Dick Moore's Interval Practice Routine

This is the practice routine we learned from F. Richard Moore, a professor at University of California, San Diego:

1. Pick a starting note.  For the purpose of this article, the starting note is C.  You may use an instrument to provide the starting note only.  Do not use an instrument for the rest of the exercise

2. Sing a minor 2nd up, then back down, using the note names then the number of half steps in the interval, for example:

C Db C
Minor second one

3. Repeat #2 above for the following intervals: major 2nd, minor 3rd, perfect 4th, augmented 4th/diminished 5th (depending on the enharmonic spelling you're using), perfect 5th, minor 6th, major 6th, minor 7th, major 7th, octave.  For example, when you get to the minor 7th:

C Bb C
Minor 7th ten

4. After you have done #2 and #3 above for the octave, reset your starting note to the octave above your original starting note.  For example, your new starting note is the octave C above the original C.

5. Sing a minor 2nd interval down, using the note names and the number of half steps in the interval.  For example:

C B C
Minor second 1

6. Repeat #5 above for  major 2nd, minor 3rd, perfect 4th, augmented 4th/diminished 5th (depending on the enharmonic spelling you're using), perfect 5th, minor 6th, major 6th, minor 7th, major 7th, octave.

Vary your starting notes from session to session.  Start from Bb, A, F#, etc.  Avoid using "pet" starting notes.