| How to Do Vocal Runs Posted: 26 Mar 2021 05:00 PM PDT Isn't it impressive when an artist like Mariah Carey or Ariana Grande hits a quick series of notes to show off their range? If you're a singer and want a little more variety in your performance, adding a vocal run makes a song more fun and exciting. While they take a bit of practice to master, you can easily incorporate them into your music. Keep reading to find out about some of the best vocal exercises and techniques so you can add a run to any song! [Edit]Practicing Runs in Songs - Find descending runs by other artists to sing along with. If you haven't sung vocal runs before, it's going to be a bit easier to copy another singer so you can get the hang of it. Look for songs that are in your vocal range so you can comfortably sing along with them.[1] Choose a section that starts on a higher note and ends on a lower note so it's a little easier on your vocal cords. Some good examples of songs with vocal runs include:[2]
- "Feeling Good" by Nina Simone
- "All of Me" by John Legend
- "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston
- "Somebody to Love" by Queen
- "Thinking Out Loud" by Ed Sheeran
- "Beautiful" by Christina Aguilera
- "Without You" by Mariah Carey
- Slow down the music so you can hear the notes in the run. While you may get tempted to start practicing at full speed, you'll put a lot more strain on your voice. Download an app like The Amazing Slow Downer or put the song into music-editing software to slow down the tempo. Play the run at the reduced speed and listen to each individual note they sing.[3]
- If you have a piano, try playing each of the notes as you hear them to help you find the right pitch.
- Try singing a 3-note section of the run. Take the last 3 notes of the run so the lowest pitch is the one you end on. Play the slowed down notes and try your best to sing along to the pitches. Maintain the same tone and volume for each note so your voice stays consistent. Keep repeating the run over and over again until you can confidently hit each note.[4]
- Do your best not to sing higher notes louder than lower notes. Since singing louder puts more strain on your voice, it makes it harder to switch between notes.
- Increase the tempo by 3–5 beats per minute to build your agility. Turn up the speed of the song in your app or editing software and re-listen to the run. Try singing along with the 3-note section again at the faster tempo, maintaining the same tone and volume as did before. As you start feeling more comfortable at the increased tempo, turn it up by another 3–5 BPM and practice again.[5]
- Work your way up until you can comfortably perform the section of the run at full speed.
- As another exercise, sing the section at your slowest tempo first. Then, repeat the notes 5 more times so each time is slightly faster.
- Add the remaining notes to the run one at a time. Start back on the slowest tempo and begin the run from the next highest note. Practice singing the section slowly at first so you get used to the pitch changes. Then, build up your speed until you can comfortably perform it at the song's original tempo. Keep incorporating more notes into the run until you can sing the entire part.[6]
- Try practicing the run without the song playing in the background. Use a metronome to keep track of the tempo if you do.
[Edit]Performing Original Runs - Work on performing the song's original melody. Even though you're eager to add runs to a song, master singing it without any vocal embellishments first. Keep practicing the original song until you have good tone and pitch throughout the entire performance. Really focus on hitting all of the notes as they're written until you feel comfortable with them.[7]
- This will help you find the baseline for the song so you're less likely to go off pitch while you're doing a run.
- Choose notes from a pentatonic scale in the song's key. A pentatonic scale is made up of the same notes as the regular scale, except without the 4th and 7th notes. [8] Find the key of the song that you're working on and write down all of the notes in the pentatonic scale. When you're developing your run, try to pick from these notes since they'll mesh well with the melody.[9]
- For example, in a C-major scale, the pentatonic scale is made up of the notches C, D, E, G, A, and high C.
- On a minor scale, the pentatonic drops the 2nd and 6th notes instead.
- Jump between notes on the scale to incorporate more variety to the song. Play around with different combinations of notes going up and down the pentatonic scale. You can go through the notes in order or pattern so your run sounds more interesting. Practice singing each combination slowly to see what you're happy with.[10]
- Even small variations can add a lot to the run. For example, instead of playing the notes down the scale in order, bring one note a step back up, such as the pattern C-A-G-A-G-E-D.
