Choral Warm-Ups 2016
Compiled by Kim Watkins
Please also consider using A Daily Workout for a Beautiful Voice by Charlotte Adams
Warm-ups for Resonance
1. Yoo tee
Yoo yoo yoo yoo
yoo tee yoo tee yoo tee yo fa
2. Hmm
la la la la la la la la la la la la fa
la la la
fa la
.
Humming is easy on the cords and great for resonance. Women, open to noo and noh as you ascend. Men, change to noo or nee as you ascend.
Hmm mm
mm
mm
mm mm mm
3. Mm-ah
Humming helps focus the ah vowel. Ask students to feel vibrations in the mask.
mm ah mm ah mm ah mm ah
oo
oo
oo
4. Mee-Oh Bing
Use hand circles with shoulder taps to promote vitality and flow.
Mee oh mee oh
bing bing bing bing boo
5. Sama Soo
Sa
Initial "s" promotes breath flow while "m" promotes resonance.
ma
sa
ma
sa
ma
sa
ma
oo
oo
oo
oo
Use hand circles to promote flow and vitality. Moving up and down in half or whole step sequences helps tuning the lower of the two pitches. Change to Neh oh for more a more open sound.
6. Nee-oh
Nee oh nee oh nee oh nee oh
soo
nee
Warm-Ups for Mixing Registers
7. Vee-ee. vee-eh, vee-ah
Vee
ee vee
eh vee
ah ah ah
ah
8. Ha-kee
Ha kee
ha kee ha
ah ah ah kee
Great for warming up high register/ extending range. Use Thee-eh, thee-oh, thee-ah as well. "Th" promotes increased air flow and relaxes the tongue. Have sections hold last measure notes to create a chord.
Compiled by Kim Watkins
Choral Warm-ups (continued)
2 9. Hmm glissando
This exercise works at a 3rd or 4th also. It may be work better with smaller intervals at first. Ask students to take warm bottom tones up. Ask them to keep the high note in the same places as the low note. note . Students should use glissandos in both directions. As student improve their tendencies to over-shift, remove glissandos. This exercise works when head voice lacks richness and fundamental. This exercise works to ease unnecessary register changes.
Hmm
OR
Hmm
mm
mm
10. So-lo glissando
Glissandos help students maintain freedom and resonance. Glissandos also help students negotiate register breaks.
So lo oh 11. Mee Meh Mah
oh
Tell students to remain in high register, avoid over-shifting. This exerciese is great for register shift development.
Mee
meh
mah ah ah ah
ah
moh moo
12. Zee-oh-ah
Zee ee
oh oh ah ah ah
ah
ah
The "v"and the "ee" promote resonance. 3
13. Vee veh vah
V ee
3
veh
vah
vee
ee
veh
eh
vah
v ee ee
eh vah
ee veh eh
14. Nee-eh-ah Great for range extension and changing registers quickly. Ask students to remain in high register.
Nee ee neh eh nah ah ah
nee ee neh eh nah ah ah
nee ee neh eh nah ah ah
nee oo nee oo nee
Ask students to sing this exercise in one breath, sing it messa di voce, and to group notes. 15. Major scale intervals on numbers or solfege.
1
2
1
3
1
4
1
5
1
6
1
7
1
1
1
7
1
6
1
5
1
4
1
3
1
2
1
1
This exercise helps with interval relationships and with register changes.
16. Blah Blah
blah
blah
blah blah
blah
This exercise helps release jaw and tongue tension.
Choral Warm-ups (continued)
Tee works well to strengthen cord closure for students with thin adduction. Foo works well for singers who sing in chest voice.
17. Tee and foo
tee
tee
tee
tee
3
CONSIDER WESTON NOBLE'S #18 (oo, oh, ah, eh, ee) and #59 (Sing ee, Sing eh, Sing ah) for vowels as well.
tee
Warm-Ups to Promote Tall Vowels and Breath Support Have students open and close hands like an accordian to emphasize dynamics. Use dynamics like messa di voce.
