Let me say this loud and clear. If you want to grow as a singer, stop calling everything a run. That moment in the song where your voice moves fast, twists, bends, flips, baby, that might not be a run at all. It might be a riff. It might be a lick. And if you don’t know the difference, how can you control it?

Naming is power. Naming gives you ownership. When you don’t know what something is, you can’t build it. You can’t fix it. And you definitely can’t teach it. That’s why in my training sessions, I separate riffs from runs, and both from licks. It’s not just a technical decision. It’s a foundation for clarity.

I take the same approach when I’m explaining vocal HIIT method for beginners. We don’t just jump into exercises. We name them. We know why they matter. Because once a student understands what they’re doing, their voice moves with confidence, not guesswork.

The Difference Is Not Just Semantics

A riff is short. It’s quick. Three, maybe five notes max. It comes at the end of a phrase to add spice. A run is longer. It travels. It flows. It needs breath support and muscular coordination. And a lick? A lick brings rhythm. It often responds to the music, the groove, the moment. It’s conversational.

These are not just stylistic choices. They’re different tools with different muscles behind them. Calling everything a run is like calling every brushstroke a painting. It doesn’t do justice to the art or the artist.

One Common Question

Why should beginners care about separating these vocal elements?
Because precision builds control. Knowing what you’re doing makes your choices stronger and your singing more intentional.

Learning to Hear Before You Sing

When I teach, I train ears before mouths. You’ve got to listen to your own voice like a coach. What’s happening when you decorate that note? Did you move too fast? Too slow? Were your notes clean or did they blend into each other?

Once you identify the move, riff, run, or lick, you slow it down. You isolate it. You try it on a neutral vowel. You live in that one moment until it feels like yours.

This is how real progress happens. You don’t just sing more. You sing smarter.

Naming Builds Muscle Memory

When a student can say, “That was a riff,” they start connecting that label to a physical pattern. Their breath adjusts. Their mouth shape settles in. Their brain makes that link between movement and sound. That’s muscle memory.

Without names, you’re just hoping it works again next time. With names, you can practice with purpose.

The Role of Structure in Skill

People often say that singing is a natural gift. But structure makes it sustainable. And naming brings structure. You wouldn’t tell a dancer to “just move.” You wouldn’t tell a pianist to “just hit some keys.” Yet so many singers are told to just “feel it out.”

That’s not how mastery works. Skill loves structure. Even the most soulful singers got there through repetition, awareness, and clarity.

That’s what I love about interval based training. It’s short. It’s focused. And it teaches you to feel the difference between technique and emotion in real time. That’s why I bring that method into every part of my teaching, riffs, runs, licks, breath, posture, all of it.

Naming Reduces Fear

Let’s be honest. Most singers are afraid of the unknown. Afraid of missing the note. Afraid of not sounding like the track. But fear fades when understanding grows. The moment you name the move, you take control of it.

Naming removes the mystery. It tells your nervous system, “You’ve done this before. You know what this is.” And that kind of self trust changes everything.

Why It Matters for Beginners

Beginners don’t need more video tutorials. They need grounding. They need to feel like they’re not lost. When they can point to a sound and say, “That’s a lick,” or “That’s a run,” they start to see their voice not as chaos, but as a system they can shape.

Naming gives beginners the ability to grow with confidence. It removes the noise and makes the path clear.

Final Thought

If you want to sing like you mean it, don’t just sing what sounds good. Know what you’re doing. Name it. Break it down. Own it.

That’s the real magic. When your voice becomes a language you understand, you don’t just perform. You speak. You connect. And you create music that matters, every single time.