Building the Adolescent Voice

Part A

Developing Vocal Technique in the Choral

Rehearsal

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Using fun and upbeat warm-ups and exercises not only keeps choristers engaged in rehearsal but also improves vocal technique, sight reading, and camaraderie in the

choir. Part A will provide a number of vocal exercises and information on vocal development and Part B will incorporate these exercises and ideas into repertoire

Finding the CoreBreathing, Breathing, Breathing!

Teaching proper breathing technique is crucial to healthy vocal development.

A supported voice has flexibility and freedom and can easily stretch and build the vocal range.

Breathing is Believing

Lie on the floor and identify the five different points of breathing – Rule of OppositesStomach vs Low BackChest vs Upper BackRight Side vs Left Side

Curl up into a ball and breathe into lower back. This restricts the stomach from over-extending and engages the rest of the breathing apparatus.

Exercises to Create Breath Awareness

Cow/Cat StretchGet into hands and knees positionInhale while arching the back up as a cat

stretchingExhale while collapsing the back and swinging the

hips through the arms while mooing.

Shoulder StretchOn hands and knees, breathe inOn the exhale, bring one arm under the body and

try to touch the shoulder to the floor. Repeat on the other side.

Exercises to Create Breath Awareness

Hanging Upside Down with GreetingBending at the waist, keep the arms, knees,

and head looseTwist slightly to the right and greet your right

footTwist slightly to the left and greet your left footTake a big breath in and get a little closer to

the floor and greet the floor

Exercises to Create Breath Awareness

Chair Bridging ExerciseSit in a chair and lean forward, placing the

elbows on the knees.Support head on hands and breathe by

releasing the collarbone and isolating the back muscles.

Exercises to Create Breath Awareness

Vacuum ExerciseWhile bending over, push all of the air out of the

body on a “sh” – be aggressive! It’s not about the length of the “sh” but instead more about getting rid of the air

When you get to the bottom and the air is gone, don’t breathe.

Stand up, find strong posture, don’t breatheBreathe by allowing the throat to open and

focusing on one of the five points of breathing to avoid gasping for air.

This is a great exercise to use in rehearsal of a piece.

Exercises to Create Breath Awareness

There are three main physiological issues that restrict breath management that should constantly be addressed in the course of a rehearsal.

1. Tongue Placement2. Lip Tension3. Chin Position

Breathing Issues

The tongue is one of the strongest muscles in the body and REALLY likes to help, especially when breath flow isn’t well-developed.

When the tongue pulls back, it blocks the flow of air and creates tension in the vocal mechanism.

The tongue should live in the bottom of the mouth, with the tip touching the teeth and the root of the tongue loose.

Tongue Placement

Exercises to Release the Tongue:Singing with the tongue outside the mouthHands on neck, thumb on chinSinging while massaging the root of the tongue

with the thumbOpposites demonstration – can you feel the

difference?

The more the tongue can release, the clearer and more articulate the sound will be

Tongue Placement

Even if the tongue is free and lying flat in the bottom of the mouth, the lips can still engage and pull down , blocking the flow of breath and cutting off the overtones while singing.Happy Kitty Whiskers = Happy Depressor

MusclesVowel Shape Mirror ExerciseGrapes and RaisinsSinging Through the OhBreathing Through the Vowel

Lip Tension

Many times, when the tongue is pulled back, or the lips pulled down or back, the chin is engaged and is lifted quite high, especially when young singers are trying to reach higher notes.Hands on neck, thumbs on chinPartner singing holding the sides of the headPartner singing from the back with hand on headThumb on chin, pinky on chestOpposites exercise – can you feel the difference?

When the chin is too lifted, it compresses the flow of air through the larynx and compresses the vocal mechanism, restricting the flow of air and creating a tight, locked sound.

Chin Position

Major Scales – can also be sung on vowels

Major Arpeggios – can also be sung on vowels

Easy Exercises to Allow Focus on Lips, Tongue and Chin

Development of the Singing VoicePlacement, Placement, Placement!

Many popular teaching books for music educators cater to the teacher and not the singer.

