Warm-ups that work
Julie Yu - Director of Choral Activities Kansas State University
It dont mean a thing...
if it dont engage the students mind as well
as the body purpose
if it dont have a pertinent and valuable if you dont incorporate themes, ideas,
problem solutions and applicable materials into your warm-up
Marathon, ballet, fancy dinner? Set the pace/culture of the rehearsal Gauge the dynamic of the group Acoustical properties of time and space Fundamentals Isolation of musical concepts complex rhythms, tuning, balance, blend,
language, etc.
Why?
Wobbleato FOR YOU!
Variety....
Spice things up in your warm-ups
For your consideration
Everything in moderation Go with gravity Do you have to play? Just intonation/equal temperament The way you play Transitions Pro: Jump around
For your consideration
Cocktail party syndrome More than one warm up session Practice does not make perfect
Warm-Up components
A body in
motion
Engage the mind Breath Rhythm Articulators Consonants &
vowels
Color Tuning Dynamics Fundamental musical
concepts
No singing Male voices
Body and soul
Posture Marionette, invisible chair, etc. Shake out Slap out Stretching, kneading, massaging, chopping Tension and release
Engage the mind
Coordination Multi-tasking
Breath
Hot and cold Hissing Motorboat Breath pulses Panting
Breath to voice connection
Portamento/glissando/siren Hum on m, n, ng Yawn - sigh Trill slides Sustained voiced consonants
Mens voices
2 octaves through the break Pweep
Rhythm
SIMULTANEITY Put it in your body Practice count singing Dance Pulse
Articulators
Diction is done in the front of the mouth... Chewing Tension in the mouth Ugly face
Tongue twisters
The Leith police dismisseth us Red leather, yellow leather Thin sticks, thick bricks A twister of twists once twisted a twist Can you imagine an imaginary manager I slit the sheet, the sheet I slit, upon the
slitted sheet I sit
imagining managing an imaginary menagerie?
Vowels & Consonants
X/Y axis Troublesome r & l Diphthongs Combined consonant sounds
Color
Have the singers perform descriptive terms Instrumental sounds
Cross-indexing
Imagery I have a headache Free fall
Acoustics
Take advantage of time and space
Music fundamentals & tuning
Scales
Solfege, numbers, whatever
Chords Home key Perfect intervals Mere mortal intervals Canons
Cont.
Tonal memory Shaw Trading places Chant
Tantum ergo
Dynamics
Number = dynamic Decrescendo Terraced dynamics
Conclusion
Keep up the good work
Resources and bibliography
Albrecht, Sally K. The Choral Warm-up Collection. Van Nuys, CA: Alfred, 2003. Althouse, Jay & Russell Robinson. The Complete Choral Warm-up Book. Van Nuys, CA: Alfred, 1995. Apfelstadt, Hilary. "Choral Music in Motion: The use of movement in the choral rehearsal." Choral Journal 25:9 (1985): 37-39. Briggs, Robert. Vocal Warm-ups: From the sublime to the ridiculous. Teaching Music 7:5 (2000): 36-39. Erickson, Karle. Choral Warmups - Singing Dr. Seusss ABC. Chapel Hill: Hinshaw Music, Fenton, William C. & Sarah O. Johnson. Choral Musicianship: A Directors Guide to Better Singing. Lebanon, IN: Houston Publishing, Inc., 1990. Glover, Sally Louise. How and why vocal solo and choral warm-ups differ. Choral Journal 42:3 (2001): 17-22.warm-up Hassemann, Frauke & James Jordan. Group Vocal Technique. Chapel Hill: Hinshaw Music, 1990. Heifetz, Josefa. Preposterous Vocalises: vocal edition. San Diego: Neil A Kjos Music Co., 1987. Heizmann, Klaus. Vocal Warm Ups. Elmsford, NY: Schott, 2003. Jordan, James. The Choral Warm-up. Chicago: GIA Publications, 2005.
Resources and bibliography
Lamb, Gordon. Choral Techniques. Dubuque, IA: Wm. C. Brown Publishers, 1988. Milbrath, Rachelle L. & Nancy Pearl Solomon. Do vocal warm-up exercises alleviate vocal fatigue? Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research 46 (2003): 422-436. Nesheim, Paul. Building Beautiful Voices. Dayton, OH: Roger Dean, 1995. Stegman, Sandra Frey. Choral Warm-ups: Preparation to Sing, Listen, and Learn. Music Educators Journal 89:3 (2003): 37-40. Telfer, Nancy. Contemporary warmups: ideas for choral conductors and solo singers. Newmarket, Ont: Stuart D. Beaudoin, 1985. Telfer, Nancy. Successful Warmups:Volume I & II. San Diego: Neil A Kjos Music Co., 1995. Webb, Guy B., ed. Up Front: Becoming the Complete Choral Conductor. Boston: E.C. Schirmer, 1993.
Thank you for all you do!
Julie Yu [email protected]
