A free vocal training web app built for one thing: riffs and runs. It runs in your browser
— nothing to install, no account to create.
What are riffs and runs?
Riffs and runs are the ornamental vocal technique you hear all over R&B and pop: a
string of quick notes sung smoothly, each one flowing into the next. Because the pitch moves
fast while the vowel stays the same, they're often described as a kind of melisma.
They show up constantly in English-language singing, but they're rare in Japanese-language
songs. As a result there has never really been a standard way to practice them in Japan, and
almost no tool dedicated to drilling them on their own. RIFRAN was built to fill that gap.
What you can do with RIFRAN
Practice riffs-and-runs exercises starting slow and working the tempo up in steps (40–200
bpm, in increments of 5)
Choose from three modes and 22 exercises in all: Basic, Ariana-style and Camila-style
Transpose by semitone, up to six semitones in either direction, to fit your own range
Watch the keyboard light up with each note, so you can see exactly where the pitch you're
hearing sits
Play an exercise once, or loop it and keep going
Sing along with the character on screen — she moves faster as you raise the tempo
Read a singing tip written for each individual exercise
Get a small celebration on screen when you reach the target bpm
Use it free, in your browser, with no install and no account
The three practice modes
Mode
Exercises
What's in it
Basic
12
The shapes every run is built from: five-, six- and seven-note ascents and descents plus
turn figures, each in both major and minor
Ariana-style
5
Fast runs from the top of your range and melismas on phrase endings, written to be sung
in a light head voice
Camila-style
5
Bluesy minor pentatonic lines and scoops that bring out the character of your lower-mid
range
The artist-inspired modes are original exercises based on style analysis. They contain no
excerpts from real songs.
How to use it
Pick a mode, then choose one exercise from the list that opens beneath it.
Start by playing it at the suggested starting tempo (55–75 bpm).
Follow the lighting keyboard note by note and sing along.
If the key sits too high or too low for you, move it with the ♭ and ♯ buttons.
Once you can sing it cleanly, add 5 bpm. Repeat until you reach the target tempo
(105–130 bpm, depending on the exercise).
Who it's for
Singers who want to nail the ornamental phrases in R&B and pop
People taking voice lessons who want to build riffs and runs on their own
Anyone trying to sing covers more accurately
Singers whose notes blur together, or who fall apart as soon as the tempo goes up
Who made it
Yui Yoshinari, founder of STAR SPARK, who debuted as a major-label recording artist in 2018.
RIFRAN came out of her own search for a tool to practice riffs and runs — and not
finding one.