SANTA MONICA HIGH SCHOOL THEATRE
Vocal Warmup Exercises - Winter 2006
  1. Physical (Loosens up the body and vocal chamber)
    1. Chopping, either direction. Massaging, either direction.
    2. Stretching and jaw massages.
    3. Breathing Exercises (This will help you sustain long notes!)


  2. Establishing Head Tone Placement/Opening Throat
    1. Glissando down from a high note in your head voice softly and lightly.
      This should be done on an "ahh" with sound production remaining high.
    2. 5-4-3-2-1 on
      1. Mm-ah, Mm-ah, Mm-ah, Mm-ah, Mm-ah
      2. Mm-oh, Mm-oh, Mm-oh, Mm-oh, Mm-oh
      3. Mm-oo, Mm-oo, Mm-oo, Mm-oo, Mm-oo
      4. Hm-m-m-m-m
      5. Nee-ee-ee-ee-ee
      6. Nee-ee-ay-ay-ah
    3. 1-3-2-4-3-5-4-2-1 on
      1. ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah
    4. 5-4-4-3-3-2-2-1-1 on any of the above exercises


  3. Vitality and Animation:
    (Facial animation, personal communication and expression)
    1. 1-3-5-3-1 on
      1. Ya-ha-ha-ha-ha
      2. Nee-ay-ah-ah-ah *(Note jaw placement)
    2. 1-3-5-8-5-3-1 on -- same as above
      *on both exercises holding the top note is the point of this exercise.


  4. Articulation and Diction:
    1. 1-3-2-4-3-5-4-6-5-7-6-8-7-9-8, 10-8-9-7-8-6-7-5-6-4-5-3-4-2-[1-3-5- b 7]
      on: bum-ble-bee-ee, etc... (top range alto/sop sing on ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
      We always harmonize the last chord on [ 1-3-5- b7 ]
    2. B. 1-1-b3-b3-1, 1-5-5-5-5-5, 5-3-1 on:
      ma-ny-mum-bling-mi-ce, are-ma--king-mid-nite-music-in-the-moon-lite, mi-tee-ni-ce!
    3. Red-leather, yellow-leather, etc... on a famous tune.


  5. Building Range and Flexibility:
    1. 1-2-3-4-5, b6, 5-4-3-2-1 on (Ee-ee-ee-ee-e, a, a-a-a-a-ah)
    2. 1-3-5-8, 7-8-9, 8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 on (Ya-a-a-a, a-a-a, a-a-a-a-a-a-ah)
    3. 1-3-5-8, 8, 8-5-3-1 on (Ee-ee-ee-ee, ay, a-a-a-ah)
    4. 1-2-3-2, 7-1-2-1, 6-7-1-6-5; 4-5-6-5, 3-4-5-4, 2-3-4-2-1 on (ah)


  6. Perfecting Sound and Resonance (Establishing a good tone)
    1. Nee-ay-ah-ay-ee on (softly on a sustained pitch) = bright vowels
    2. Noo-oh-aw-oh-oo on (softly on a sustained pitch) = dark vowels
    3. Mah-may-me-mo-mu on (softly on a sustained pitch) = M resonance
    4. 5-8-5-3-1 on Ya-ah-ah-ah-ah (involve body & expression)
    5. 1-3-5-8-5-3-1 on ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah (dropping jaw/higher)
    6. 1-3-5, 4-6-8, 5-7-2, 8-5-3-1 on Ya-a-a, a-a-a, a-a-a, a-a-a-ah...
      I  IV  V7  I   <- Chord progression


  7. Interval Relationships and Pitch Exercises
    1. Match random pitches to the piano.
    2. B. m2, M2, m3, M3, P4, TT, P5, m6, M6, m7, M7, and P8 over 8 counts.
      (We reach up, and skim down. Going down is always closer than up.)
    3. Building a chord progression from a unison pitch:
      Sop: C - F - F - E
      Alto: G - A - B - C
      Ten: E - C - D - G
      Bass: C - F - G - C - then up by half step, etc...
    4. Major mode (Ionian)
      1, 1-2-1-2-3-2-1-2-3-4-3-2-1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1-2-3-4-5-6-5-4-3-2-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
      (we do each series twice)
      1. skipping 3's
      2. skipping 4's
      3. skipping 3's and 5's
      4. skipping 5's and 6's
      5. random cast shout out!
    5. Aeolian (Minor mode) = (1-2-b3-4-5-b6-b7-8)
    6. Phrygian = (1-b2-b3-4-5-b6-b7-8)