Chapter 9
The Vocally Proficient Choir: Part One
Building Sequential Vocal Technique Skills through the Choral Warm-Up
By James Jordan
Is a warm-up really necessary?
YES
By warming up you are:
o Preparing the vocal instrument for correct and healthy singing
o Providing aural instruction and musical aural literacy for the choir
The primary role of the warm-up is to make a transition from the speaking voice to
the singing voice
o Should provide and reinforce the basic elements of good singing
Voice teachers have leveled the charge that participation in choirs causes vocal
damage, and to an extent it does. However, it is the responsibility of the conductor to
place the responsibility for good singing on the singers to ensure they are using good
technique to avoid vocal damage.
The quality of the warm-up will setup the rest of rehearsal
The Fourteen Pedagogical Cardinal Rules
Deconstruct posture brought to the rehearsal
o Breaking apart the muscular rigidity and incorrectness to create the singers
alignment
Realign and Employ Body Mapping Principles to Reeducate the Singers
o An understanding of Body Mapping allows of a pedagogical unlocking of all other
aspects of vocal technique
Create and Reinforce Awareness at All Times
o Singers need full experience of their own emotions and the emotions inspired by the
music they are singing.
o Inner awareness + auditory and visual information = inclusive awareness
Aim for inclusive awareness at all times
o Link pedagogical concepts with kinesthetic outcomes
Use the Sigh to Create Space and Diagnose Vocal Issues
o The most valuable pedagogical tool available to the choral conductor to determine
the overall health of the vocal mechanism.
o Dont proceed until the sigh is correct
Inhalation and Exhalation
o Inhalation and exhalation are normal processes but this exercise must be done to
reset the body to accept air so the singing process can take place in a healthy
fashion.
Generate Resonance
o If it is not done, the vocalism for the rest of the rehearsal becomes unruly
o There needs to be a transition between speaking resonance to the singing
resonance, so the conductor has to ensure that the head voice has been activated
Singing on the Breath at All Times
o Singing off the breath causes other choral problems (harsh/edgy sounds; loud
singing; pitch problems; lack of dynamic flexibility)
Be Certain All Sounds are Rhythmically Vital
o Rhythm is the by-product of an energized alive human being who is aware of their
condition.
Use Physical Gesture to Reinforce the Singing Process and Body Awareness
o The psychological nature of the choral ensemble creates a dynamic in which vocal
responsibility is abandoned, but the conductor can change that through the gestures
they use.
Be Certain All Sounds Are Spacious, High, and Forward (SHF)
o This will ensure a bright, brilliant, and resonant sound in which the pitches are clear
and distinct
Reinforce Pitch Awareness
o A choirs aural literacy the more opportunities it has with harmonic material
Use a Repeated Exercise as home/Always use core exercises
o A repeated exercise provides an aural and vocal kinesthetic benchmark for singers
Use the Same Warm-Up Sequence in Planning Each Warm-up
o People will learn most any material as long as that material is presented in a logical,
coherent order.
Make Certain that Regardless of the Exercise the Position of the Larynx Remains
Low and Relaxed
o Pressure, tension, and lack of spaciousness in the sound, dull or thing vocal
resonance, and hardness in the sound are some of the aural danger signs of a
raised larynx
