Bass Vocal Exercises
Choose the scale that aligns with your CURRENT REGISTRATION GOAL. Sing using assigned SUGGESTED VOWELS.
These scales and the goals they are associated with are listed in order from beginner to advanced. Take your time when working towards more advanced scales. The skills you will gain from each goal will serve the next one. You may not be successful if you jump right into more advanced scales.
Identify / Strengthen Head Voice
Sing this simple 5 tone scale to identify and/or strengthen your head voice on your assigned vowel!
Identify/ strengthen Chest Voice
Sing this simple 5 tone scale to identify and/or strengthen your chest voice on your assigned vowel!
BALANCE REGISTERS
In this ‘scale’ you will hear the same pitch repeated 3 times, ascending through your transition range. Sing each pitch once in chest, mixed – to the best of your ability – and head voice on assigned vowels.
IDENTIFY MIXED VOICE
Slowly sing through each scale on assigned vowels to explore the movement from chest, THROUGH the mixed voice and landing in the head voice.
Head MIX
Starting in head voice, descend through each scale with the intention of exploring a “Heady” Mixed Voice.
Chest MIX
Starting in chest voice, ascend through each scale with the intention of exploring a “Chesty” Mixed Voice. (Often referred to as a ‘mixed-belt’.)
UPKEEP / ADVANCED MIXING
There are dozens if not hundreds of ways to hit any pitch in your range. The variables of breath, registration and vocal tract shaping (vowels) make it impossible to boil down vocal technique into just a few scales to master one’s voice. These exercises are just a few examples of common goals to aim for. I whole-heartedly encourage you to experiment with your voice, your breath, registration and vowels to adjust, re-colour and play with your voice, its timbre, volume and sound quality.
Sing this scale to practice varied breath control, different balances of registration on assigned, or experimental vowels! The top pitch is repeated at the end of each scale so you can try a few different things out each time OR focus on a specific goal of your own creation!
If you are continuing on to do SONG WORK during your practice today, try to apply what you’re working on during your exercise! It’s helpful to choose a song that reflects what you’re working on in the exercise portion of your vocal practice.