We all know how important it is to warm up before singing. But with a school choir, it can be hard to remember to fit in warm-up time! There’s so much to prepare for; concerts, competitions, graduations, communions and confirmations. Not to mention the short amount of time to rehearse at lunch time or after school. However, in all my years teaching young adult and primary school choirs, I have picked up a few fun and memorable choral warm-ups which will prepare kids for the singing you have to get done!
A few quick tips would be to keep it short, easy and fun! The crazier the better, actually. I find my boys choir love the funny and wacky ones. Here’s five epic kids choir warm ups to try at your next choir rehearsal!
- Bob’s Got a Head Like a Ping-Pong Ball
This one is a favourite with children and adults alike. It’s to the tune of the William Tell Overture, which will be known to some choir members from movies and TV. I’ve heard this used in many choir rehearsals; some people like to use “Bob”, “Johnny”, “Paul” or even “Papa” as the above link does.
Why It Works: It gives singers a chance to warm up their diction, there are different pitches in it, and mostly – it’s a lot of FUN!
2. Doh is Like a Rock
This is a little tune that is based on the Solfa scale from Doh. It helps kids to practice their Solfa hand signs, remember them a little easier, and also sing the major scale. Win-win!
It goes a little something like this:
Doh is like a rock, re is like a ramp, mi is like a table, fa thumbs down, sol is like a wall la is like a hook, ti one finger, do is like a rock.
Why it works: It’s easy to do, the actions keep the kids focused on the song, and it’s just a great way to tune their ear in to using Solfa.
3. I Sigh To Sing
This is a great warm up for all types of singers, as the video above demonstrates. I normally use it with the kids with the phrase “How Cool Am I?”, because they like taht better! The same goes for adult choirs when used!
Why it works: You’re covering all your bases here, with developing musicality, warming up the jaw, and moving from the chest voice to the head voice with ease.
4. Five Note Scale
Have fun with the 5 note scale! Ascending and Descending: I normally try and start with ascending. The above video is extremely handy to practice with, and covers both bases.
When I first started working with my boys choir, they were not at all used to ascending up scales. They weren’t experienced with the scale, and it did take them a lot of practice to get the idea of it. So here’s how I made it FUN!
I used funny rhymes and rhythms that helped them to enjoy learning! The best one which I picked up from another kids choir I was lucky enough to witness was “Mama made me mash my M&M’s”. To this day, the kids in my choir still love it and they have since become masters of the scale! We’re still working on descending though!
Why it works: It practices a key skill of scale work, develops their knowledge of the scales, and warms up the voice entirely!
5. Bella Mama
This is a lovely song that I only learned recently, but as soon as it was introduced to me at a choir workshop I started using it the very next day in school! The lyrics “bella mama” just conjure up a simple image of a mother, and everyone can relate to the theme of motherly love and appreciation! So this song can be used in a round in different ways, which is a key skills you will want your kids choir to work on.
Why it works: It transcends all language barriers, practices the notion of rounds, and helps to get the children ready for singing in alternate groups. Also it sounds pretty sweet when you hear this walking down the corridor!
To conclude this blog post, I hope you got some use out of these warm ups. I find even when I teach a warm up to my adult choir, I can never be sure if they are all enjoying it but I really know the importance of warming up before launching into a singing rehearsal. With the kids choir, I know they are enjoying it because it’s a bit of fun for them and they love the crazy melodies. Maybe I should try be a bit more crazy with the adults and get them out of their shell 🙂 These were picked up over a good few years of teaching choir and I’m still coming up with knew ones to use to this day! As you can see, I mostly pick up my ideas from other choirs I’ve been in or from other choir teachers. In another blog post I’ll share with you more exciting ways to start a kids choir practice. Until then, keep warming up!
Ciara.
Music Múinteoir 