These songs and exercises are often too low!Healthy vocal development relies on the use

and development of head voice, mixed voice, and chest voice.

Developing a balanced voice is key.

So Low!

SirensLaughingMonkey SoundsBoomerang – don’t forget to catch it!Sighs from below, not just aboveSliding fifths on “m”Sliding octaves while flubbing

Stress Free Exercises to Connect the Registers

The augmented second of the harmonic minor scale is a great stretch that forces the singer to access an alternate register.

Exercises That Develop Vocal Agility

Major Third Exercise again allows access to a different register via the fourth.

Exercises That Develop Vocal Agility

The melodic minor scale also develops agility as well as aural skills and encourages freedom of the voice in both ascending and descending passages.

It becomes more challenging when sung on a single vowel, with the back vowels of ah and oh more difficult than the front vowels ee and ay.

Exercises That Develop Vocal Agility

The minor arpeggio is also good to develop agility as it forces the singer to deal with a large interval higher up in the range.

This can also be sung on vowels.

Exercises That Develop Vocal Agility

Connecting Expressivity and Vocal TechniqueIntent, Intent, Intent!

When a singer is able to communicate the meaning of the text, without schmacting, they understand intent.

Singers must have the dramatic thought, breathe the intent, and sing the emotion.

When studying repertoire, agree as group on the emotions throughout the piece and practice breathing in the emotion.

Connecting Breath and Emotion

Zoh!Make up various words and deliver them at

various pitches, having the choir echo you.Incorporate different expressions and dramatic

intentions.Have your singers lead the exercise.

Sing it like a….Cheerleader, Country Singer, Opera Singer….

Make it sound….Happy, Perky, Encouraging, Sad, Sympathetic

Exercises to Develop Expressivity

Learning to ReadPractice, Practice, Practice!

One of the main things singers struggle with when sight reading is keeping track of the tonic and dominant notes.

Exercises which help singers feel the pull of the tonic are helpful in developing reading ability.

Developing a Sense of Key

Interval Exercise

Exercises to Develop Tonal Memory

Building the Scale – can also be sung as a round

After the choir has the exercise figured out, start leaving out various notes.

Exercises to Develop Tonal Memory

Alternating Arpeggios – start by singing a major arpeggio, then sing the same arpeggio in the tonic minor.

You could also change the pattern every time by calling out minor or major (or dominant seventh) and then playing the root of the chord.

Exercises to Develop Tonal Memory

Chromatic Scales are incredibly difficult to sing but they are great for teaching singers to feel the difference between rising semitones and falling semitones.

Exercises to Develop Tonal Memory

Body AwarenessMove, Move, Move!

It is easy to allow the voice to work without total body connection. This often results in a light, breathy tone, or a pushed, strained tone.

Any time singers are allowed to move to develop the muscle memory of connection of voice and body will help singers develop greater depth of sound.

Connecting the Body and the Voice

Boot CampJumping JacksPush UpsSit UpsBicycle SitsPlanks

Arm Circles and Twisty TurniesSinging Upside Down1234 Arm/Leg shakesHand Consonants

Exercises to Develop Body Connection

Movements do not have to be elaborate – arm movements, bending of the knees, kicking the legs, flailing the arms, anything to get the body moving are all great additions to the choral rehearsal.

Exercises to Develop Body Connection

Beyond Singing: Blueprint for the Exceptional Choral Program by Stan McGill and Elizabeth Volk

Choral Charisma: Singing with Expression by Tom Carter

Bumblebee!: Rounds & Warm-Ups for Choirs by Michael Griffin

Building the Youth Choir: Training and Motivating Teenage Singers by John Yarrington

How Does Your Choir Grow? By David F DonathanRCM Voice Syllabus

Additional Resources

One of the best resources in Alberta for choral music and resources is the Alberta Choral Federation.

Workshops Works grants for clinicsChoralfest and Evaluator ShadowingMusic Conference AlbertaAlberta Youth Choir and Alberta Children’s

ChoirLibrary rentalswww.albertachoralfederation.ca

Alberta Choral Federation

Questions?