Molly Schaefer

Date: 3-4-15
Physical, Breathing, and Vocal Warm Ups
Grade: 7th and 8th
Objectives:
1. Students will be able to sing with a connected breath.
2. Students will get rid of any tension.
3. Students will get mid-voice connected.
4. Students will work on extending the higher and lower ranges.
5. Students will be able to sing legato phrases.
6. Students will be able to use articulators.
Materials:
A piano or keyboard
Procedures:
1. Teacher will start with physical warm ups, and explain why the specific warm up is
important in singing while demonstrating.
Physical Warm-ups:
1. Arm Stretch
Extending arms into the sky, reaching as high as possible without being on your tip
toes.
Interlock fingers and turn them so the palm of the hand is facing upward.
Reach to the left side, to the right side.
2. Neck Stretch and Face Muscle Massage
Place the right hand on the top, left side of the head and gently pull toward the right to
feel a stretch.
Continue with other side.

 Look down to the floor and nod your head yes and no.
Gently massage your forehead, temples, cheeks, swallowing muscles, jaw bone.
3. Hip Wiggle
Pretend to bump your neighbor out of the way! (But not really)
Pretend youre bringing it around town like Sponge Bob
4. Knee Bend
Bend your knees slowly
This is to make sure they are not locked.
Remember this while singing.
5. Rag Doll
Reach down to the toes, knees unlocked.
Remind students to roll up slowly.
End with a shoulder roll.
Breathing:
1. Breathing low with the Diaphragm.

Reminder of allignment.
Inhale deeply with hands on stomach.
Exhale.
Repeat the inhaling procedure but let out on an s.
Repeat the inhale procedure and s for the exhale, but pulsate the s. (s s s)
Three quarter notes followed by a quarter note rest.

Breathing/Vocal
1. Lip Buzz
If you cant buzz your lips, you can roll the R instead.
Scale degree 1-5 and back down.
Start on C4
Teacher will model exercise first, then ask choir to repeat.

Vocal:
1. Toy Boat
Tongue twister!
The words, toy boat on each note
(5-1) Descending.
Start on C5
Teacher will model the exercise first, then ask choir to repeat.

2. Nine Tone Scale

Sing exercise on an i vowel, and change to an a vowel on the ninth scale degree.
Continue singing a vowel descending
Students will sing scale up to the ninth scale degree.
Do not repeat the ninth scale degree upon descending
Start on Bb3
Teacher will demonstrate exercise, then ask students to repeat.
3. Dee, Doo, D-ah-w
Start on Bb4, then ascend.
Teacher will explain that the Dees and Doos are stacato, and the Dahws
are legato.
Four eighth notes followed by a quarter note, repeat, followed by five quarter notes.
Use hands for expressing the style and articulation.
Assessment:
Teacher will look to see if students are following the physical warm ups.
Teacher will listen for rhythmic and melodic clarity or confusion.
Teacher will listen for diction and articulation.
Were students able to participate in all physical and breathing warmups and
understand benefits?

Were students able to sing the correct notes in rhythms in warm

ups?
Were students able to incorporate diction and articulation in warm
ups?

NAfME National Standards addressed:

Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.
Evaluating music and music performances.
Identifying and describing music genres or styles.
Echo short rhythms and melodic patterns.