor Scales. The general public knows those sounds as Happier melodies for Major Scales or Sadder melodies for Minor. 

In fact there are many more scales than just those two. And for the general public who do not even know what I am talking about when I say scales, I am referring to patterns of notes, following each other in sequence that follow a certain expected pattern. The patterns for Major Scales are slightly different from Minor Scales. However, the pattern for Major is always the same no matter what note you start with. If you follow that predetermined pattern, you will always end up with a Major scale. It is the same for Minor Scales. It has its own pattern that is always followed also. 

However, as you learn as you study melodies and musical scales and patterns, you realize that they all boil down to just three things. There are melodic components that are either repetitions on one note or that note sustained over time, there are skips from one note to another that are either right next door or at some distance either above or below the starting note, and there are notes in a row that are more commonly called scales. These scales can be composed of just a few notes in a row as are found in most melodies or they can extend over a bigger range as found in Classical singing. 

The only other example of scales used in melodies are what I call “Combo Patterns” That would be a scale that is both a scale and a series of skips called a “Skipping Scale”

2. WOULD YOU PLAY US A SAMPLE OF EACH OF THE THREE TYPES SO WE CAN HEAR THEM?

Sure! First there is the Repetition. Then there is the Sustained Note. Next there is what can be called a Skip or is formerly called an interval. And finally, there is the Scale. 

[Audio contains examples of Repetition, Sustained Note, Skip, and Scale]

I also like to add the combo scales or skipping scales as I like to call them and use them in the training of the voice all the time.

All melodies are composed of these three elements. It does not matter if the song is a simple nursery rhyme or a complicated Symphony, when you bring it to its most common denominator, every time you end up with Skips, scales or notes on one pitch with a combo scale here and there…always!

3. I AM SURE THERE ARE MANY SITUATIONS FOR SINGERS. CAN YOU GIVE US SOME EXAMPLES?

Yes…the situations are ever-changing and seemingly endless. However, there are some very common ones and we can focus on those for now. Life happens of course,  and during the day to day life of singers, the variables are immeasurable. That is why we like to establish routines and habits that support the steadiness in the middle of all that. For example, a singer can develop a cold, they can have allergies that suddenly interfere. They can travel and have to deal with different climates and dry hotel rooms because of different locations that are very dry or humid, and that can suddenly cause reactions. Traveling also sometimes causes intense jet lag for some and then there is also the compression and dryness of the inside of the cabin. That can cause severe dehydration and that has an immense impact on the singer's voice. 

There are other day to day situations such as not sleeping, or even worse, complete insomnia. Most people have varying reactions to alcohol or talking in large crowds and then suddenly start experiencing inflammation from those substances. Or, they can experience having  trouble talking from being on the phone for too long or their voice gets tired or swollen because of a new job where they are required top talk all day.  The different influences go on and on and many singers are so very sensitive and the singing voice demands so much that you have to constantly change lanes and adjust to the constant variables presenting themselves. Voice lessons can only address the voice that you present today and what you are dealing with is included in the treatment of the voice and the choosing of the most important strategy for dealing with the sound that someone is making at that moment.

There is also another situation that can be very challenging for people and that is when you used to sing and for a million different reasons, you want to begin again and do not have any idea of where to start. That is why I felt it would be really useful to suggest different strategies for different situations as I would use them as I teach each day. 

4.  SO, HOW DO YOU KNOW WHICH SCALES TO DO FOR EACH SITUATION?

There is an assessment that has to happen to be able to choose the right scale to help with the current state of someone’s voice. For example, if a person has a cold you first have to find out how long they have had the cold. You can sing with a cold pen though you might not be comfortable doing it. 

For a cold, you need to do some very simple one note pitch exercises so that you can warm into the idea of using the muscles. Then, you have to get the muscles to begin to wiggle and move to get the circulation moving. This brings blood and oxygen and helps to warm the muscles. You will then usually see a person having to blow their nose as the mucous starts to discharge from the body. This along with lots of fluids is a safe way to proceed to empty the sinuses and get the body to have enough movement to start to expel some of the degree created by the cold.

