Small Steps and Jumps

In the last lesson, you practiced singing natural minor scales to develop your tuning flexibility and awareness of tonal contrast. In this lesson, we’ll shift focus and zoom in on small intervals — the short distances between notes that form the backbone of melodies and harmonies.

Recognizing and singing small intervals accurately is essential for improving pitch precision. By practicing these intervals systematically, you’ll gain confidence navigating musical passages and sharpen your overall intonation.

What Are Small Intervals? (1–2 minutes)

Small intervals refer to the close steps and leaps between two notes in a scale. In this lesson, we will focus on four foundational intervals that are the most common intervals in all of singing:

  • Minor 2nd (one half step apart)
    Example: Do to Ra (Ra is a lowered Re) or C to Db
  • Major 2nd (one whole step apart)
    Example: Do to Re or C to D
  • Minor 3rd (three half steps apart)
    Example: Do to Me or C to Eb
  • Major 3rd (four half steps apart)
    Example: Do to Mi or C to E

Listen & Identify

  • Minor 2nd — Ask: Does this sound close and tense to you?
  • Major 2nd — Ask: How does this feel different from the minor 2nd?
  • Minor 3rd — Ask: Can you hear the small jump in pitch?
  • Major 3rd — Ask: Notice how this jump feels more open compared to the minor 3rd.

Singing Small Intervals (4–6 minutes)

We’ll follow the same VoSci Method as before: Listen → Audiate → Sing → Apply.

Let’s begin with an ascending major 2nd.

Step 1: Listen

Listen to the Major 2nd audio above again.

Step 2: Audiate

Play the drones below and audiate the major 2nd three times.

Step 3: Listen Again

Play the Major 2nd again.

Step 4: Sing Aloud

Play drone and sing the interval three times aloud

Step 5: Check

Play reference interval again — Did your version match?

Repeat this entire process for each of the four intervals:

  • Minor 2nd (ascending and descending)
  • Major 2nd (ascending and descending)
  • Minor 3rd (ascending and descending)
  • Major 3rd (ascending and descending)

Heads up: In this lesson, descending intervals will always return to the tonic (Do). In real music, of course, notes descend to many different pitches — but we’ll keep it simple here to build consistency and confidence first.

For example:

  • Re → Do
  • Mi → Do
  • Me → Do
  • Ra → Do For example:
  • Re → Do
  • Mi → Do
  • Me → Do
  • Ra → Do

You can continue practicing with the lesson files or explore more exercises at voicescience.org.

Common Challenges & Fixes (2–3 minutes)

  • Shooting sharp or flat? Be patient and focus on listening and audiating.
  • Mixing up minor vs. major? Use the emotional tone to help: minor intervals often sound tenser or more somber.
  • Losing your starting pitch? Return to the drone and re-anchor before each attempt.

Apply & Practice (1–2 minutes)

Expectation Check: Intervals are hard to sing accurately on demand—especially in both directions. It’s completely normal if this takes time. You’re building a solid pitch foundation, and that process is worth doing well. Rome wasn’t built in a day—and neither is your voice.

Daily Practice Goals

  • Choose one or two intervals to focus on each day
  • Sing each one from at least three different starting notes, ascending and descending
  • Spend at least one round per interval in audiation only
  • Record and review to check accuracy

Challenge: Pick a random pitch and sing each interval from it without checking first. Then verify.

When to Move On: Once you can reliably sing each interval—both ascending and descending—with at least 80% accuracy across multiple starting notes, you’re ready to tackle larger leaps.

Coming Up: Next time, we’ll build on these skills by introducing larger intervals, helping you expand your range and maintain accuracy across wider pitch gaps.