5 activities for the best singing warm-ups

5 Activities for the best Singing Warm-ups

Singing warm-ups are essential if your singing sessions with children are to be fun from the outset. The children should be motivated from the moment they enter the forum, whether it be a school hall or large room. Singing ‘practice’ is often timetabled for the first slot on a Monday and used to free up other teachers to prepare lessons. You may feel as ‘flat as a pancake’ as a result of this, and a little resentful, but don’t let it get to you! Turn it around in your mind. While your colleagues are having a boring half hour, you have the opportunity to set up a ‘buzz’ that positively connects you with a hall full of young faces. This will have a genuine, positive ‘knock-on’ effect over your day, never mind your pupils’.

In order to promote excellent breathing and singing skills, singing warm-ups should be short, engaging activities that work well to get things going.

1.       Stretching exercise games

Stretching helps to relax any tension in the muscles which is vital for a good singing performance. Stretch to a favourite recording. Be careful to stretch your arms upwards, forwards, touch toes and then slowly rise and reach for the sky, once again. (Avoid disruptive side ways movements if you can.) Don’t be afraid to lead this process yourself – it will give you the zap you need, too. If this is not possible because of disability, choose a child who is sitting beautifully – the children love to lead. This can also be used as an incentive for good behaviour from the outset.

2.       Imitation body action games

Concentration is vital in a singing session full of children. You want them to stay focused on you, or a nominated leader, at the front. You could start with a simple series of actions – four pats on the head, shoulders, knees, floor etc. leading to four claps. Get the children to note the change in the sounds they make as they tap different parts of the body.

This can be extended by the introduction of a mixed pattern of actions e.g. two head, two knees, four claps – they imitate. Repeat this four times before changing the sequence. The composition of different body sounds and movements can be extremely effective. (I like to involve the parents in this activity in concerts.) Great fun and a fantastic way to calm a lively moment at any time in the singing session.

3.       Rhythm exercises

‘Clap back’ exercises can be such a great motivator and are an excellent singing warm-up activity. You can create patterns in four, which the children repeat. You can change the dynamics from loud to soft with a clear high and low hand signal.

To extend this, one game I often use is ‘Forbidden Rhythm’. For this, the children are told that one particular practised, clap back rhythm is forbidden and when I clap it, they should put their hands on their head, or in the air etc. instead. This always causes a wonderful stir as the children concentrate, determined to get it right. Don’t worry if half of them get it wrong – that’s part of the fun.

Build up to more complex patterns that involve dotted rhythms. If you come from a musical background, utilise the six/eight rhythm and watch them ‘swing’. Children love six/eight so if you’re not sure what a six/eight rhythm is check out the ‘Friend of God’ track on Thank You for Our World songbook at flyinghighmusic.com

4.       Breathing techniques

Most adults, never mind children, do not breathe properly in every day life. Learning to control and develop your breathing technique is crucial for excellence in singing. It is important to focus on ‘correct’ breathing so having appropriate singing warm-ups that focus on the area is vital.

I often start a session with the children standing feet slightly apart. They breathe in and hold their breath, as they raise their hands over their heads and hold them there, watching me. Having held them there, waiting for my cue, they then imitate me, slowly exhaling as they gently lower their arms and sing one note to ‘ah’. It’s amazing how many yawns are seen in that moment – a good sign they’re throwing off any early morning sleepiness. (Building on this, It’s a Brand New Day is also a great song to energise the children at the start of singing practice – it’s also wonderful for targeting PSHE themes.)

A simple ‘breathe in – breathe out’ instruction whilst children place their hands on their stomach – feeling it go out instead of in as they inhale, is simple, but valuable.

Extend this by using hand signals for inhale/exhale which can be led, once again, by a pupil. Try breathing in through the nose and encourage an ‘ah’ or ‘sss’ in the long outward breath – encourage an open mouth and relaxed throat.

Having established this, one further activity could be to inhale quickly, then try to say the alphabet on a slow, single exhale.

Singing ‘ha ha ha’  on each note up and down the scale can be useful in opening up the sound they make, leading to a softer tone.

5.       Pitch exercises

Most people have seen the Sound of Music at some stage, where the traditional teaching of ‘soh fa’ type patterns were used in the song ‘Do Re Mi’. Whatever the method used in your singing warm-ups, they must keep the children engaged. Avoid sitting behind the piano for this – use your voice and actions to lead them.

Activities for younger children, such as ‘High/Low’, can help to generate awareness of rising and descending pitch. I often ask a child to come out and conduct the others. Hands held low, the children sing ‘low’ in low tones. Held high, they sing the word ‘high’ in high tones. Hands on ‘tummy’, they sing ‘mid’ tones. The leader could fool their audience by pretending to go low before repeating the ‘high’ signal.

I use a lot of echo singing, using four beat phrases to encourage careful listening and response. For instance, GGCCEGG. (I can sing for you and me.) Over the years, I have written a series of songs and phrases for children. I then converted these into a variety of games such as ‘sing the one before’ pitch memory game. I sing a phrase, then another one, and the children sing back the first one.

There are opportunities, using the pentatonic scale which, in C major would involve the notes CDEGA, to split the group of children into two and sing one pattern for one side to continually repeat and then start off the other half with another pattern. Using a glockenspiel, as well, would help you to be heard more clearly. (The blending of pentatonic tones can be mesmerising and, whatever they sing, it always sounds good!)

Check out flyinghighmusic.com for 5 ways to make your weekly school singing practice inspirational.

There are lots of ways to extend and make small adjustments to my singing warm-ups suggestions. Keep it fresh. Keep it fun… and continue to visit  flyinghighmusic.com for new ideas. They keep coming.

Useful links –

5 ways to make your weekly school singing practice inspirational

10 strategies for the best ‘whole school’ singing

About the author –