Practicing
Use the following tools while fulfilling your practice record requirement (Nova and Quantum), or to help you improve your sight singing and ear training. Remember to also use the Recordings and Listening Tracks that can be found under the Listening tab above. Be sure to fill out a practice record (scroll to bottom) or submit a paper copy at school.
Practicing Guidelines
Need to practice for choir but have sung through all of your songs and it's only been 10 minutes?! Follow these guidelines when practicing to maximize your effectiveness and make a difference in your singing!
Warming Up
Spend 5-10 minutes warming up your voice. This will not only help prevent injury, but it will help you work on your individual technique. Stand while you sing. Check your alignment. How's your breathing? Are you using your whole body to sing? How are your vowels? Is your tone too breathy or too pressed?
Come up with your own warm ups based on what we do in class, or use these videos to help:
Vocal Warm Up Exercises
Professional Vocal Warmup 1 - "Opening Up The Voice" (skip ahead in the video a bit)
Warm-ups for Soprano Voice
Warm-ups for Mezzo/Alto
Vocal Exercises Male 1-4
Vocal Exercises Female 1-4
Sight Singing Practice and Ear Training
Do a few minutes of practice on your sight reading and pitch memory. These are important tools to becoming an independent musician and will make your practice more effective. Follow the links below for some website examples.
Progressive Sight Reading
Sight Reading Factory - Click "Try the Demo" to generate examples
The Practice Room
Learn to Sight Sing
Good Ear
Teoria
Music Theory
Work on Repertoire
Spend some time working on the pieces we are singing. Don't just start at the beginning and sing through your part with the piano! Follow the guiding questions below to help you use your practice time in a way that will make you a better singer and a better contributing member of the choir. Make your practice about more than just singing the right notes in a pretty voice.
Read this article on 10 ideas for practicing choral music. Not all practicing needs to be spent singing the music!
Submit your practice record below and return to class to show off your new, impressive skills!
Need to practice for choir but have sung through all of your songs and it's only been 10 minutes?! Follow these guidelines when practicing to maximize your effectiveness and make a difference in your singing!
Warming Up
Spend 5-10 minutes warming up your voice. This will not only help prevent injury, but it will help you work on your individual technique. Stand while you sing. Check your alignment. How's your breathing? Are you using your whole body to sing? How are your vowels? Is your tone too breathy or too pressed?
Come up with your own warm ups based on what we do in class, or use these videos to help:
Vocal Warm Up Exercises
Professional Vocal Warmup 1 - "Opening Up The Voice" (skip ahead in the video a bit)
Warm-ups for Soprano Voice
Warm-ups for Mezzo/Alto
Vocal Exercises Male 1-4
Vocal Exercises Female 1-4
Sight Singing Practice and Ear Training
Do a few minutes of practice on your sight reading and pitch memory. These are important tools to becoming an independent musician and will make your practice more effective. Follow the links below for some website examples.
Progressive Sight Reading
Sight Reading Factory - Click "Try the Demo" to generate examples
The Practice Room
Learn to Sight Sing
Good Ear
Teoria
Music Theory
Work on Repertoire
Spend some time working on the pieces we are singing. Don't just start at the beginning and sing through your part with the piano! Follow the guiding questions below to help you use your practice time in a way that will make you a better singer and a better contributing member of the choir. Make your practice about more than just singing the right notes in a pretty voice.
- Break the piece into smaller sections. Work one section at a time, focusing on the notes and the rhythms. Can you sing them correctly? Sing acapella first and then play on the piano or use listening tracks to check your notes. Sing along while playing a different part. Can you still sing your part correctly? If not, spend some time figuring out how your part goes.
- Recall the things we've worked on in class. Have we talked about specific vowels and tuning issues? How about the phrasing of each line? If not, what would you do to address these issues? Spend some time singing a small section of your music, paying specific attention to your vowels, tuning, diction, phrasing, expression, etc.
- Sing the whole song, either with the recording or acapella. How's your expression? Alignment? Are you communicating the meaning of the song with your body? Your face? Your tone? Are the words clear?
Read this article on 10 ideas for practicing choral music. Not all practicing needs to be spent singing the music!
Submit your practice record below and return to class to show off your new, impressive skills!