The Arts Unit Creative Teachers
Primary choral warm-ups
About this resource
Developed by Ian Jefferson, student music programs officer (K to 8) at The Arts Unit, this resource provides tools to assist with establishing and running a school choir.
In particular, this resource offers videos, documents and tips to assist teachers with choral warm-ups. In addition, a range of exercises is included to assist in getting the best sound from a school choir.
This resource can be used in sequence, or you can select the buttons to go to the sections of interest.
Festival of Choral Music 2022, Sydney Opera House, photo: Anna Warr
Primary Proms 2019, Sydney Town Hall, photo: Anna Warr
The importance of vocal warm-ups
In this section, you will explore:
the importance of choral warm-ups
5 pure vowel sounds
in-between vowels, the schwa and diphthongs
various accents and the production of sounds in the mouth.
Physical warm-ups
A physical warm-up at the start of your rehearsal will focus and energise your choir and help with the muscles that support breathing and posture.
In this section, 4 videos have been provided as examples of physical warm-ups you can do with your choir.
Breathing exercises
Breathing exercises will help teach your choir good breathing habits and give them a more resonant and supported sound.
In this section, 4 videos have been provided as examples of breathing exercises you can do with your choir.
Preparing the voice
Preparing the vocal cords for singing by using exercises that incorporate humming, sirens or lip trills is a gentle way to warm up all parts of the vocal range and develop resonance.
In this section, 4 videos have been provided as examples of exercises you can do with your choir to warm up the voice.
Bringing down the head voice
To bring the head voice down to the lower register and practise a smooth transition, you can use exercises that start on a high note and descend.
In this section, 4 videos have been provided as examples of exercises you can do with your choir to bring the head voice into the lower register.
Focus on vowels
Taking the time to practise each vowel sound will make a difference to the blend and tone of your choir.
In this section, 4 videos have been provided as examples of exercises you can do with your choir to create uniform vowels.
Focus on consonants
Exercises that focus on consonants will help warm up the lips, the tongue and the face and develop singing habits with good clarity and diction.
In this section, 4 videos have been provided as examples of breathing exercises you can do with your choir.
Focus on flexibility
Flexibility is about moving the voice smoothly and accurately around the range (high, low and middle notes). Exercises that focus on flexibility often based on scales and arpeggios, will help students achieve smooth transitions.
In this section, 4 videos have been provided as examples of ways to explore and develop the students' singing range.
Focus on blend
To achieve a unified sound, your choir needs to be well blended. Each singer needs to listen to the sound they are making as an individual and as a whole group.
In this section, 4 videos have been provided as examples of achieving a well-blended sound.
Further resources
We encourage you to explore The Arts Unit's extensive library of digital resources.
The following related resources are a great place to start!
