How to Sing Riffs and Runs - ANYBODY can get this! Part 1 

Me:ah ah ah ah ah Mom: wtf wrong with u.

When I do the ‘Ah’ with style,I freackin sound like Tarzan

My problem is when i try to increase the speed, i lose the seperation and distinction of each note, they just blend together 😭

it's quarantine. i am in my bed. it's 5:30 in the morning. and i am learning how to do riffs and runs :)

Lowkey sounded like Chinese traditional music

Kinda hard when you can't count

I am such a nerd. I couldn't sing a riff to save my life but now I can't stop. It would take a number diagram for me to finally understand says the accounting major. Lol thank you

i come back to this every couple of years expecting to sound better than the last time.😭😭

I cringed at my own voice 😂

Me hoping to sound like Beyonce after this 🤞🏼😂

I got here because I’m trying to perfect this Jazmine Sullivan run😭

Is it just me or this sounds like an ancient Chinese music...

The intro had me SHOOKETH

No one: Not a single soul: My mama at church: 0.06

I first watched this video when I was 10. I'm currently 16, and I am SO good at riffing and running now (:

I love the way that he does a sick run at the beginning and then act like it wasn't a big deal at all

“Anyone with a decent voice and decent ears” Hah....

“Anyone with a decent voice” *exits the video*

Recomenting For Myself: first triangle: 1:09 Second triangle: 3:32

dude just singing "ah" and i got goosebumps

“this is not an Illuminati triangle” sounds like something the Illuminati would say

My mom walked in and went “what’s that noise?” HAHAHAHAHAHAH

If anyone is following along with this well enough but feel like they sound "off" or "dull", the best phrase I've learned recently is "sing through the notes, not into them." Your run might be a little wobbly if you're not giving enough volume and body to each note, which is why starting slow is important!

I want to share this because this video really has opened me musically. I watched this video over a year ago and I've been singing everyday since. I'm 24. I never sang a day in my life due to insecurities I had about myself. Ive made significant progress as a singer. Been focusing on control after getting my vibrato down recently. When you sing my advice is sing from the heart. I sing for fun. I sing for therapy. You will have rough days. I have off days. The key is not stopping if you mess up and pushing forward. If you want to learn how to sing start here. Find a quiet place, replay this video until you have the pattern and practice that pattern. Branch off at your own speed. Don't work for music. Make music work for you. Edit: Just to add on for anyone else I may could help here. When you're singing mouth placement is important. This is an interactive exercise you can do right now. Open your mouth like you're yawning and stop at a half-yawn. That is where you want your mouth when you sing. Your tongue should rest on the bottom of your mouth and only move on vowels. I'll update this with each reply to help others with tips from my self-learning experience.

I'm a pretty good singer. I just- My voice Will not, I repeat WILL NOT let me do riffs or runs.

nobody: chorus kids: 0:06

Omg I have been a professional singer for DECADES. You are the FIRST teacher to break it down in a way that makes sense for my brain. THANK YOU MUCH!!!! This is life-changing!

Holy shit I actually did one silly run after practising with this video for two days. Thank you!!!

"this is not an illuminati triangle, it's just a triangle" 😂 😂 😂 😂 damn conspiracists out there 😂 😂

I agree, practice is KEY. For me, Mariah Carey came out when I was in 1st grade and I practiced singing her songs exactly like her & learning the ability to do her runs. Also Whitney Houston, then Destinys Child (Beyonce) as a kid/teenager. Now I sing runs easily. You have to buy their entire album and sing w it when ur alone. But for me I started practicing at age 6 and now Im 35, but could sing very nicely w runs by my teens and better by my early 20s and still better now. Practice IS key.

I just can't believe my voice rn🙊 I sang like a gospel artist after watching this😭❤thank youuu

When he says 'you will get it..' I believe him. I have good tone range and pitch but I want the skill to use them well. Right now I'm just slow and clumsy... This exercise feels RIGHT😃😆😁

Dayyyuuuummmm! I tried and It actually WORKS!!! *Breakdancing

he killed me with the "it's not an illuminati triangle" 😂😂😂

omg i’ve been singing my whole life (in the shower and the car and any time there’s music playing) but recently since i’m stuck in quarentine i’m trying to learn more about technique and this helped so much thank you!!!!!

LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS!! You break it down so well, coming from an instrumental musician you def still broke down where everyone can understand!! I’m so gonna practice this!!

This guy. Too legit to quit.

Exercise #1 1:09 with numbers 1:54 with Ah 2:34 with style Exercise #2 3:32 with numbers 4:13 with Oh 4:33 with style Here this for practice! Thanks!

I wanna thank you, because I started watching this video almost everyday for the past few months and I've gotten better at runs, it's amazing. You're a great teacher.

THIS IS EVERYTHING. I've been writing songs for years, and have been really trying to grow and expand as a vocalist. This is tremendous help. Thank you! I also feel that cultural connection. I had started to accept maybe my voice was just limited but now I feel awash in new possibilites.

That intro slayed me lol

My inspiration is Tori Kelly and her riffs and runs are amazing so this video was super helpful.

When I started singing 4 years ago, I never thought I'd be at the point where I could think about practicing riffs and runs! But here I am, a pretty good singer just need to master this! Thank you so much for these videos, I am going to watch your other tutorials ❤️

Never to late for anyone to learn this stuff I’m not a singer but I do enjoy to sing along and sing in general around friends etc , I totally understand now how this all works with ones voice , awesome teaching here , great video loved it. 👍

you lost me at decent voice. 😅 sigh

"This is not an illuminati triangle...its JUST a triangle"

6 years ago okay...I'm practicing it right now in 2020 because I was really amaze of jungkook's voice when he's putting a curve since I became their fan...

My dad taught i was moaning😭

When he sings with style he kinda sound like Sam Smith

Its funny how Im still listening attentively to this even though I dont have a voice lol

wow this actually helped! i didn’t exactly know how to do riffs or runs but after watching this video and practicing the pentatonic scale a few times, i finally understood it. thank u!

the exercise is something we used to do as a warm up in the young australian broadway chorus.

I subscribed at 0:06

"Now. This is not an illuminati triangle...ok? Its just a triangle, and its just an exercise..." I'm dead over the fact that folks need to hear this disclaimer nowadays ROFLLLL

This makes it so much easier because it was so clear. I thought it was just something I'll never fully get. Thank you

With the contemporary "oh's" he hit us with the john legend

Him: “Anyone with a decent voice and decent ear can understand riffs and runs.” I have been rejected once again Edit: I’m seeing this over a year later and idk how this got so many likes but tysm!

This is the only time I like getting the runs

As a fellow vocal instructor I do appreciate the simplicity. I often use the blues harmonic scale. You did a wonderful job explaining!

I think my issue with runs before this was that I wasn’t going up then down, I was just going down, and could never quite find the right note, but with this, I go up first, then back down to the first note and it sounds WAY better. Tysm! Learned a lot! Wow!

What no one ever explains is the fact that runs are actually notes. I love that you show some trill patterns and of course I find this late at night and have to wait until late afternoon to try it. I am excited.

"Pentatonic scale" Me: ayeeee any pentaholics out there

I love this video, after weeks practicing this exercises i can see a huge difference with my vocal runs. This is beyond helpful♥ So sad i found it after 8 years.

this guy came to my church today!! amazing voice ❤️ very talented!!

put a finger down if you're here in quarantine, trying to learn how to how to do runs like Maddison beer because they are obsessed with tik tok. 👏🏽 edit: I commented this before Maddison was “cancelled “🤭

nobody: christina aguilera and anyone else who does a ton of riffs: 0:06

Man, I've been doing this for 10 minutes and I've almost got it! I'm not as smooth or as fast as you when you do it, but still, I got it! I asked The Lord for help, and He sure did! I should have this down pat in no time. Thank you!

Thanks for this! I have an audition over zoom and the song I’m singing has runs haha.

