Warm Up

  It Could Be the Most Important Part of Rehearsal

By: Joe Pappas

As a band and choral director for thirty two years, I have seen many students come through the doors for rehearsals.  I know to have an effective rehearsal it is important to have a lesson plan and plan to prepare the students for the physical part of the rehearsal, the warm up.

An effective warm up can establish the groundwork for the rest of the rehearsal.  I believe there are three aspects of an effective warm up; the physical preparation, the focus and sight-reading.  The following will work in all facets of performance based music classes from marching band to choral ensembles to guitar classes.

The physical preparation includes breathing exercises and warming up the muscles to prepare the instrument for performance.

To begin, have students take in a breath for four counts and exhale for eight.  After three or four repetitions, shorten the take in time and lengthen the output time.  This exercise should take a minute or two.  This is a good time to vary the tempo and have students focus on the beat pattern and tempo.

Next, begin warming up the muscles.  Vocalist can begin by singing arpeggios slowly in a descending pattern with syllables of choice.  Increase tempo, ranges up and down and note patterns as time permits.  Instrumentalists can begin by playing long tones, as a scale or chorale.  Include brass lip slurs and percussion with sticking patterns in the warm up.  I also try to include the keys of pieces I will be working later in the rehearsal for this portion of the warm up. This requires students to think about the tonal center for later use.  This part of warm up should take five to seven minutes.

The focus part of the warm up is to prepare the students for the bulk of the rehearsal and watching the director, this part would include listening, watching the director and developing technical skills.

Vocalists could begin by singing a simple choral progression in three or four parts, acapella, on one syllable.  Attention should be given to tone production, intonation and balance.

After a brief singing, move to singing the words and concentrate on diction and dynamics.  Instrumentalist should play chorales concentrating on the same musical aspects as the vocalist.  After a brief run through, move to a technical exercise or two using various types of articulations.  In both performance areas the director should vary tempo and style.  This requires the students to watch the director for visual direction from the podium.  This part of the warm up may take from three to seven minutes.

The final part of the warm up should include sight reading. I truly feel sight reading is an important part of an effective warm up.  This part of the warm up does not have to be very long.  It requires students to not only develop note and rhythm reading skills, but it also requires focusing on the director, listening to each other and develops basic musicianship from fundamentals previously taught.

For vocalists and instrumentalists, chorales are an excellent way to develop sight reading skills.  All aspects of music can be applied; tone quality, note reading, rhythm, articulation or diction, dynamics, balance and blend, breathing and phrasing, intonation, and focus on the director for direction from the podium.  After achieving success in reading chorales, advance to more technical and challenging pieces.  The length of this portion will vary depending on grade level, the type of exercises and availability of sight reading abilities.

Once the warm up routine is established students will move quickly through the warm up and are ready to begin the actual rehearsal you have planned for the day.

If rehearsal time is premium due to schedule restraints, this warm up procedure can be effective be adjusting the length of each portion or use the various aspects on alternating days.

I have found that this has been a successful way to begin each rehearsal.  If done properly it can lead to a successful, focused rehearsal and on to successful performances.

For additional information, drills and textbooks, you may contact Mr. Pappas by e-mail at www.epp@brick.net.

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