These three exercises work towards maintaining the same voice quality across gaps. 

They all use the six-step sequence again. In steps 1 to 5 you are still connecting the two notes with sound. In step 6 the connection isn’t heard, but feel it’s there. 

Here’s another reminder of the six-step sequence: 

Step 1: Hum each note 
‍Step 2: Hum to aah on each note 
‍Step 3: Friendly phrases 
‍Step 4: Initial hum then continuous aah 
‍Step 5: Continuous aah 
‍Step 6: Separate aah on each note 

Exercise 10: Crossing a gap from a lower to a higher pitch 

The exact distance between notes in this exercise isn’t important, but don’t make it too large and for now avoid crossing a noticeable break in your voice.

• Choose a comfortable note (note 1), then a second note (note 2) that is higher in pitch. (The video below illustrates a suitable gap between notes to start on.)  

• Using the six-step sequence go from note 1 to note 2 and back to note 1. 

• Repeat using different pairs of notes. 

• Now do steps 2 and 6 of the sequence only: the two notes with a hum at the beginning, and then with no hum. 

• Finally, practise crossing the gap using just step 6: a separate aah on each note. 

• Repeat using different pairs of notes.  

Exercise 11: Crossing a gap from a higher to a lower pitch 

Practise this in exactly the same way as the previous exercise. 

• Choose a comfortable note (note 1), then a second note (note 2) that is lower in pitch. (The video below illustrates a suitable gap.) 

• Using the six-step sequence go from note 1 to note 2 and back to note 1. 

• Repeat using different pairs of notes. 

• Now do steps 2 and 6 of the sequence only: the two notes with a hum at the beginning, and then with no hum. 

• Finally, practise crossing the gap using just step 6: a separate aah on each note. 

• Repeat using different pairs of notes. 

Exercise 12: Increasing the gap between notes  

If you can do step 6 of the previous two exercises smoothly, maintaining the sound quality, try gradually increasing the gap between the two notes. 

• Pick two notes that are further apart than the ones you used previously, and practise moving between them using the six-step sequence. 

• Try various notes with different gaps between them, both going up in pitch and going down. 

• Keep practising with the six-step sequence until you can cover a variety of gaps on an aah. 

• Then, as before, do steps 2 and 6 only, and finally just step 6, with a separate aah on each note. 

Two reminders: 

When moving from a lower to a higher pitched note 

Even though you know that higher-pitched notes aren’t physically higher than lower-pitched ones, it’s still all too easy to tilt your chin up to ‘reach’ for a higher-pitched note, which strains your throat and neck muscles and makes your voice sound strained too. 

The video exaggerates to make the point, but do check (via a mirror or a friend) that you don’t do a reduced version of this. Even a small backward tilt has a large negative effect. 

When moving from a higher to a lower pitched note 

Any significant downward movement can encourage a matching downward movement of the voice back into the throat and a loss of brightness. To counteract that, and maintain the bright quality of the higher pitched notes, imagine some of your voice staying at the same point on the horizontal line while the rest of it moves to a point closer to you.  

You might see your voice as a group of explorers, some of whom are returning to base camp for supplies while the rest stay at the furthest point they’ve reached. Your voice is thus spread between the two notes in the way the explorers are spread between the two camps. 

Q: What differences in voice quality over increasing jumps in pitch are you noticing as you practise the exercises?