Arpeggios outline chords by jumping between chord tones rather than moving stepwise. When you sing an arpeggio in parallel thirds with another voice, you're training your ear to track intervals across larger leaps. This skill is fundamental for choral singing, where voices often move through triadic patterns together.
This exercise has you follow an ascending and descending triad (1-3-5-3-1) a third above, creating your own triad (3-5-7-5-3).
Actionable Step: Arpeggio in Thirds
1. The Sound
Use an open "Ah" vowel with vertical mouth space. The larger leaps in an arpeggio require a resonant vowel that projects clearly. Keep your jaw relaxed and your soft palate lifted to maintain consistent tone quality across the jumps.
2. The Feel
Each interval in the arpeggio has a different character. The root to third (1-3) feels stable and grounded. The third to fifth (3-5) feels brightening and opening. The fifth to seventh (5-7) creates expectant tension because the leading tone wants to resolve upward.
As you descend, the sensation reverses: tension releases as you move from 7 to 5 to 3.
3. The Drill
The backdrop plays a triad arpeggio: 1-3-5-3-1. You sing 3-5-7-5-3 in parallel thirds above. Note the rhythmic pattern: longer half notes on the outer notes, quicker quarter notes on the turns.
Backdrop (what you hear):
Your part (what you sing):
Move in perfect sync with the backdrop. The challenge is maintaining accurate thirds while leaping rather than stepping. Lock each interval before moving to the next.
Practice with Vocal Driller
Using the Fader
Start with the fader toward your harmony part so you can clearly hear your arpeggio. As you gain confidence, gradually shift the fader toward the melody. The real test is maintaining accurate thirds on the leaps when you hear the backdrop's arpeggio more prominently.
Pay special attention to the 7th degree. It's the most unstable note in your arpeggio and the easiest to sing sharp. If it sounds tense, you're likely pushing it toward resolution. Let the tension exist without adjusting.