Scales and Arpeggios

Aliana couldn't help her proud motherly giggles while she watched Morendo emphatically begin following her every direction something a bit too well. He sat up so straight his little chest puffed out and he looked like he was going to topple backwards, so she quickly caught him with a snowy paw and helped him get more comfortable. His little wagging tail beat against her paw all the while and almost made her laugh aloud; he was so precious! As they began their deep breathing exercises together, she watched Rendo as his little chest inflated and deflated with each breath, seeing the intense focus on his tiny youthful face. A soft smile graced her face while she watched him, and then after she sang her first note, she watched while Morendo prepared and sang his first ever note. It came out more like a barking yell at first, but the longer he held it, the more it began to mellow out into one constant yet pitchy note.

Ali beamed proudly at her son, ruffling his fluffy head with her paw once he'd finished. "Very well done, little maestro! You just sang your first note!" she congratulated him. "When we sing, the note we make without controlling our voices is our midtone. It's the natural sound of our voices, and the middle of our singing range." Aliana demonstrated again, holding the note for a few seconds. "But, if we adjust our vocal cords while we breathe out, we can make the notes sound higher or lower. That is called our range." Once more, Aliana demonstrated by singing a simple set of scales, starting low and moving up to middle notes, then to a higher pitch, all of which Bolero mimicked with her.

With a wave of her paw to her son, she gestured for him to try. "Now you try, Morendo! Find your middle note, then try lowering your voice, like you do when you whisper or growl at your brothers. Then try going higher, like when you cheer or yell." Another gentle smile touched her lips as she added, "And try to relax when you do, sweetie. Singing shouldn't make you tense or nervous. It should bring you peace and make you feel happy. If you feel yourself forcing it, try relaxing your shoulders back." By relaxing the muscles up around his chest and back, it would allow Morendo's lungs more room to expand, and thus more air for him to sing with. It would also make it easier for him to control his flow of breath for his notes.

"Aliana & Morendo"