18. Noo ee eh ah
Noo
ee
eh
ah
oo
ee
eh
ah
oo ee eh ah oo ee eh ah
oo
Explain that dynamics can be produced by opening/ closing the mouth, changing pressure, adjusting brightness, and increasing resonance. Try to complete this exercise in one breath while feeling subdivisions. 19. Thee-eh-ah
Thee ee ee ee eh eh eh eh
ah ah ah ah
OR Thoo oo oo oo
thoh oh oh oh
tha ah ah ah
ah
20. Oo ee eh ah
Oo
ee
eh
ah
oo
ee
eh
Promotes tuning descending scales. Have students rise slowly from a seated position or have students raise hands slowly while descending. Have boys sing this alone in falsetto to learn to mix head voice into low range.
ah
21. Vee-ah
Vee ah
ah ah ah
ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah
vee ah
ah ah ah
ah
22. Ho oh
Ho oh oh oh oh Ho oh oh oh oh Ho oh oh oh oh Ho oh oh oh oh Ho oh oh oh oh Ho oh oh oh oh
For # 23, Play I, IV, IV arpeggiated chords underneath on 8th notes. The arpeggiated chords promote a feeling of subdivision and spinning air. Try this exercise in one breath with a messa di voce.
23. Thoo Thoh Thah Thoh Thoo
Thoo
thoh
thah
thoh
24. I love to sing
I
Love
oh
-
to
sing!
thoo
Choral Warm-ups (continued)
4
25. Fah foh foo
Fa
ah
ah
foh
oh
oh
fah
ah
ah
foh
oh
oh
foo
Warm-ups for Diction Change initial consonant to V or P as well.
26. Pee eh peh
Zee eh zeh zee eh zee zee ai zik ky zai zee oh zoh zic ky
zai oh zee oh zoo zi cky zai zoh zoo
Make sure students have space between their molars during patter music.
27. To Be Clearly Understood
If I want my dic tion to be clear ly un der stood
lips and teeth and tip of tongue will help it to be good.
28. Picolomini
Pi co lo mi ni pi co lo mi ni pi co lo mi ni pi co
lo mi ni pi co l o mi ni pi co lo mi ni pi co lo mi ni pi
co lo mi ni pi co lo mi ni pi co lo mi ni pi co lo mi ni
29. Bumble bee 3
Bum
3
ble bum
3
ble bum
3
ble bum
ble bum
ble
bee
No pitch on the descending scale as these are voiceless consonants. 30. Voiced and unvoiced consonants
bb
bb
bb
bb
pp
pp
pp
pp
Change consonant combinations. Th/ Th V/F Place shadow vowel "ih" after D/T voiced consonants. G/K Z/S J/Sh Dz/ Ch
pp
31. Zinga Zing
Zin
ga
zin
ga
zin
ga
zin
ga
zing
zing
zing
Choral Warm-ups (continued)
5
Change text to 1. nama mana mia 2. bella bella dona 3. prima prima dona
32. Papagena
P a pa pa pa ge
nah
pa pa pa pa geh
nah
pa pa pa pa geh
eh
nah
33. Lah beh dah meh
Lah ah beh eh dah ah meh eh
nee ee poh oh too oo lah ah
beh
34. Bum biddly
Bum
3
3
3
bid dl
y bid dl
y bid dl
y
bum
35. Zinga Zinga Za
Zin ga zin ga za zin ga zin ga za
zin ga zin ga za zin ga zin ga za
zin ga zin ga zin ga zin ga za
36. Lah beh dah meh nee poh too
lahbehdahmehneepohtoolah beh dah meh nee poh too lah behdah beh dah meh nee poh too lah beh dah dah meh meh nee nee poh poh too too lah lah beh beh
37. Lah beh dah meh nee poh too with syllablic stress changes
lahbehdahmehneepohtoolah behdah mehnee poh too lah beh dahmehneepohtoolahbehdah mehneepohtoolahbehdahmeh
nee poh too lah beh dah meh nee poh too lah beh dah meh nee poh too lah beh dah meh nee poh too
lah
38. The lips, the teeth, the tip of o f the tongue
The
lips, the teeth, the tip of the tongue, the
tip of the, tip of the, tip of the tongue.
Choral Warm-ups (continued)
6 39. The Big Black Bug
The big
black bug
bit the big
black bear
and the
big black bear bled bad
40. Syllablic combinations for diction practice.
OR
OR
Double or triple the length of the exercise to improve breath control Use these possible vowel/ consonant combinations: Snee-oh (promotes good breath flow, resonance and roundness) Pree-oh (promotes lifted palate, tongue release, and resonance) Ming-uh (promotes resonance and forward placement) Puti poo (promotes lifted palate and resonance) Nyoo (promotes resonance, forward tongue, and roundness) Doo bee (promotes roundness and resonance) Kya Kyo (promotes lifted palate and forward tongue placement) Vio-la (promotes brightness and forward tongue placement) Diphthong and tripthong words in music (like, house, tour) Words with r, l, m, or n in the middle Christmas (helps practice long vowels and short consonants, especially s) Short word combinations like: Dog Stuff Love Cat Sun Fox Mark Well Fire Wood Pop Pez Nice Mum Way Far
Weston Noble's Building Beautiful Voices exercises 31 (A Cup of Proper Coffee) and 33 (Yellow Leather) are great for additional diction diction exercises. Warm-Ups for Agility and Range Extension 41. Thee-eh-ah
Thee
ee
ee
eh
eh
eh
ah
ah
ah
42. Melismatic Thee-eh-ah
thee ee ee ee ee
theh eh eh eh eh
thah ah ah ah ah ah ah
ah ah
ah ah ah ah
ly.