- Vary the lengths of the notes to add more rhythm. Your runs will start to sound monotonous if you sing each note for the same amount of time. Instead, hold some of your notes out longer and quickly change between others so there's more variety to the rhythm. Try out different rhythmic patterns and practice singing each one to see how it fits with the song.[11]
- Always start practicing at a slower tempo so your notes don't blend together when you're singing.
- Rehearse your runs so you can nail your pitch. It might feel fun trying to throw an improvised run into your performance, but you're more likely to go out of tune. Instead, practice singing it until you can comfortably perform the run without a second thought. That way, you can choose when you want to incorporate one into your song while still sounding like you came up with it off the cuff.[12]
[Edit]Exercising Your Voice - Breathe from your diaphragm for better breath control. During regular activities, you usually breathe from your chest, but that makes your singing voice less powerful since you don't get as much air. Instead, stand up straight and take a deep breath in through your mouth until the count of 5. Rather than puffing out your chest or lifting your shoulders, try to push your belly outward. Make a hissing sound as you slowly exhale through your mouth for a count of 9.[13]
- Controlling your breath makes it a lot easier to maintain your tone and hit longer runs.
- Once you feel comfortable with this exercise, try inhaling for 7 seconds and exhaling for 12 seconds to increase your lung capacity even more.
- Hum scales to loosen up your vocal cords. Start with your mouth closed and the tip of your tongue right behind your bottom teeth. Choose any major scale and hum the lowest note so you make an "mm" or "ng" sound. Keep your mouth closed and go up each step of the scale until you reach the highest note. Then, work your way back down to the note you started on. Go through each of your scales until you feel warmed up.[14]
- Humming doesn't put as much strain on your vocal cords as singing, so it's perfect for loosening up.
- Practice singing your scales to develop your range. Stick with using vowel sounds, such as "oo," "ee," or "ah," so you maintain the best tone.[15] Start on the lowest note of a major scale and sing at a comfortable volume. Do your best to maintain the pitch for a count before going up to the next note. Work up to the 5th note in the scale before going back down.[16]
- For example, on a C-major scale, you would sing C, D, E, F, G, F, E, D, and finally C.
- Go through multiple scales, starting on a different note each time. That way, you can work up to singing in different octaves.
- Try running through your scales at gradually slower and faster speeds so you develop better control over your pitch.
- Do your scales in every key. Start on a low C and sing all of the notes of the scale ascending to the highest pitch. Then go back down the scale until you reach the note you started on. For your next scale, start on a C-sharp and sing all the way up to a high C-sharp. Begin each of your scales on the next key on a piano until you go through 11 different scales.[17]
- This will help develop your range and help you quickly change between notes when you perform a run.
- Sing along to notes on a piano to improve your pitch. If you have a hard time hitting the right notes, don't get discouraged. Instead, play the first note of the scale on a piano. Do your best to sing the note so it's at the same pitch. Once you feel comfortable and confident hitting the first note, play the next note in the scale before singing it. Slowly work your way up and down your scales as you try to match the pitch and tone.[18]
- As you get more confident, transition to only playing the first note on the piano before singing the entire scale without any accompaniment. Eventually, you'll be able to sing the notes without using the piano as a guide.
- Perform the scale in 3-note chunks. Start on the base note of the scale and perform the first 3 notes, such as "do-re-mi." Without taking a break, start on the second note of the scale and sing another 3 notes, which would be "re-me-fa." Repeat this stepped pattern until you reach the highest note of the octave. Then, work down the scale so you sing "do-ti-la, ti-la-sol" all the way back to the base note you began on.[19]
- This exercise helps you transition up and down between notes quickly so you're able to perform vocal runs faster and more accurately.
- Stay well hydrated and avoid smoking to keep your singing voice healthy and make runs easier to hit.[20]
- Listen to a lot of pop and R&B songs so you can hear runs that may influence your own performance.[21]
[Edit]Warnings - Stop singing immediately if you feel any pain or discomfort so you don't damage your vocal cords.[22]
- Be wary of adding too many vocal runs while you're singing since you might lose the song's original melody.
