Introduction to Singing
Instructor: Izolda Trakhtenberg
301-441-3005, izolda@folknouveau.com
Warm-ups
(to be done before every time you sing)
1. March in place (2 minutes) (Singing uses muscles that
must be warmed up in order to function at their peak)
2. Deep breathing (three-part breath) preparing lungs and
maintaining a column of air Exercise 1
3. Yawning
4. Stretching: Exercise 2
a. Shoulder roll (five on each side)
b. Half neck roll (left side to front to right side and
back)
c. Half neck roll to the back
d. Neck stretch (turn neck to the side and stretch and then
for a deeper stretch turn chin down to the shoulder)
e. Arms above head stretch (lift both arms and stretch the
right arm up lengthening your ribs and then follow with the left arm)
f. "C" stretch (lift arms above head
clasp right hand with left and curl your back while extending your arms. For an added stretch, turn in the direction
of the arm clasping.)
g. Shake out hands
h. Face scrunch
i. Face big
j. Yawn
k. Horse noise
l. Yawn with "Ah"
m. Yawn with "Ah" bent over
5. Posture (preferable to stand when singing so you can
keep an uninterrupted column of air)
a. Practice standing to sing. Stand with both feet shoulder width apart, your knees
slightly bent and your spine straight.
Pretend someone has grabbed the hair at the very top of your head and is
tugging it upward slightly. Jaw is
loose and breathing is relaxed.
b. Sit comfortably upright with your torso resting on your
sit bones. Sit in an uplifted way
with your feet flat on the floor and your gaze at a comfortable level with your
eyes and jaw relaxed.
Week 1
1. Deep breathing correctly. Exercise 3 Your stomach is relaxed and flowing
out on inhalation. Your ribs
are relaxed and expanding and your shoulders are relaxed and down. (You'll find when you sing that [usually
because of nervousness] that your shoulders start to ride up and get tense
around your neck. Consciously
lower and relax them whenever you notice this.
a. Inhale and exhale full deep breath five times.
b. Inhale a full, deep breath using good technique and exhale
on a whispered "Ah." (five times). Horse noise is great for finding where you are using your breath.
c. Inhale and exhale on a closed-mouth low "Mmm."
(five times)
d. Inhale and exhale on a "Ah" sound.
e. Yawn a "Ah" sound. (five times)
2. Begin to work with making a tone on a vowel Exercise
4
a. Ah
b. Oh
c. Ee
d. Oh
e. Eh
f. ah oh ee oh eh (on one note)
3. Sing with adding consonants Exercise 5
a. mah meh mee moh meh (nah, tah, lah, sah, kah, etc.)
Practice all exercises with different consonants.
b. voice/non-voiced, p/b, t/d, f/v, ch/j, sh/zh, k/g (find
the others) Exercise 6
4. Build facility with speaking
a. tongue twisters (this week: Minimal Animal, Minimal
Animal) Exercise 7
5. Songs for the week:
a. Sing and Rejoice: Exercise 28
Sing and Rejoice
Sing and Rejoice
Let all things living
Sing and Rejoice
b. Rose Exercise 29
Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose
Shall I ever see thee wed
I shall marry at my will sire
At my will
Week
2: Breath
1. Do warm-ups 1 - 5
2. Supporting tone with your breath Exercise 8
a. Ahhhhh
b. Eeeee
c. Ehhhh
d. Ooooo
e. ee, eh, ah, eh, ee (up scale, half-steps) Exercise 9
f. vee, veh, vah, veh vee (up scale, half-steps)
g. vree, vreh, vrah, vreh, vree
h. ah, eh, ee, eh, ah (do re mi re do) Exercise 10
i. mah, meh, mee, meh, mah
j. dah, deh, dee, deh, dah
k. Pay attention to the attention on pulse. Pulse with mouth
open and 1 inch space between teeth. Use an "Ah" sound to make the pulse. Exercise
11
3. Tongue twister (this week: Red Leather, Yellow Leather) Exercise
12
4. Songs for the week
a. Haida Haida (This song is a “nigun” or
nonsense song used to create a special feeling.): Exercise 30
|
Haida haida hai di di dai da haida haida haida |
Haida hai di di daida Haida Haida
Haida |
b. We are the flow Exercise 31
We are the flow
We are the ebb
We are the weavers
We are the web
Note: practice all songs
incorporating what you are learning (especially Sing and Rejoice)
Week
3: Pitch
1. Do warm-ups 1 - 5
2. Difference in vibrations (Use face, e.g. eyebrows,
smile. Tricks & hints.)
