Choral Warm-Ups Handout

This is the handout from a choral warm-up that I did in my Voice and Choral Methods class with a partner:

Choral Warmups Janelle & Genevieve

from Teaching Kids to Sing Vol. 5 (TKTS)

1. Physical WarmUp: The Shakedown

Stand in a circle as a group, with enough room so that you don’t bump into each other. Start with your right first, and raise it up in the air above your head. As a group, count 1-2-3-4-

5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16 and shake your fist on each count as if you’re punching the air or cheering. Then do the same with your left fist (16 counts). Next is your right foot - shake it as if you’re doing the hokey pokey - for 16 counts. Finally the left foot, same thing.  Do it as fast as you can! The point is to get blood flowing and energize the room. Next, cut the count in half: right fist 8, left fist 8, right foot 8, left foot 8. Then 4 on each, then 2, then 1. By the time you are at 1, it’s just a big jumble - this is ok. It should be fun!

2. Breathing: The Dog Pant

This exercise is used to work on breath support and endurance. First, we will start by taking several slow, deep breaths in and out. You will also need to place your hand on your abdomen and move it outwards when you inhale and back inwards when you exhale. Do this eight times, and then try it again, but slightly faster. Make sure you are breathing deeply through your mouth, and not shallowly from your nose or chest. Also make sure you are relaxed and not raising your shoulders as you breathe - this indicates tension! Next, try to inhale and then hold your breath for four seconds, and then exhale slowly for four seconds. This exercise is a great way to help yourself relax and improve your air support. It also allows you to actively examine how much air you are actually utilizing when you sing.

3. Diction: Fish and Chips and Vinegar

Part A & B

Part C

Part D

It is assumed that this diction exercise would be used with a song your choir is working on, but we have chosen this familiar Round with fun lyrics for our exercise, as did Kenneth Phillips in Teaching Kids to Sing. Pay attention to the following words:

• vinegar: say vi-ni-gah
• pepper, winter, summer: pep-pah, win-tah, sum-mah
• when: hoo-en
• doesn’t matter at: pronounce every syllable and remove R from matter
• don’t: pronounce T
• dust-pan: don’t say “dusspan” and say pahn
• bottle: don’t swallow the t
• of: don’t say “uh”
• pop: make it pop!

To go through the exercise with students, first say the key words, have your students repeat you and correct any mistakes. Have students try to move your lips very purposefully and exaggerate as if someone had to try to lip-read what you’re saying. Then say the words in rhythm, and lastly sing.

4. Resonance: Balance and Resonance in the Middle Voice (# 69, TKTS)

The following exercise is to blend the upper high, light part of the voice with the lower, deeper part of the voice. Try not to sound too light on the lower notes and try not to sound too heavy on the higher notes. The following should be sung with the syllable “Yah” on each note.

5. Flexibility (#75, TKTS)

In this exercise, we will work on flexibility and agility by singing the scale pattern below to the syllables “coo-oo foo foo”. The “coo-oo” will be the notes that are sung legato, and “foo foo” will be the staccato notes. Once you have sung through this and it feels comfortable, increase the tempo.