Choral Warm-ups (continued)
"Ya" helps keep the vowel forward while "th" loosens the tongue. Staccati lift the soft palate.
43. Thee-eh-ah melismatic extended
Thee ee e e ee ee ee
7
theh eh eh eh eh
tha ah ah ah ah
ah
ya
ya
44. Fa nine note scale
Fa
ah
ah
ah
ah
ah
ah
ah
ah
ah
ah
ah
ah
ah
ah
ah
ah
Start slowly. Consider swinging or dotting rhythms. Teach students to group pitches. Insert consonants between each note to help students secure exercise (Doo-bee). Practice staccato with "h" in between notes and then take the "h" away. Listen for glottal attacks.
45. Fa advanced melisma
Fa ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah
fa ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah
ah
46. Pree preh
Pree
ee
ee
preh
eh
eh
ah
ah
proh
oh
oh
Staccati will help raise the palate while zee will focus the tone. Make sure the staccati are abdominal and not glottal.
47. Zee eh ah
Z ee
prah
ee
eh
ah
ah
ah
ah
ah
ah
48. Fayah advanced exercise
Fa
ya
ah
ah
ah
ah
ah
ah
ah
ah
ah
ah
ah
ah
ya
Choral Warm-ups (continued)
8
Fo/fa and thoo/thoh work as well. Ask students to clap hands with a neighbor on beats 2 and 4.
49. Yoh Yah
Yoh
Yah
Yoh
Yah
Yoh
Yah
Yoh
Yah
Yoh
Yah
Yoh
Yah
Yoh
Yah
Yoh
Yah
Non-major Warm-Ups 50. Jack and Jill
Jackand Jackand Jillwen Jillwentt up the the hill hill to fetch a pail of wa ter Jack Jack felldownand felldownand broke broke his his crownand crownand Jillcam Jillcametum etum blin bling g af Thoo Thoo
51. Thoo
Thoo
oo
oo
oo
oo
oo oo
52. Loo minor
Loo
oo
oo
oo
oo
oo
Change the high note to a D for two perfect 5ths. Great ear-training. This exercise helps develop smooth register transitions. Ask students to stay in high register throughout. Advise minimal register shifting.
loh
loo
oo
oo
oo
low
Advise students to put more energy into slow, minor exercises. They should not let the tempo drag. Demonstrate pure oo vowel with an owl hoot. Release the jaw to increase oo purity and space, especially encourage space between molars. The oo vowel is often infected with ee. Insist on a pure vowel. 53. No ah Perfect fourths
No
ah
no
ah
no
This exercise is great for ear-training, e ar-training, negotiating registers, and range extension. No-ah promotes resonance and roundness of tone.
54. Many mumbling mice
Ma ny mum bling mice are mak ing mid night mus ic in the moon light migh ty nice
migh ty nice.
Choral Warm-ups (continued) 9 Use multiple vowels during warm-ups to free the tongue/ jaw, etc. Move vowels more with the tongue than with w ith the lip and jaw. To free "ah", alternate "tee-ah" rapidly. It will result in proper placement, resonance, and in a free sound.
55. Pah poh oo ee
3
3
Pah
ah
3
poh
56. Taya thah oh oo
oh
poo
o
oo
ee
oo
ee
oo
ee
oo
ee
oo
3
3
Ta ya ya
ya
ya ya
ya
that ah
ah
ah tho oh
oh oh
thoo
Great ear-training exercise. Work on having the same freedom in the final two measures. Work on tuning the last two measures.
57. Too toh
Too oo oo toh oh oh too oo oo toh oh oh too oo oo toh oh oh too oo oo toh oh oh
too
Try to complete the exercise in one breath. Change to Thoo/thoh to get more breath flow. Spend breath on ascending scale, save it on the descending scale. Add I, IV, V, I chords. Feel the subdivisions to get through the phrase. No diphthong on toh.
