Episode 4

Singing and the Octave

Overview

In this episode, you will learn about the interval called an "octave", and how it affects singers in particular. You will do some singing practice.

After you watch the video tutorial, we recommend that you take the quiz, and then go to our Activities tab and complete the homework assignment. For those of you interested in learning more, check out the further reading and resources!

If the notes Nick is singing are out of range for you, you should sing one octave higher than he is singing.
Why is the octave the most difficult interval for singers?

Further reading on the harmonic series: https://www.oberton.org/en/overtone-singing/harmonic-series/

What does Nick suggest about people who think they are tone deaf?
Harmonic singing is the ability to sing a note and create different partials above it at the same time.
Learning to sing is training your voice to behave like any other instrument.

Further reading on harmonic singing (this article refers to it as overtone singing): https://www.oberton.org/en/overtone-singing/what-is-overtone-singing/

Homework assignment:

On a piano keyboard image (or a real keyboard!), identify all the Cs on the keyboard. 
Using a real keyboard, piano "app", or other instrument, play and then try singing each C you can find. How many can you sing?

Further reading/resources:

Further reading on the harmonic series: https://www.oberton.org/en/overtone-singing/harmonic-series/ 

Further reading on harmonic singing (this article refers to it as overtone singing): https://www.oberton.org/en/overtone-singing/what-is-overtone-singing/ 

Overtone/Harmonic Singing Examples: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haz6W7p8xjM 

POLYPHONIC OVERTONE SINGING - by Anna-Maria Hefele (youtube.com)