Methods for Singing Non-Diatonic Scales (No Solfege)

One of the best ways to internalize non-diatonic scales is to sing them in ascending and descending motion. This is relatively easy for more familiar scales, such as major and minor pentatonic, or scales that can easily be sung using solfege such as the Lydian dominant scale.

But most new learners find singing the whole tone scale and octatonic scales challenging. When there is no dominant-tonic hierarchy and no solfege, it’s normal to feel completely unmoored!

As always, the trick to mastering these scales is to take them in small steps, checking with the piano at regular intervals. (Don’t be tempted to sing along with every note on the piano – if you don’t learn to generate the intervals yourself, you won’t be able to sing the scale any more once you take away the piano.)

Whole Tone Scale Etudes

• First, sing in three-note sections. Most of us can easily make two whole steps, because this sounds like do-re-mi in the diatonic scale. On the third note, pause and check with the piano before proceeding onto the next three-note section.

• Once you have mastered three-note sections, attempt four-note sections.

Octatonic Scale Etudes

• Again, three-note sections will help you master the intervallic relations in this scale. The whole-half octatonic scale is usually the easier of the two for learners, because its first three tones – composed of a whole step and a half step – sound like do-re-me in the minor scale. Sing slowly and carefully, paying close attention to the whole and half steps.

• Once you are comfortable with three-note sections, again, master five-note sections.

• Now repeat the procedures for the half-whole octatonic scale.

Other Non-Diatonic Scales

• Try inventing your own etudes for other unfamiliar scales, such as the augmented scale. As you become more experienced in hearing intervals in your head and generating them with your voice, your fluency in non-diatonic singing will increase, and you will find it relatively straightforward to perform the non-diatonic repertoire we will learn in audits over the remaining weeks of the semester.