3. Differentiating usually just takes practice. Men and women often hear pitch
differently (and often men hear the lower tones better and women hear the
higher tones better.) Start paying
attention to the pitches you hear every day. Car horns, radio, fan, etc. Are the pitches high or low.
a. Pitch matching Exercise 13
b. Listening
c. Intervals Exercise 14
d. mee meh mah moh moo (do re mi re do) Exercise 15
d. mee meh mah moh moo (do re mi fa so fa mi re do)
e. ah oh ee oh eh (do mi so mi do)
4. Tongue twister: (this week: Unique New York, Unique New
York) Exercise 16
a. Add pitch variation to all tongue-twisters. Go up scale.
5. Song for the week
a. Dona Nobis Pacem Exercise 32
1. Do-na no-bis pa-cem, pacem. Do-na no-bis pa-cem pacem
2. Dona no-bis pacem pacem. Dona nobis pa-cem pacem
3. Dona no-bis pacem. Dona nobis pa-cem pacem
Week
4: Finding Your Voice
1. Do warm-ups 1 - 5
2. Sing out and don’t be afraid. Play with the notes and shades of your
voice.
a. Yawn
b. Horse Noise
c. Moving Ah (and other vowel sounds) Exercise 17
d. Changing pitch and tacitura
e. Mah mah mah (so mi do) Exercise 18
f. Nah nah nah (so mi do)
3. Tongue twister: (this week: Rubber
Baby Buggy Bumper [try on different pitches]) Exercise 19
Week
5: Vocal quality
1. Resonance: head, chest, falsetto (resonators: sinuses,
nose, neck, chest cavity, cranial cavity)
a. placing voice and where you
imagine it (ahs) Exercise 20
2. Singing vowels (two finger rule [ you should be able to
put two fingers between your teeth during any vowel being sung) Exercise 21
3. Listen to yourself (Stand with one hand held out about
four inches away from your mouth.
Point your palms slight to one side and then on that side, place your
other palm next to your ear.
4. Projecting (support with the breath.)
5. Dynamic quality (importance of breath when singing
quietly) Exercise 22
6. Tongue twister: (this week: Sheena Leads, Sheila Needs.
[try on different pitches]) Exercise 23
7. Songs for the week
a. Rise up, o flame Exercise 34
Rise up, o flame
By thy light glowing
Show to us beauty
Vision and joy
b. May We All Fly Like Eagles Exercise 35
May we all fly like eagles
Flying so high
Circling the universe
On wings of pure light
O witchi tai ya
O witchi tai yay
O witchi tai ya
O witchi tai yay
Week
6: Singing with others
1. Blend Exercise 24
a. Circle exercise focus in and listen to each other. Difference in pitch and volume, dynamic
range, quality of tone, vowel being sung.
b. Sing "Ah" sound etc.
2. Practice all songs previous learned with an eye toward
blend
3. Tongue twister: (this week Kinky Cookie, Kinky Cookie.
[try on different pitches]) Exercise 25
4. Songs for the week
a. Neesa Exercise 36
Neesa, neesa, neesa,
Neesa, neesa, neesa,
Neesa, neesa, neesa
Gaiweo
(Neesa is pronounced: Neehsah and gaiweo is pronouned:
guy-way-o,)
Native American - Senecca Tradition: "Neesa" means
winter moon. Gaiweo means creator/creation.
Week
7: Intro to harmony and caring for your voice
1. Intro to harmony Exercise 26
a.
Circle
exercise and move groups to sing other pitches while some hold.
b.
Moving
notes (group a. G, F#E F#. Group
b. D A D. Group c. D B A)
2. Tongue twister: (this week: She sells sea shells on the
sea shore [try on different pitches]) Exercise 27
3. Song for the week
a. We come from the mountains Exercise 33
We come from the mountains
Living in the mountains
Go back to the mountains
Turn the world around
We come from the breezes ...
We come from the fire ...
We come from the ocean ...
4. Practice songs utilizing techniques learned
Week
8: Caring for your voice
1. Caring for your voice
a. Most important: support your voice with your breath. Don't overdo.
b. Gargling
c. Relaxing (jaw exercise)
d. Sleep
e. Drink lots of water
2. Practice songs utilizing techniques learned
Sources:
(Compiled by) Kate Marks, Circle Round, 1993.
(Edited by) Peter Blood and Annie Patterson, Rise Up,
Singing, 1992
Richard Miller, The Structure of Singing, 1996
Madeline Bruser, The Art of Practicing, 1997
