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Over 50 Warm-Ups for Choir!
Kari Wilkinson
Secondary Methods
Winter 2011
April 6, 2011
Table of Contents
Warm-UpPage
Body3
Breath4
Resonance5
Tension Release5-6
Voice Activation6-7
Diction8
Musicality/Phrasing9
Choral Sound9-10
Miscellaneous11-12
BODY
Cupid Shuffle
Students will perform the “Cupid Shuffle” in order to activate their bodies.
4 steps to the right-4 steps to the left-kick right foot once-kick left foot once-”boogie” to the right 90 degrees-repeat!
Song: “Cupid Shuffle” by Cupid
Rolling shoulders
Students will roll their shoulders forward 4 times, then backward 4 times. In order to address proper singing posture, have them roll their shoulders back once and maintain that shoulder position, remembering to keep the rib cage elevated.
Macarena
Have students do the macarena dance to a high energy recording to promote movement and increase the energy level
Arms out palms down - Arms out palms up - Arms crossed hands on elbows - Hands on head - Cross arms hands on hips - Uncross arms hands on back pockets - Shake - Turn 90 degrees
Song Example: Blue (Da Ba Dee) - Eiffel 65
Step Clap
Establish a steady tempo and have students march around the room Step 8 - Clap 0 Step 7 - Clap 1 Step 6 - Clap 2, etc once you reach 1, continue back up: Step 1 - Clap 7 Step 2 - Clap 6, etc
Stretching
Teacher demonstrates and asks students to stand and stretch their arms up towards the ceiling like they are reaching for the light bulbs. Students will bend over and let their arms, body, and head hang down and relax so there is no tension. Students slowly come up to a standing position (each vertebrae at a time). Teacher will then tell students that the body needs to be relaxed and that you need to have good posture before you sing. Teacher demonstrates shoulders back, hands at your side; feet shoulder width apart, feet planted on ground, and face forward and engaged.
87654321
The teacher will first demonstrate what the students will be doing. Start with the right hand and shake it and count 87654321. Repeat this with the left hand, right foot, and left foot. Go back to the right hand and count 7654321 and repeat this with left hand and both feet. Repeat this (654321, 54321, 4321, 321, 21) until you shake each hand and foot once.
BREATH
Breathe and hiss
The ensemble will inhale air through their mouths for 4 beats and will hiss out for 24 beats. This exercise will be repeated as many times necessary, each time increasing the number of beats on which singers will hiss. This exercise addresses breath control.
Dog Pant
The singer pretends to pant like a dog (open jaw, tongue sticking out, “panting” very quickly), ensuring that they are breathing deeply and using their diaphragmatic muscles.
Slow Sip
Have the students imagine taking a drink and pretending to do so with air instead of a drink. The students should shape their mouths as though singing “oh,” breathe in, then slowly exhale through the same mouth shape.
“Huh!”
After a slow inhalation, the singer will exhale sharply by contracting the abdominal muscles hard with a loud “huh!” This makes the singer aware of the activation of their diaphragmatic muscles.
Low-Flow “HA-HA-HA”
While monitoring the singer’s posture to maintain correct position and low, relaxed
shoulder, inhale slowly and deeply.
On the exhaled breath, repeat “HA-HA-HA” slowly. There should be little expelled
air with each “HA.”
Experiment with varying the pitch as the singer repeats the exercise.
Breathe In, Shhh Out
Breathe in for 4 counts, Shhh out for 4 counts *Repeat this, adding 2 counts to the exhalation on each repetition
Jump for Adrenaline
Jump up and down on both feet - 30 s Box the air, fast - 30 s Jump Again - 25 s Regain Composer - 10 s Sing while managing Breath *This exercise is good for simulating Pre-Concert/Performance nerves
Belly Breathing
Have students lie on the floor Have them place their fists [stacked] right on their belly button Breathe deeply and watch as fists rise and fall with the diaphragmatic action
RESONANCE
Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum
The singer imitates the sound of a giant, saying “fee-fi-fo-fum,” using their diaphragmatic muscles to create a supported, deep sound. This also alerts the singer of their chest voice.