If there are allergies, you first need to know if the singer is getting professional treatment in the form of allergy medicine or if the allergies are mild or severe. The strategy is similar to a cold in that you need to create movement inside to help the larynx get warm. There is usually significant swelling of the nasal passages from allergies so scales that are sequential have proved to be very useful for allergies. 

It is also a good strategy to include sounds that are able to allow the soft palate in the back of the roof of the mouth to move and lift such as nasal consonant sounds like ung or ing. These are very useful to stimulate movement there. They cause the roof of the mouth in the back known as the soft palate to lift and move without too much interference. That is a gentle way to get some blood flow and oxygen going to allow some of the inflammation to decrease. This not only stimulates the roof of the mouth but also stimulates the floor of the nose and , again, you will soon see some discharge of mucus and or coughing as the voice begins to clear. 

5. WHAT WOULD YOU DO FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN FLYING?

The vocal scales that you would use would depend on the physical state of the person. The questions that have to be answered have more to do with that. For example, are you tired, dry, thirsty, jet lagged, and on and on. To begin with, the person has to replenish their fluids and electrolytes.If they have flown to a very dry climate, then the first priority is to replenish your fluids. For Example, if you have flown to a very dry climate such as New Mexico or California, you will notice the need to drink more fluids and replace what you have lost from being in the airplane. 

If you feel your ribs and lungs are tight, which is a very common result of flying, then you will have to do some stretching before you start to vocalize. You can also use the shower as a steam room if a real one isn’t available. A very helpful trick is to turn on the hot water in the shower and then sit there with the door closed to moisturize your body for a bit. Of course, you do not want to waste water too much so just simply taking a warm or hot shower will do the trick.

And, if your lungs are really compressed after a long flight, you must do some kind of aerobics. In some situations, there is no gym available and the area is not safe to just go out and jog. So, I have recommended to some to do aerobics in the room even if that means just jumping on the bed for a while!

Then, as far as choosing the best type of scales to do, you would begin with some simple breath exercises and then proceed to either some small stretches and then some kind of physical exercises that stimulate movement and breathing. Marching in place is most useful when you do not have other options and stretching can be done anywhere. You need movement most of all so as to relieve the body from the state of compression. The vocal exercises that wiggle and move a lot would be the ones I would choose for the situation.

Again, I would start gradually with simple one pitch examples of scales and then, I would move to intervals to stimulate more circulation and movement. This is a time when scale combinations such as skipping scales are most effective. This way, you can do a scale and include most of the range of your voice while also loosening it up. Since there are only a few types, you will always find yourself mixing and matching samples from the three types.

6. WHAT ABOUT THE PERSON WHO HAS NOT SUNG IN A WHILE AND WANTS TO START UP AGAIN?

There are many questions that have to be answered to know where to begin with someone who has stopped and wants to pick it up again. For example, When did they last focus on singing and how much time has passed since the person had sung in any concentrated fashion?

What kind of music had they done in the past and what kind of music are you wanting to sing now. Sometimes it is the same and sometimes a person wants to join a very different direction. 

It is also important to know if the reason for stopping was physical, emotional, or simply logistical where there were other reasons for the person to leave it behind or just put it on the back burner for a while.

The reason for asking questions like these is so, first of all, it is important to know for how long the muscles have not been used for singing. When muscles are not used, the nerve receptors dull and close down, so to speak, and when you begin again, you have to provide some time to gradually allow the nerves to be re-stimulated and awakened. 

It is extremely important to begin with gentle exercises that are not too difficult and then increase the difficulty of the vocal exercises very slowly. So, for example, if a person has not sung for three to six months, it is a very different thing than a person who has not sung for three to six years. The longer a person has been away from singing, the slower the training has to proceed by using vocal exercises that are the right difficulty to match the sound that the singer is currently making. Once you have begun in a gentle way with exercises that are not too difficult like small repetitions of three to four notes at a time, then gradually, you can proceed to longer more difficult exercises that engage more of the muscles. That would be the time where you would introduce longer scales and more difficult combinations of scales. 

7. WHAT ABOUT SOMEONE WHO IS HAVING PHYSICAL PROBLEMS LIKE INJURIES? HOW WOULD YOU APPROACH THAT?

Well, again, there are always the questions that have to be asked. I like to get as many specifics about the current situation as possible to get a look at the big picture while also turning my attention to the details. 

