HS Choir Vocal Warm-ups

5/12-5/16

1. Focus warm-up: Amazing Grace
GOALto focus student attention at the beginning of class; to prepare students voice,
body, and mind for singing exercises.
a. Monday on vowel Ah
b. Tuesday on vowel Eh
c. Wednesday on vowel Ee
d. Thursday on vowel Oh
e. Friday on vowel Oo
2. Breathing warm-ups
GOALto focus student breathing and to develop quality breath support
a. Monday: breathe in through a straw, out on a hiss; in for 4 beats, out for 8 beats;
in for 8 beats, out until out of air
b. Tuesday: breathe in through the nose, out like a horse; breathe in through the
nose, out with rolled r; breathe in through nose, out trying to do both
c. Wednesday: while holding your sides just under rib cage, breathe in and out (they
should feel their rib cage expanding; if not, they are breathing incorrectly); still
holding sides, breathe in deeply and immediately sigh as soon as youve reached
breath capacity; repeat twice
d. Thursday: breathe in deeply and out on concentrated hum (count how long they
can hold the hum); breathe in shallowly (where shoulders move up and down) and
out on hum (count how long they can hold that hum); compare length and point
out to students; breathe in deeply and out on concentrated hum again
e. Friday: pretend to throw a Frisbee while sighing, starting high at release of
Frisbee, and gradually dropping in tone while breathing out
3. Vocalization warm-ups
GOALto focus student sound and prepare voice for singing
a. Monday: Vi-Ve-Va-Ve-Vi in triads; I love to Sing arpeggio
b. Tuesday: We-oh-we-oh-we-oh-we-oh-we in triads; Show-low-show arpeggio
c. Wednesday: Mommy made me mash my m&ms (do-sol); ya-ah-ya-ah-ya-ah
arpeggio
d. Thursday: Lip buzz/rolled r (do-sol); Bumble bee triads
e. Friday: Do-re-mi-fa-sol-fa-mi-re-do; do-do-re-do (and up the scale)
4. Range Development warm-ups
GOALto develop individual student vocal range and range of choir as whole
a. Monday: Zee-ah (do-sol and back down scale) HIGH; ma-me-mi-mo-mu down
from fifth LOW
b. Tuesday: arpeggio up with portamento at top and scale back down on Ee-Ah
HIGH; hold syllable Ni on fifth for several seconds then move down the scale
LOW
c. Wednesday: Zee-ah (do-sol and back down scale) HIGH; ma-me-mi-mo-mu
down from fifth LOW
d. Thursday: arpeggio up with portamento at top and scale back down on Ee-Ah
HIGH; hold syllable Ni on fifth for several seconds then move down the scale
LOW
e. Friday: Zee-ah (do-sol and back down scale) HIGH; ma-me-mi-mo-mu down
from fifth LOW
5. Agility warm-up
GOAL: to improve student vocal agility and flexibility
a. Monday-Friday: arpeggio up and down, on syllable ha
6. Group warm-up
GOAL: mold individual sounds into cohesive corporate sound
a. Monday: Ah-eh-ee-oh-oo (do, sol, do, mi), moving up and down by half steps
b. Tuesday: Ma-meh-mee-moh-moo (do, sol, do, mi), moving up and down by half
steps
c. Wednesday: Ah-eh-ee-oh-oo (do, sol, do, mi), moving different voice parts at
different times while other students remain on same notes
d. Thursday: Ah-eh-ee-oh-oo (do, sol, do, mi), moving different voice parts at
different times while other students remain on same notes
e. Friday: Ma-meh-mee-moh-moo (do, sol, do, mi), moving up and down by half
steps