Wicked Witch of the West
The singer will be alerted of their head voice, imitating the sound of the Witch from the Wizard of Oz and making as nasal a sound as possible. “And your little dog too!”
Zing-u/ Zing-i/ Zing-a
On a designated pitch, the singers will sing “zing,” immediately closing on the “ng” so as to feel the resonance being placed in the foreheads. At the conductor’s cue, the singers will sing the vowel “u, i, or a,” ensuring that they continue to feel the resonance in their foreheads while singing the vowel.
TENSION RELEASE
Shake It Out
Shake wrist 1 while counting to 8 Shake wrist 2 while counting to 8 Shake ankle 1 while counting to 8 Shake ankle 2 while counting to 8
Repeat and count to 7, then 6, then 5, etc … through 1
Toe Touch
Stretch down to touch toes *Leave arms loose and hanging Slowly begin to straighten back up
Stack vertebrae Align Neck Shoulders back (shoulder blades point in)
Blah Blah Blah
Students will sing ʻBlahʼ on SFMRD. Specify exploding off the bl- so the jaw simply drops for the vowel. This exercise will help release jaw tension and relax the oral cavity.
Stretch to the Sky
Have students go through relaxing stretches that stretch their arms, backs, and necks to release tension.
Ex: Arms to the sky, connect hands, lean to the right - then left, then flip arms behind and stretch down while rotating the torso to the right and left, neck rolls are also a good thing to add.
Thursday/Friday Special
Every choir needs a massage warm-up during stressful weeks, so have everyone turn their right and give the person in front of them a light massage. Then, so as not to leave anyone out, have them turn to their left and lightly karate chop. Everyone will feel relaxed and ready to sing after this :)
VOCAL ACTIVATION
Easy hum
Starting on middle C, the ensemble will hum a five-note descending scale (so-fa-mi-re-do). The exercise will be repeated 4 times, the keys ascending chromatically. This addresses forward placement/resonance, if done correctly. Singers will have to ensure that their larynx is relaxed and jaw is dropped so that they feel the resonance in the front of their foreheads.
Ya-ya
Students will sing a 5-note descending scale (so-fa-mi-re-do) using “ya” to feel the resonance in their foreheads and also the relaxation in their jaws as they sing the “ah” vowel.
Jee-ah
Solfegge: Do-mi-so-la-fa-re-do
Syllables: Jee-ee-ee-ah-ah-ah-ah
The “J” is soft; this consonant will assist the singer in feeling the resonance in the forehead area. Jaws should be relaxed and moving while ascending to “la.”
Yawn Sighs
Teacher tells students that they are first going to start off with some yawn sighs. Teacher demonstrates it first using one or both hands starting by the head and coming down to the sides in a fluid motion. Teacher then asks students to join. Men should be singing in falsetto. Teacher should check to make sure when they do these sighs that it is smooth and there is no break in the voice when it is coming down (one seamless voice).
LIp Buzzing
The singers will put their lips loosely together and exhale by vibrating their lips like a motorboat.
Repeat the inhaled yawn, and vocalize as they buzz their lips.
Repeat again, and sweep up in pitch then back down.
Tongue Trills
Singers will lightly place their tongue tip behind their upper teeth and exhale while vibrating
their tongue tip in a trill.
Repeat the inhaled yawn, and vocalize while trilling.
Repeat again, and varying the pitch.
Ascending/descending thirds
Solfegge: d-m-r-f-m-s-f-l-s-t-l-d-t-r-d
m-d-r-t-d-l-t-s-l-f-s-m-f-r-m-d-r-t-d
This exercise is designed to build solfegge independence among singers and improve sight-reading skills in terms of intervals.
Ascending/Descending Intervals
Solfegge: d-r-d-m-d-f-d-s-d-l-d-t-d-d(octave above starting “do”)
(starting on high do) d-t-d-l-d-s-d-f-d-m-d-r-d-d (octave below starting “do”)
This exercise is designed to build tonal independence and improvement of sight reading skills when singing difficult intervals.
