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Choral Tone ExercisesDate: July 16, 2012 by Jeremy Williams  Views: 2002
Hello All,
I'm about to begin my 2nd year of high school teaching, and I wanted to pick your brains about something: What are some exercises/warm-ups/vocalizes that you have sucessfully used to build choral tone? In the previous year, all the other building blocks were in place, but several colleagues said that the major issue they heard was quality of tone, and I realized I never even mentioned it! For shame!! Any thoughts or suggestions you might have would be most appreciated.
Yours,
Jeremy W.
Lucy Hudson Stembridge on July 16, 2012 9:07pm
Jeremy,
I started a reply, and somehow it was devoured by the cyber-monster! :)
I'll try again, with briefer suggestions:
1. Be sure they are sitting so that lungs/neck air flow is not cut off. Take big deep, relaxed breaths. Keep sheet music held w/top at chin-level, so necks are not crunched as they look down. Gotta have open, free air flow - always!
2. No tension anywhere. Keep everything energized, but not held tightly. Watch particularly neck, chin/jaw, chest. Don't imitate certain pop singers who squeeze their tones. Listen to Jackie Evancho, Charlotte Church, Josh Groban.
3. Tongues down, palates high. (No need to exaggerate, just do it enough.)
4. Send the air toward the area between the upper cheekbones (not the chin.)
5. Think of a vertical cucumber growing in the mouth (for those who appear too closed.)
6. Take an imaginary baseball in hand. Using a full arc from the shoulder, throw the "baseball" across the room - or into the next-door building. Now sing the arc that the ball made. ("ooOOoo") Don't let air/tone be stuck in your neck/chin. Gently send the air upward and forward - sort of a 45-degree angle (give or take; it's individual)
There are other ideas, but I don't want to "spill" all my professional advice on this open format. ;)
Since you are in Georgia, message me and I'll see if I am near enough to your school to come and do a vocal workshop. (or vocal "fun"-shop. :)
Best Wishes,
-Lucy
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