For me, teaching singing often feels like that old fashioned game of pick up sticks. Here is a pile of sticks and you want to get the big ones and get the most points, but first, you have to move the other little ones without disturbing the big ones. 

When the body has been injured, for example, you have to know what is the nature of the difficulty. So, for example, if a person is having trouble with their back, it is very necessary to know the cause of the trouble. When it is a physical problem, I am the first one to tell my singers that medical issues have to be dealt with by medical practitioners. Once a diagnosis is available and we know the cause, then we can proceed. 

Let’s say, it is simple and no doctor is necessary. Perhaps the singer has had some sleepless nights and they  are tired and their back hurts. The way to proceed vocally is to begin with some very gentle speaking exercises and then gently move into simple scales ad avoid loud volumes. But, even before you can begin that, the singer has to address some body care to try to relieve the back.

I always recommend showers and, if possible, baths. There are so many wonderful bath products for relaxing slightly strained muscles and I think that singers should take advantage of them. Often your back will hurt because you are tired and your answer is getting some really good sleep for a day or more. If the issues are more complicated, then, of course, you might need to gp to a health practitioner. But if it is not, maybe you need a massage. If massage is not available, then you can learn to give yourself a foot massage or you can ask someone in your household to help you.

In this case, I would recommend handling the body’s needs first and then proceed with exercises that do not require very deep breaths at first. I would say gentle 3 note scales and quiet patterns that stimulate blood flow but are not too demanding. There are short and long patterns but long patterns require deeper breathing and that can often irritate the back more. So I would confine the singer to lighter and smaller patterns until the body has had a chance to heal the physical aspect of the situation using any number of modalities.

8. DO YOU ALWAYS CONSIDER THE NEEDS OF THE BODY FIRST WHEN PICKING A SCALE?

Yes, that is always a consideration. I check in with my singers as the lesson begins to feel out the energy state and listen to whatever might be bothering them for that day. Sometimes, they will reply that they feel fine and then I know that I can proceed along with the next best thing. I always make my assessment based on what sound I am hearing from them. After a while, I get to know when a person's voice is doing well and when it isn’t just by hearing them speak. As they describe how they feel that day and offer any details, I might find that I need to ask more questions r that once they have answered, I can just proceed with whatever plan I might have had for them that day. Sometimes, although I might have had a plan, I will change it and pick other exercises based on either what they have told me or what I have heard once I listen.

So, if someone says that they hardly had any sleep, I cannot choose strength building exercises. I will have to choose something that is complementary to the sound that they are making through their exhaustion.

It really is a dance and it is a flowing ever-changing dance from one singer to another. If you are very tired and have to sing, I often tell singers to try a quick cold shower. That instantly increases circulation and helps you to energize quickly when you really don[t feel you have much energy at all.

Sometimes, people come in in an emotional state and they are very depressed or sad for whatever reason. When they have a very heavy energy, I might offer an exercise that is the very opposite of that energy to give them a lighter state and get them lifted up. Sometimes, a person comes in very agitated and nervous, so, if it seems right I will, again, choose the opposite energy. I’ll pick a slow moving one pitch exercise to ground and stabilize them and use that to bring them back to center.

9. HOW DO YOU KNOW WHICH ONES TO PICK FOR ALL THE DIFFERENT PEOPLE?

Well, that is something that I learned and developed over many, many years. After so many years of listening to people and accessing what I am being told and  what I am hearing and listening to because of what I am being told, and then deciding what to choose based on all that, I have an internal system that just knows what to choose. I have done this for most of my life and now I almost know before the person is finished telling me what is going on.

In the beginning of doing this kind of work, I would physically copy the sound they would make and then I could feel what they were doing inside my own body. At the same time I was studying all the training and what is called Vocal Pedagogy and began pairing up the sounds that I was hearing with what I knew to be the training would offer with a particular exercise developed to address that particular;lar issue. It has al;weays been a matter of pairing up the appropriate vocal exercise to the immediate situation. It has been a wonderful way to spend my time working in that way. I love doing it and it has served so many people that that makes me very happy.