Time to warm up

Besides it being sub-zero outside right now, I thought I would describe how we warmed up our voices in music class. Given that in 40 minutes you can't spend much time on any one topic vocal warm-ups become a challenge to make them work on more than one level. Here's approximately 8 minutes worth.

• Ear training
• Harmony
• Part Singing
• Having Fun

We would begin with "Mi, mi, mi" (in my case on Ab). Then progressing by 1/2 steps upwards, changing Mi to Ma, Mo, Ribbit, Quack, Toy Boat. Then we begin Do, Re, Mi from Do to Do and backwards to Do adding Do, So, Do, So Do- then 1/2 step up to the new Do- hold briefly then begin again. For 4 part harmony training we break the class into 4 groups and sing up and down 1-3-5-octave-5-3-1 with La, la, la, la la, la la-holding the final note. Each group then is assigned a different note of the 4 note chord to actually finish the sequence. This gives you a nice full chord to hear. Move the exercise up by 1/2 steps.
For fun part singing keep the groups intact and start singing rounds. (I especially liked accompanying a four-part Frere Jacques with deliberately Stravinski-esk atonal accompaniment.)

• Frere Jacques
• Row, Row, Row Your Boat
• Three Blind Mice
• How Doth the Little Alligator?