For you theory people out there. The “1” in this example is actually the 5th. So if we were to be in the key of “C” , he is starting you on “G” The Root is really on “3” .. that’s the 1 in the scale. A major pentatonic scale is 1 2 3 5 6 8(1) Starting on the note he is giving you sounds actually really good. Which I never thought about. So he’s teaching “ G A C D E G “ Which is pretty genius. Cause it sounds very Gospel

Me: *hears the word pentatonic* Me: WHO SAID PENTATONIX

I watched this video 3 years ago to learn runs and it actually helped me a lot:)

I cant believe he can sing that good😮😮

I literally cried... 😭 I've been looking for such an exercise for a long time.

WTF??? I GOT IT IMMEDIATELY RIGHT AFTER THE VIDEO!!! U JUST GOT A NEW SUBSCRIBER!! THANK YOU!!!

This definitely helped me! I was frustrated trying to perform a riff I saw on TikTok, then I saw this and it definitely helped. Thx

Thanks so much, I was wondering how to develop riffs and runs, and wanted to learn how it actually works. Thanks again. Love the video, it was super simple. Now I get it. Blessings from Belize!

sounds like Chinese music

Damn. This actually works, my riffs and runs are 10x better in just 5 mins of watching this vid

Paul, Thanks for publishing this video - it is exactly what I’ve been looking for.

WOW! First time ever I actually have hope that I can sing. Great, quick results from your very useful and practical lesson. THANK YOU SO MUCH :D

When he said Pentatonic Scale I thought of Pentatonix. They are my life, and man, can Scott Hoying and Mitch Grassi riff!

Him: “This with Style” Me: screaming like dori at the whale 🐋

I just saw my comment from 2 years ago lol I can finally say. I can do falsetto. I have taking singing classes with a teacher 2 times a week for the past 2 years and singing almost everyday in my car. And I have improved so much. To take this serious you have to practice almost everyday. Even if it sounds bad. U will one day sound good. But u have to go with a teacher and never stop. This is forever. ❤❤❤

10 seconds into the video and I'm already so excited.

TTOTTOOTOOoooOoooooOooooOoooOonnnnneeee YooOOOoo miiiNnndd

I'm just trying to sing like Mitch Grassi

Thank you! You’re a great teacher! As aJesus lover, I appreciate you coming out and saying there’s no hidden message in your video with the triangle lol. Silly I know, but I really appreciated it! And it something I’ll start doing in my videos! Peace be with you brother 🤍✝️

I watched about half a dozen videoes--the ONLY one --that is clear cut bones, easy-to-follow, do-able, solid exercise! But yet shows a singer-in-training what a developed stylized sound can be like without all the dogma, or the numerous, random gratuitous vocal selfies--that show off the singer but doesn't the singer in training. . Excellent lesson--thank you.

One of the singers that always wowed me with his runs was AJ from the Backstreet Boys. He'd usually handle that part, and he'd somehow keep every single note separate and on-key, but at the same time the flow would be perfectly smooth. I never understood how he could do that.

I'll start off on Wednesday (today) doing these exercises. By this time tomorrow, I'll think I'm a pro and abandon all these techniques! Sluring and sliding on all these notes!

cuando cantas me dejas la piel de gallina, WOW QUE INCREIBLE, quiero llegar a ese nivel, no dudo que tus videos me servirán, mil gracias :D

Yo aquí aprendiendo inglés y practicando canto, te adoro !!!! Tu voz es hermosa 💓

You have given my voice life....To God be the Glory

Incredible!!! And so understandable! Thank you!

OH! I remember watching this on my way home from work a couple years back. It was hard for me to grasp back then but I think I get it now!

This makes complete sense to me. Thank you for breaking it down.

I got to say, I appreciate the no bullshit attitude. You seem energetic, positive, and more like you're invested in us succeeding with the material than you selling a product. You're either a good instructor, or a good salesman. I will probably return to purchase the course.

When i heard Camila Cabello's riffs and runs, i get inspire by her, and now i'm her😍 i wish i can riffs and runs like her

This was 6 years ago and he has the best quality ever

I had an accidental run when I sang the death of the bachelor. It was so good, but I can't do it anymore. I need to learn this!