Sighs/Sirens
Have students start in mid-head voice and spiral up to the top of their range before sighing their way down through to the bottom of their range
Paratrooper [Off-Shoot of the Siren]
Hold the Left hand in the ʻhang looseʼ/ASL Y position, palm parallel to the floor
**[This is your helicopter] Try to start your helicopter by hitting your thumb (make a lip buzz for the engine)
3-4 times or so Get the helicopter in the air by lip buzzing up from the “starting” pitchGet ready for the Paratrooper to jump! One hand is the helicopter, climbing into the sky - the other hand follows it as the paratrooper. Once their arms are as high as they can go, use the paratrooper hand to “jump” out of the helicopter and siren all the way down, following the paratrooper to the floor.
DICTION
Tongue Twisters
Singers can explore with the tongue twisters below in order to address diction. They should speak in their head voice so as not to tire out their voices while speaking the exercises.
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers
Unique New York
The tip of the tongue, the lips, the teeth
Really rural
The big, black-backed bumblebee
Red letter, yellow letter
Sally sells sea shells by the sea shore
Solfegge fun
Starting on a relatively low pitch, have the students sing the following exercise using solfegge:
d-r-m-r-d-r-m-f-s-f-m-r-d-r-m-f-s-l-t-d-r-d-t-l-s-f-m-r-d
This exercise is also usable as a round, having two groups begin 2 beats apart from each other.
Consonants
Students breath in 4 counts as the teacher conducts a 4/4 pattern. Students will be asked to say consonants (SH, K, T, P, D) for 8 counts. Students will have to watch the conductor for each beat so they are together and precise so the consonant doesn’t last longer than it should. Teacher will change tempos. This exercise emphasizes the importance of watching the conductor and by practicing unison consonants and diction.
P T K F
This is a ʻRepeat After Meʼ exercise on aspirate consonants. Example: p t k ff shh shh or ch p t ch p ff ff
Seven Sailors
Students will sing “Seven Siamese Sailors Sailed the Seven Salty Seas” on
Do Do Do Do Do Do Do Do Do Sol Fa Mi Re Do and sustain the last pitch longer than the rest. This is a bit of challenge at first, but will help fix the splattering of the dreaded S sound.
Aluminum Linoleum
Students will sing “Aluminum[D] Linoleum[R] Aluminum[M] Linoleum[F] Aluminum[S] Linoleum[F] Aluminum[M] Linoleum[R] Tin[D]” This exercise is geared towards diction and once the students get the hang of the words, the tempo increases until they become unintelligible. **This can also be utilized as a canon for more variance
MUSICALITY/PHRASING
Staccato Paint
Have students learn the ascending pattern: DMRFMSFLSTLDTRD (ascending thirds) Sing it on staccato up Sing it down slurred - have them paint the music
Hair Pins
Students will sing an increasing scale pattern, crescendoing on the way up the scale and decrescendoing on the way down. The goal of this exercise to develop controlled dynamic shifts D DRD DRMRD DRMFMRD DRMFSFMRD, etc to high Do.
Zee-Zah
Teacher will demonstrate ‘Zee-Zah-Zee’ exercise. This exercise starts on tonic (Zee) and goes up a major diatonic scale to Re, switch to Zah on the fifth note in the scale. After you reach Re, go back down the scale to do (and end on Zee again). Teacher will demonstrate doing this exercise by also using their arm. Start with your hand near the waist and make a full clockwise (or counterclockwise) circle in front of the body. The hand should be at the very top (12 o’ clock) on the highest note of the exercise and be back where it started at the end of the exercise. The teacher will ask students to join. Teacher will indicate whether the exercise will be going up chromatically or down chromatically by pointing up or down and singing up or down on the next pitch they will start on between each exercise. (Start on C Major)
After the students sing the exercise a few times. The teacher will stop them and ask them to start at pianissimo when their hand is at the bottom of the circle and gradually crescendo and be at fortissimo at the top of the circle and then gradually decrescendo back to pianissimo at where they started.
CHORAL SOUND
Blending- 7th chord resolution
Starting on A3, the ensemble will solfegge an ascending major scale.