Canons as warm-ups
Also consider 150 Rounds for Singing by Edward Bolkovac and Judith Johnson
58. One Bottle of Pop
1.One
3
3
bot tle of pop
two
bot tles of pop
3
five
2.Don't
don't
3.Fish
three
3
bot tles of pop
3
bot tles of pop
throw
throw
3
six
your
your
and
trash
trash
chips
and
my
in
my
vin
e
bot tles of pop
3
bot tles of pop
in
four
back
back
gar
sev'n
yard
yard
vin
bot tles of pop
my
back
my
back
e
gar
yard
pop
my
yard's
back
full.
vin
e
gar
yard
Choral Warm-ups (continued)
10
58. (Continued) One Bottle of Pop
Fish
and
59. Freedom Train
This
bo
and
vin
e
gar
f ree
can af
dom
train
ford
Free dom gim me that
to
is
such
wait so
do
do
re
mi
fa
re
sol
3
4
do
do
fa
a
gar
pop.
time com in'
long
board it
2
Do
e
while it's
run
nin'
ain't
no
gim me that
Free dom gim me that free dom free dom free dom chick a chick
60. Do Re Round
1
vin
Enter 1 or 2 measures apart
old
dy
chips
mi
re
re
mi
do
re
do
re
do
do
mi
fa
sol
re
la
sol
mi
fa
fa
mi
mi
re
re
do
do
do
re
mi
fa
mi
la
sol
re
ti
la
ti
do
do
la
sol
do
do ti
la sol
fa
do
mi
re
ti
fa sol la
do
do
ti
do
re
do
do
do ti
ti
mi
fa
la
s ol
ti
la sol fa mi
la
ti
do
do
ti
do
fa sol la
ti
la
ti
do
sol
la
fa
sol
do ti
Choral Warm-ups (continued)
11
la sol fa mi
re mi fa sol
la ti
do
do ti
la sol
fa mi re do
re mi fa sol
la ti do
Once students learn this in unison, they can try it in canon. Then, return to unison and leave out certain solfege syllables and clap where solfege would occur if sung. Then, incorporate the clapping into the round. 62. Lai lai round
1
2
lai lai lai lai lai lai lai
3
lai lai lai lai lai
lai
lai
lai lai lai lai lai
lai lai lai lai lai
lai
Have students move to increase energy in minor. Also, keep a faster tempo. Be mindful of tuning on descending passages. 63. Sing a little
2
1
sing a
lit tle si s ing a
lit tle ah
ah
ah!
sing a
lit tle si s ing a
lit tle ah
ah
ah!
3
sing a lit tle sing a lit tle ah ah ah
sing a lit tle sing a lit tle ah ah ah!
ah
ah!
64. Hava Nashira
1
Ha
-
va
-
va
na
-
shi
-
ra
shir
ha
-
le
-
lu
-
ja.
shi
-
ra
shir
ha
-
le
-
lu
-
ja.
2
Ha
-
na
3
Ha
-
va
na
-
shi
-
ra
shir
ha
-
le
-
lu
-
ja.
Choral Warm-ups (continued)
12
65. The Alligator Song
1
2
Have you
ther
you'll
do,
find
he's
3
ev - er been to the wa - ter spout to the
a
lit - tle al - li - ga - tor wh who
mine.
I
wa - ter spout and now
I'm
feel - ing
lost
goes
him.
ver - y bot - tom of the wa - ter sys - tem
by the na n ame
of
Al - fred
If
you
I
lone - ly 'cause he's gone.
threw
I
him
down
the
miss miss him. him.
Students can tap the beat on each other's right shoulder to keep the canon together. Ask students to lean forward and whisper text to practice enun ciation. Canon enters after "Have you ever been." Canon can begin after "Have you ev-" for an atonal sound.
Warm-ups with harmonies 66. For SSA Choirs
S1 holds the g on the way down the scale. scale. S2 holds the e. A holds c.
No
ah
no
ah
no
ah
no
ah
no
67. For SATB Choirs S holds the the c on the way down the scale. A holds the a. T holds holds f. Bass holds the d. Then, they transition to the final two chords.
Choral Warm-ups (continued)
13
68. Bo Bo with 2-pt harmony
Soprano
Bo
bo
bo
bo
veh ya
veh
ya
veh
ya
veh
ya
veh
ya
veh
Bo
bo
bo
bo
veh ya
veh
ya
veh
ya
veh
ya
veh
ya
veh
Alto
69. Mee meh mah moh moo for SATB Choir in 4-pt harmony Soprano
Mee
meh
mah
moh
moo
Alto
Mee
Tenor
Mee
Bass
Mee
meh
mah
moh
moo
meh
mah
moh
moo
meh
mah
moh
moo
Sing these chords and move up or down by half steps at the end of each 2 measure sequence. Change dynamics and articulation at each half step and make student dependent on gesture for these changes.
