The Vocal Exercise Sequencer lets you create personalized practice sessions by assembling modules of vocal exercises. Use your computer keyboard or click the controls with your mouse to go at your own pace. The sequencer functions like a conductor who programs your warm up schedule for you. You control the pattern. It generates the pitch and timing. This is meant to facilitate structured practice without relying on a piano teacher or metronome.
In the top part of the page you can choose your exercise pattern from the builder section. From here there are four choices. There’s a gentle 1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1 contour on the five-tone scale. Then there is an octave arpeggio that covers a larger span with a 1-3-5-8-5-3-1 shape. Next comes a more complex thirds ladder with a 1-3-2-4-3-5-4-2-1 motion. Finally, we have a punchy, staccato triad that has a 1-3-5-3-1 rhythm. To keep your voice engaged, try mixing these patterns up as each one aims to serve a different goal for your voice coordination.
How to Use the Vocal Exercise Sequencer
Next select your starting note from the starting note selector. Here you have the option to choose whichever note (from C3, C5) you would like to begin on. By default, the system is tuned in standard equal temperament and the frequency of A4 is set to 440 Hz. By altering the root for each additional block you create, you can place the exercise within a more comfortable part of your singing range. Just change this before creating the block if it sounds too low or too high.
The dedicated selector lets you choose your vowel. There are four options: Ah, Ee, Oo, Ng. These will each influence the acoustic formants of the sound created. To get that realistic tonal colour it uses a simulation of those vocal tract resonances. The Ng option is especially good for forward placement and nasal resonance. Keep your articulation going by rotating vowels around the transpositions.
The key travel selector lets you control how the pitch moves. Select from options like climbing or descending by semitones, or fanning above and below the root. Then there’s the fan which rises then lowers as it repeats. This keeps the pattern consistent but provides enough variation to help you stay steady across your full vocal range.
Vowel plan: Choose which vowel sounds you’ll repeat throughout and how they will behave in their repeated use. Rotate vowels (great for agility), hold one vowel for the whole block, or go through all four vowels with each transposition of the block. For holding a steady tone, it’s best to hold one vowel. For quick adjustments to changing acoustic load on your vocal folds, rotate vowels.
The keys slider controls how many pitch changes you wish to make. Then, every time it goes through the block, it will change by the amount of pitch change set in your key travel setting. If you have more repetitions, then you’ll cover more range with a longer block. Fewer repetitions are good for quick checks on your coordination, but more repetitions are better for building endurance.
Below the pattern selector is a tempo slider that you can use to set your tempo from 60, 150 beats per minute. Tempos slower than this are more supportive of breathing and coordinated moves while faster tempos develop responsiveness and agility. Finally, the lower part of the screen provides an estimated total duration for your session including the blocks you have chosen and the tempo.
To enter your configuration into the board, simply click on the place exercise block button. Your order will appear on the board, from top to bottom. You can view the pattern name, root note, vowel, and how many times the pattern is transposed. There is also a mini version of what the pitch contour looks like for each block. This visual aid allows you to know what range challenges you are expecting to face when singing.
The blocks have their own controls to manage how they flow into one another. Dragging a block up or down changes when it happens. Dragging a block to the left or right will copy (clone) it, placing a second instance next to the first. Clicking the retire button removes it from the sequence completely. And then there’s the solo button which coaches you on just that phrase, playing only that block so you get instant feedback. It is great for troubleshooting tricky transitions.
Watch your entries and range from the coach deck. Your session’s pitches are displayed as a grid. Green bars represent pitches that stay comfortabley inside your chosen boundaries. Dark bars show pitches out of your set limits, ceiling and floor respectively. When playing back, the conductor cue will show you which note and vowel it is. Raise and lower buttons move the whole board up/down a semitone. This is useful if you’re finding your voice a little sharp or flat on the day.
In the bounds section, set your session’s comfort floor and ceiling. These are the limits on where you’re safe to practice. If you have a block outside this range, it’ll alert you in the widget. And, it won’t run a sequence that is out of bounds. That way, you can avoid straining up or down into uncomfortable registers. Set these bounds according to your present vocal health.
The breath between blocks selector controls your recovery time. Select from one to four beats depending on how long you want to wait before moving onto the next block. Two is an easy pace while four allows for a full recovery. It is suggested to take longer gaps after high-intensity or wide-range blocks. For agility work shorter gaps maintain the momentum. This setting will automatically update the estimated duration.
Hit the conduct button, and run all of that through. Each block runs one after the other. As it goes, it lights up the currently running block on the board. And it updates the conductor cue with the current vowel/note. At any point you can let go of the session and it will halt play. Any problems/errors are indicated on the status bar.
The one-button routine… If you’re looking for some inspiration, this button will load a preset routine. It runs through a series of agility, range, and legato exercises in a balanced way. It is a decent place to begin a fast warm up. From there, feel free to adjust the blocks to fit your particular needs. The trim button wipes the board clean should you wish to start again.
For fast controls, use your computer keyboard. To pick an exercise pattern, press the corresponding number keys from 1 to 4. To add a block to the board, press A. To play/pause the sequence, press Space. The shortcut keys greatly increase your work efficiency. No need to touch the mouse while building a routine. This makes it really quick to iterate on your sequence.
Use the slider at the bottom to adjust the overall level (master volume). Use a level you find comfortable on your speakers/headphones. Sound is generated by using your browser’s audio context. For best results, ensure that you have high-quality audio hardware.
You can experiment with vowel and pattern combinations. Begin by finding yourself a centre in Ng with a five-tone scale. Open out your pharynx with an octave arpeggio on Oo. Bring it back into focus with a staccato triad on Ee for bright articulation. Because the builder is flexible you can design the session around your voice.
Explore the directions of key travel to discover balance. Look at the approximate length first. So you know how much time to spend practicing. Too lengthy? Reduce the number of transpositions. Fewer transposition blocks. Too brief? More repetition, extra blocks, etc. Take a look at the workload summary for a general idea of what’s expected. Then manage that load accordingly.
Listen carefully for the conductor cue. This indicates exactly which vowel and pitch is being produced. Sing along with the synthesized sound. Observe how each vowel alters the formants. Be aware of the transition between blocks. There’s a reason for the breath gaps. Use them to reset your breath support and posture.
This is an exploration tool, a way of structuring your practice that takes away the burden from your brain in terms of having to count. Instead it focuses on how it feels to sing. This widget does all the work of keeping track of the pitch reference and timing for you. It’s intended to be both responsive and intuitive.
Take some time to get used to each of the controls. Begin with one block and run through it. What does it sound like? How does it vibrate? Is there an uncomfortable root note? Change it. Does changing vowels alter the resonance? When you’re settled, include additional blocks in the series. Create a practice session that targets your personal vocal needs. You can get started now on the widget.