When the octave is reached, sopranos sustain “do;” as the bottom three voices descend, tenors will sustain “la;” altos sustain “fa,” and basses sustain “re.”
On that chord and on my cue, the ensemble will switch to a neutral vowel (a, e, i, o, u).
Upon my cue, the bottom three voices will resolve downward stepwise. (Tenors sing “la-so,” altos sing “fa-mi,” and basses sing “re-do”)
This exercise will be repeated 3 times, the keys ascending chromatically and the ensemble singing a different neutral vowel each time. The purpose of this exercise is to have singers be conscious of vowel unification and balance among all other sections.
**This exercise is usable for SSAA and TTBB choirs also; reassign voice parts**
Blending-ascending and descending intervals
Students will sing on a neutral vowel (a-e-i-o-u) up and down the scale (d-r-m-f-s-l-t-d-r-d-t-l-s-f-m-r-d). This exercise is also usable as a canon, having two, three, or up to four groups begin 2 beats apart from each other.
Vowel Blend
Have students work on blend and choral sound by singing a major triad [SAB or SATB with sopranos doubling the bass] on the 5 Golden Choral Vowels. Change up the starting consonants to spice up life a bit every now and then.
Mee Meh Ma Mo Moo - Zee Zeh Zah Zo Zoo - Tee the Tah Toe Too – etc
Vowel Blend #2
Teacher then demonstrates the oo, ee, oh, eh, ah exercise. The oo, ee, oh, and eh vowels are all sung on the same pitch but when you get to the ah vowel you descend (diatonic) 5 notes to tonic. (Start with G Major above middle C)
This exercise starts on the oo vowel and when singing the oo pull an imaginary string forward from your forehead. When singing the ee vowel, pretend to be pulling an imaginary string from your mouth. When singing the oh vowel, make a circle with one finger around the mouth. When singing the eh vowel, lightly put your thumb and finger on the chin by the ends of your lips. When singing the ah vowel, use one or both hands and start up by the head and drop it down with the descending scale to your side.
Ask students to join after demonstrating. Teacher will show to continue the exercise again by pointing up and singing a half step up from the original oo they started on.
Alleluia
Teacher gives beginning pitch (F Major). Students sing Alleluia and listen as a group if they are blending. A-lle-lu-ia (Do, Do, Do-Re, Do) (La, La, La-Ti, La) (Fa, So, La, So, La, Ti, Do)
MISCELLANEOUS
Tempo Shifter
Students each walk to their own tempo around the room At the teacherʼs signal (like a clap), students freeze in place and tap their beat At the same signal, students begin moving again THEN - the pianist will choose a student and play a tune based on their tempo If a student realizes itʼs not their tempo, they freeze ** Or ** Students all adjust to the new tempo.
Clapping Beat
Students stand in a circle and make large clapping motions with their hands and arms (with sound) to the pulse given by the teacher Once the beat is established, the teacher begins calling out numbers
The number represents rests and students make clapping motion without sound Ex: Clap Clap 2 Shh Shh Clap Clap
Counting the Alphabet
Students sit in a circle with their legs crossed and their hands on their knees A steady tempo is established by students slapping their knees Move to alternating hands with the beat and keep the tempo steady Begin saying letters and corresponding numbers, letters get a Right knee slap and numbers get a Left knee slap Ex: A 1 B 2 C 3 etc **Can be reversed (1 A 2 B 3 C etc) <-- this is actually easier
Didjeridu Improv
This YouTube video is of a beatboxer who is beatboxing through the didj (itʼs very cool). He is rhythmically stable so students should be able to improvise simple patterns under his playing for a mental warm-up that will help their rhythmic pulse and accuracy.
I Just Want to Sing Today
Teacher will have already written the words to this warm-up on the board.
“I just want to sing today and, sing correctly all the way be - cause to sing correctly is the way -to- sing.”
Teacher will first demonstrate and sing the song to the students while playing the accompaniment on piano (starting on D Major). The melody of this is Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, Fa, Mi, Re, Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, Fa, Mi, Re, Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, Fa, Mi, Re, Do - So - Do.