Writing your own warm-up patterns
In Vocal Ladder, an exercise is written as numbers: the degrees of the scale, counted from Do. Because the numbers do not name actual notes, the same pattern works in every key, and the app moves it up or down for you.
Numbers are scale degrees
1 is Do, the note of the key. 2 to 7 are Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, and Ti of the major scale, and 8 is Do an octave up. Separate the notes with spaces. So Do-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol-Fa-Mi-Re-Do is 1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1.
Each number is one beat at the tempo you set. Add - to make a note longer: 1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1- holds the last Do for two beats.
Everything you can write
| Write | Meaning | Played in the key of C4 |
|---|---|---|
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 | Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti of the key | C4, D4, E4, F4, G4, A4, B4 |
8 9 10 12 | The next octave: 8 is Do, 9 Re, 10 Mi … up to 15 | C5, D5, E5, G5 |
b3 #4 | b before a number: a half step lower. # before a number: a half step higher | Eb4, F#4 |
5, 1' | “,” after a number: an octave lower. “'”: an octave higher | G3, C5 |
1- 1-- | Each “-” after a note makes it one beat longer | C4 (2 beats), C4 (3 beats) |
1/ 1// | Each “/” after a note makes it half as long | C4 (0.5 beats), C4 (0.25 beats) |
1 r 1 | r is a rest (it can take - and / too). A pattern needs at least one note to sing | C4, rest, C4 |
Up to two octaves above or below Do. If the app cannot read something, it shows what it could not read, and Start stays off until it is fixed.
The built-in patterns
| Pattern | Written as | Notes | Range in the key of C4 | One key, with the chord |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Do-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol | 1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1- | Do Re Mi Fa Sol Fa Mi Re Do | C4–G4 | 12 beats |
| Do-Re-Mi | 1 2 3 2 1- | Do Re Mi Re Do | C4–E4 | 8 beats |
| Do-Mi-Sol | 1 3 5 3 1- | Do Mi Sol Mi Do | C4–G4 | 8 beats |
| Do-Mi-Sol-Do | 1 3 5 8 5 3 1- | Do Mi Sol Do Sol Mi Do | C4–C5 | 10 beats |
| One octave | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1- | Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti Do Ti La Sol Fa Mi Re Do | C4–C5 | 18 beats |
| Sol-Fa-Mi-Re-Do | 5 4 3 2 1- | Sol Fa Mi Re Do | C4–G4 | 8 beats |
| One-octave leap | 1- 8- 1- | Do Do Do | C4–C5 | 8 beats |
| 1.5-octave leap | 1 3 5 8 10 12 11 9 7 5 4 2 1- | Do Mi Sol Do Mi Sol Fa Re Ti Sol Fa Re Do | C4–G5 | 16 beats |
| Staccato Do-Mi-Sol | 1/ r/ 3/ r/ 5/ r/ 3/ r/ 1- | Do – Mi – Sol – Mi – Do | C4–G4 | 8 beats |
“One key” is the 2-beat chord plus the melody. The next key's chord comes right after it.
Examples of your own patterns
1 3 5 3 1 3 5 3 1-– Do-Mi-Sol twice, for longer breath. In the key of C4: C4 E4 G4 E4 C4 E4 G4 E4 C4; 12 beats per key.5 4 3 2 1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1-– Sol down to Do and back, then down again. In the key of C4: G4 F4 E4 D4 C4 D4 E4 F4 G4 F4 E4 D4 C4; 16 beats per key.1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ 5/ 4/ 3/ 2/ 1---– A quick five-note run with a long last note. In the key of C4: C4 D4 E4 F4 G4 F4 E4 D4 C4; 10 beats per key.1 b3 5 b3 1-– Do-Mi♭-Sol: a minor arpeggio (the chord before each key is minor too). In the key of C4: C4 Eb4 G4 Eb4 C4; 8 beats per key.
To keep one, tap Save this pattern and give it a name. It is added at the top of the pattern list for every set and exercise. See the guide.
Tips
- Ending: holding the last note for 2 beats (
1-) gives you a moment before the next key's chord. - Bars: if the beats of one key, including the 2-beat chord, add up to a multiple of 4, every key starts on the first beat of a bar. Most built-in patterns do.
- Minor: a pattern with
b3and no3gets a minor chord before each key. - Range: the pattern's lowest and highest notes decide the range you sing. Check the range shown under the start and end keys before you start.