When Singing, What is a Run?
A run is a fast series of sung notes that are either ascending or descending (or both) in a particular musical scale. It’s used to add embellishment, emotion and energy to a performance. Think of when you hear singers like Beyonce, Ariana Grande, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey sing fast ascending or descending notes during the high-energy moments of a song. Runs are also called “melisma’s” in music theory.