Exercise 1: Major Pentatonic Scale
The pentatonic scale is one that you may or may not be familiar with but have most definitely heard while listening to your favorite tunes. This scale is among the most widely used in Western music, which makes it important for any musician to learn.
Step 1: Find Your Key
For this exercise, first, find a key that you can sing comfortably and does not strain your vocal cords. This note should be somewhere in the middle ground and not too far toward one end or the other.
You can achieve this with our app. Change the syllables to alphabetic and scale to major scale, and sing a note. You can learn more about the app in our “Using the App” lesson.
Once you have found your suspected note, identify the closest note to the one you sang.
Step 2: Sing the Scale
The key you identified above will be the starting note of the pentatonic scale that you will sing. Remember, the pentatonic scale has the starting note, the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 6th of the complete major scale. For example, C, D, E, G, and A are the C major pentatonic scale notes so you would sing Do, Re, Mi, Sol, La.
Here is the Major Pentatonic scale in the key of C:
| Syllable | Note |
|---|---|
| Do | C |
| Re | D |
| Mi | E |
| Sol | G |
| La | A |
You can use a pitch detector app to check if you’re hitting the notes right. “Our app” also provides this feature.
Step 3: Practice Patterns
Start by singing the scale in these different patterns to build flexibility:
Ascending and Descending: Sing up the scale (Do, Re, Mi, Sol, La) and then back down (La, Sol, Mi, Re, Do).
Skipping Notes: Practice jumping between non-adjacent notes, such as Do-Mi-Sol-La-Sol-Mi-Do.
Interval Training: Sing pairs of notes to train your ear for specific intervals:
- Do-Re (major 2nd)
- Do-Mi (major 3rd)
- Do-Sol (perfect 5th)
- Re-La (perfect 5th)
Try to sing each pattern slowly at first, then gradually increase your speed as you become more comfortable. Over time, with consistent practice, you will develop a good ear for the pentatonic scale, which will help you internalize these important solfege sounds.
Exercise 2: Minor Pentatonic Scale
This exercise is similar to the first one. But instead of using the major pentatonic scale, we will use the minor pentatonic scale.
Minor pentatonic scales have the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th notes of the complete minor scale, which sound more melancholic than the major ones. It’s important to learn solfege in the minor pentatonic scale. This helps you improve your musical awareness and avoid getting too used to the sound of the major scale.
Step 1: Find Your Minor Key
Use the same method as Exercise 1 to pick a comfortable root note, but this time we’ll be working with the minor pentatonic scale. If you’re not sure which key to choose, try starting with A minor, which uses all natural notes (no sharps or flats).
Step 2: Learn the Minor Syllables
The minor pentatonic scale uses slightly different syllables than the major scale. Notice how some syllables change to reflect the flattened notes in a minor scale:
Here is the Minor Pentatonic scale in the key of A:
| Syllable | Note |
|---|---|
| La | A |
| Do | C |
| Re | D |
| Mi | E |
| Sol | G |
And here’s another example in the key of B minor:
| Syllable | Note |
|---|---|
| Do | B |
| Me | D |
| Fa | E |
| So | F# |
| Te | A |
You can use a pitch detector app to check if you’re hitting the notes right. “Our app” also provides this feature.
Step 3: Compare Major and Minor
A powerful exercise is to alternate between the major and minor pentatonic scales with the same root note. For example, if you’re working with C:
- Sing the C major pentatonic: Do-Re-Mi-Sol-La
- Then sing the C minor pentatonic: Do-Me-Fa-So-Te
- Notice how the change in just a few notes creates a completely different emotional quality
This comparison will train your ear to recognize the distinctive sound of minor scales and help you develop greater musical sensitivity.
Exercise 3: Solfege Ladder Drill
Exercise 3 builds on the traditional “Do, Re, Mi” method but adds a structured approach to help you master the relationships between notes. This ladder drill is excellent for beginners while still being challenging enough for more experienced musicians.
Step 1: The Basic Ladder
Start with the simplest form of the ladder:
- Sing “Do-Re-Do” (up one step, back down)
- Then “Do-Re-Mi-Re-Do” (up two steps, back down)
- Continue adding one note at a time: “Do-Re-Mi-Fa-Mi-Re-Do”
- Keep extending until you reach the full octave: “Do-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol-La-Ti-Do-Ti-La-Sol-Fa-Mi-Re-Do”
This gradual building helps you internalize each new note in relation to the ones you’ve already mastered.
You can use a pitch detector app to check if you’re hitting the notes right. “Our app” also provides this feature.
Step 2: Interval Jumps
Once comfortable with the basic ladder, try these variations:
- Third Jumps: “Do-Mi-Do”, “Re-Fa-Re”, “Mi-Sol-Mi”, etc.
- Fourth Jumps: “Do-Fa-Do”, “Re-Sol-Re”, “Mi-La-Mi”, etc.
- Fifth Jumps: “Do-Sol-Do”, “Re-La-Re”, “Mi-Ti-Mi”, etc.
Step 3: Mixed Pattern Challenge
For a more advanced exercise, try this mixed pattern that combines steps and jumps:
- “Do-Mi-Sol-Do-Sol-Mi-Do” (ascending thirds)
- “Do-Fa-La-Do-La-Fa-Do” (ascending fourths)
- “Do-Mi-Sol-Ti-Do-Ti-Sol-Mi-Do” (ascending thirds with seventh)
This exercise develops your ability to navigate the scale with precision and confidence, making it easier to sight-sing and recognize intervals by ear.