[Edit]References |
| How to Make Nigiri Sushi Posted: 26 Mar 2021 09:00 AM PDT If you've ever been to a sushi restaurant, you've probably eaten Nigiri sushi, or sushi rice topped with seafood. This artisanal dish is traditionally shaped by hand, and it uses only the finest and freshest ingredients on top, like tuna, eel, haddock, shad, snapper, octopus, and squid.[1] If you're a vegetarian or vegan, you can also make Nigiri sushi out of thinly sliced vegetables, like bell peppers and shallots.[2] Feel free to get creative with your toppings, and don't forget to mix up a batch of sushi rice before you start on this delicious meal. [Edit]Ingredients [Edit]Sushi Rice - 2 cups (400 g) of rice
- of water
- of rice vinegar
- of vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup (32 g) of white vinegar
- 1 tsp (4.2 g) of salt
[Edit]Seafood Nigiri Sushi - 6 slices of raw or cooked fish
- 4 1/4 ounces (120 grams) of sushi rice
- 1/2 teaspoons of wasabi paste
- 2 cups (475 ml) of su water
[Edit]Vegetarian / Vegan Nigiri Sushi - 4 1/4 ounces (120 grams) of sushi rice
- 1 bell pepper
- of mirin
- of rice vinegar
- 1 scallion
[Edit]Preparing Sushi Rice - Rinse the sushi rice in a colander until the water runs clear. Pour 2 cups (400 g) of rice into a colander and bring it over to the sink. Rinse it with cool water until the water runs clear and doesn't look cloudy anymore.[3]
- Rinsing the rice makes it less sticky and less likely to burn at the bottom of the pot while it cooks.
- Pour the rice and water into a pot. In a large pot, pour your rinsed rice along with of water. The water should just cover the rice—if it doesn't, add a little more to ensure that your rice gets nice and fluffy.[4]
- If you have a rice cooker, you can use that instead of your stovetop.
- Bring the water to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer. Turn your stovetop on high and wait until you see small bubbles rising to the top of your pot. Then, turn the heat down to medium-low until you can only see small bubbles (this means that it's simmering, which is the ideal temperature for cooking rice).[5]
- If you leave the water boiling for too long, you could burn your rice. Keep an eye on your pot so this doesn't happen!
- Cover the pot with a lid and let it cook for 20 minutes. The steam from the covered lid will make the rice cook much faster, so you need to trap in that heat. Set a timer for 20 minutes to let the rice absorb all of the water. If there's any water left at the bottom of the pot, let the rice cook longer.[6]
- A soggy pot means that your rice isn't cooked all the way, so it might be a little crunchy.
- Take the rice off the heat and let it cool for about 5 minutes. Keeping the lid on the pot, turn the heat off and move your rice to another burner that's off. Let it sit for about 5 minutes to let the rice absorb the rest of the water and the steam to finish cooking.[7]
- This step is also vital in making sure that your rice isn't too sticky, so don't skip it!
- Combine rice vinegar, oil, sugar, and salt in a saucepan. Pour of rice vinegar, of vegetable oil, 1/4 cup (32 g) of white vinegar, and 1 tsp (4.2 g) of salt into a saucepan. Stir them up just slightly to start mixing them together.[8]
- These ingredients will give your rice a little extra flavor and make the rice stick together so it's easier to form.
- Cook the mixture over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Usually, this will take about 5 minutes. Once you see the sugar dissolve into the liquid, turn the stove off and move the pot off the burner to start letting it cool.[9]
- If you don't want to deal with a pot on the stove, you can also heat your ingredients in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time until the sugar dissolves.
- Let the mixture cool, then stir it into the rice. Set the mixture aside for about 5 minutes so it has a chance to cool down. Pour the rice into a glass bowl, then dump your mixture in on top of it. Use a baking spatula to fold the mixture into the rice until there isn't any liquid on top anymore.[10]
- When you first combine your ingredient with the rice, it'll probably look too wet. Just keep stirring—it will combine eventually.
- Once you've made your rice, you can set it aside and start preparing the main part of your sushi.
[Edit]Making Seafood Nigiri Sushi - Purchase some high quality raw fish. Traditional Nigiri sushi is made from raw fish like salmon, tuna, or yellowtail. If you'd like to use raw fish in your sushi, purchase it from a fish market or your local grocery store if you can ensure that the fish is high quality enough to eat raw. Make sure it was displayed on a bed of ice, and don't eat it if it smells fishy, sour, or ammonia-like.[11]
- If you aren't sure that your fish is high quality enough to eat raw, you can grill, roast, or bake the fish before slicing it up.
