The Arts Unit Creative Teachers
Physical warm-ups
Starting your rehearsal with some kind of physical warm-up will focus and energise your choir and help with the muscles that support breathing and posture.
Singing isn't isolated to just one part of the body. The whole body is engaged when we sing, so we want it to be loose and relaxed, ready to support the music's sound and emotion.
Festival of Choral Music 2017, Sydney Opera House, photo: Anna Warr
Physical warm-up examples
The following 4 videos have been provided as examples of physical warm-ups you can do with your choir.
1. Stretching and yawning, shoulder rolls
Duration: 01:10
Instructions
Stretch and shake hands out
Yawn and a big stretch
Check feet spacing and roll shoulders
2. Leg circles and shoulder rolls
Duration: 01:48
Instructions
Slow circles of the foot from the ankle
Slow circles of the lower leg from the knee
Slow circles of the whole leg from the hip
Slow (forward) circles of the arms from the shoulder – getting bigger and bigger
Slow (back) circles of the arms from the shoulder – getting bigger and bigger
3. Drawing on the ceiling with imaginary pencils
Duration: 02:05
Instructions
Hold an imaginary pencil above your head and ‘draw’ a big flower on the ceiling without looking.
Use the other hand and ‘draw’ a big elephant on the ceiling without looking.
Put the imaginary pencil on top of your head and ‘draw’ a cat on the ceiling.
4. Walking, jogging, running
Duration: 01:20
Instructions
The instructor indicates the action by the number of fingers they hold up:
0 – stop (make a fist)
1 – walking on the spot
2 – jogging on the spot
3 – running on the spot.
Physical warm-up instructions
You may like to download and print out Physical warm-ups (PDF 95 KB) to keep as a resource in your choir folder.
Physical Warm-ups.pdf
Primary Proms 2018, Sydney Town Hall, photo: Anna Warr