- Cut the fish into slices at a 45-degree angle. Spread your fish out on a cutting board and look for the thin lines on the meat (those are the connective tissue). Hold your knife at a 45-degree angle and make thin slices that are about thick. As you reach the bottom of the slice, adjust the angle ever so slightly to make a "cup" shape in the slice. Try to do this in one fluid motion to avoid leaving knife marks.[12]
- This sounds really hard to do, but it does get easier with practice. And if you're only making sushi for your friends or family, it doesn't have to look perfect anyway.
- The most important thing to worry about when slicing is making the pieces bite-sized. Anything beyond that is purely for style and presentation.
- Mix water and sushi vinegar together in a bowl, then dip your hands in it. Pour about of sushi vinegar in a bowl and top it off with water. Dip your hands in it before you start working with the rice to avoid sticky fingers as you make your molds.[13]
- Traditionally, this water and vinegar mixture is called "su water."
- You can dip your hands in the water any time they start to feel dry or sticky.
- Roll small clumps of rice into a long log. Scoop up a handful of rice that's about 3/4 of the size of your palm. Roll and squeeze it together until it forms into a firm oval / rectangle shape that's about the size of the fish slices you cut up earlier.[14]
- Your rice should be cool enough to work with at this point, so you don't have to worry about burning your hands.
- Dab some wasabi onto the back of a fish slice. Pick up your first slice of fish and grab a pea-sized amount of wasabi. Dab the wasabi onto the center of the slice to act like a "glue" to keep the sushi together (plus add a little spice).[15]
- You can find wasabi at most grocery stores.
- If you aren't a fan of wasabi, you can skip this step. If you really love wasabi, feel free to add some more.
- Press the rice on top of the fish slice. Hold the fish slice in your hand with the wasabi facing upwards. Grab the rice log with your other hand and press it gently onto the fish slice, using 2 fingers to press it downwards. Cradle the sushi in your hand for just a moment to give it its shape, then set it down on a plate.[16]
- This final shaping is what gives the sushi its classic "cup" shape, so it's very important.
- Arrange the sushi on a serving platter. Spread the slices out on a large plate or a platter so ithey're easy to grab with chopsticks. If you used multiple types of fish or seafood, you can group each type together so they're right next to each other or go in an alternating row for more variation.[17]
[Edit]Making Vegetarian / Vegan Nigiri Sushi - Cut a bell pepper in half and scoop out the seeds. You can pick a red or an orange bell pepper to make your vegan sushi. Rinse the pepper off and cut it in half lengthwise, then scoop out the seeds with a spoon.[18]
- You don't need the seeds anymore, so you can throw them away.
- Lay the bell pepper on a baking sheet, then put it under the broiler. Turn on the broiler in your oven and spread out your bell pepper pieces on a baking sheet. When the oven is hot, put your peppers under the broiler and let them crisp up and char for about 5 minutes, then flip them over. Keep them in the oven for about 5 more minutes, then take them out before they get too crispy.[19]
- The peppers will be replacing the fish in your sushi, so make sure they look really tasty.
- Cut the pepper into 4 to 8 equal pieces. Using a knife, cut your bell peppers into lengthwise slices that are about thick. You want them to be as big as your rice rectangles, so make them a little larger than bite-sized.[20]
- The peppers might be hot, so use caution!
- Marinate the peppers for 3 to 4 hours. Mix together of mirin and of rice vinegar in a wide, shallow bowl. Submerge the pepper slices in the bowl, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let them marinate for 3 to 4 hours.[21]
- To give the peppers even more flavor, let them marinate overnight (if you have the patience).
- Shape your rice bundles into rectangular logs. Dip your hands into a mixture of water and rice vinegar (su water) and grab a bundle of rice that's about 3/4 the size of your palm. Slowly roll and shape it into an oval log with your fingers and the palm of your hand, then set them aside. Try to make as many bundles as you have peppers slices for so they don't go to waste![22]
- If your hands get dry or sticky, dip them back into the su water.
- Place the bell pepper slices on top of the rice. Grab a slice of bell pepper out of the marinade and gently place it on top of one rice log. Press it down onto the rice with 2 fingers to make it stick, then move onto your other slices.[23]
- Since the bell peppers are red (or orange) they'll even look a bit like raw fish.
- Garnish the sushi with a sliced scallion. Rinse off a scallion and set it on a cutting board lengthwise, then use a sharp knife to slice it down the middle. Try to make your slices as thin as you can, then cut them to the length of your sushi pieces. Add a scallion on top of each slice of bell pepper as your finishing touch. Now you've got a delicious vegan and vegetarian sushi meal that everyone can enjoy![24]
- The concept of eating nigiri sushi is to eat the fish and rice together, so don't separate the two from each other.
- Vegetarian topping options include mushroom, tofu, seasoned omelet, sliced avocado, pickled radish, and pretty much any vegetable that goes great with rice.
- Be patient and take your time when rolling the sushi, as the shape takes a little effort to form.
[Edit]Warnings - Only use high quality fish for raw nigiri sushi. Purchase from a fishmonger you're certain provides quality fish.
- The raw fish should always have been in deep freeze (-20 Celsius [-4 Fahrenheit] for at least 24 hours) before preparing as sushi. There are many parasites, some deadly, and freezing is the only way to kill them.[25]
[Edit]Things You'll Need [Edit]Preparing Sushi Rice - Colander
- Pot
- Bowl
- Baking spatula
- Saucepan
[Edit]Making Seafood Nigiri Sushi - Knife
- Cutting board
- Bowl
- Serving platter
[Edit]Making Vegetarian / Vegan Nigiri Sushi - Knife
- Cutting board
- Baking tray
- Bowl
- Plastic wrap
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References |
| How to Block Websites on an iPad Posted: 26 Mar 2021 01:00 AM PDT Apple makes it simple to block websites on an iPad (or any iOS device). You can block a website and other inappropriate content using the Screen Time settings in the Settings menu. This will block the website on every browser. You can block specific sites, or block all websites while only allowing approved ones. - Open the Settings app . It has an icon that resembles two gears. Tap the icon on your Home screen to open the Settings app.
- Tap . It's next to a purple icon that resembles an hourglass. This menu allows you to set restrictions for your or your child's iPad.
- Tap . It's the blue text at the top of the page. This displays a page explaining what Screen Time is. You need to enable Screen Time in order to set content restrictions.
- Tap . It's the blue button at the bottom of the Screen Time explanation page.
- Tap or . If you enable Screen Time on your own iPad, it will enable the Screen Time settings menu immediately. If you enable Screen Time for a child's iPad, you will be asked to set additional Screen Time settings, such as a scheduled downtime, and app limitations. You will also be asked to provide a PIN that you can use if you need to bypass Screen Time and content restrictions.
- Tap . It's next to a red icon that has a circle with a line through it. This menu allows you to block inappropriate content.
- Slide the toggle switch next to "Content & Privacy Restrictions" to On . Tap the toggle switch at the top of the page to enable Content & Privacy Restrictions. This allows you to use the Content & Privacy Restrictions menu.
- Tap . It's near the top of the Content & Privacy Restrictions menu.
- Tap . It's about halfway down the Content Restrictions page, below a header that says "Web Content."
- Tap or . Both of these options allow you to restrict websites.
- Limit Adult Websites: This option automatically limits access to many adult websites and allows you to create a list of additional blocked websites, as well as websites that are always allowed.
- Allowed Websites Only: This option blocks all websites except for those listed in the "Allowed" list of websites.
- Tap below "Never Allow." It's the second list under "Limit Adult Websites." This allows you to enter a website you want to block.
- If you selected "Allowed Websites Only," tap Add Website at the bottom of the list of allowed websites to add a new website to the list of "Allowed" websites.
- Enter the web address for the website you want to block. Enter the full web address for the website you want to block (i.g https://www.facebook.com). Tap Done on the keyboard when you are finished. This adds the website to the "Never Allow" list. You can add as many websites as you want.
[Edit]Quick Summary |
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