warm up vocal exercises

Subject: warm up vocal exercises
From: The Sandman
Date: 22 Oct 10 - 08:08 AM

anyone got any they are happy to share/anyone know the exercises used by Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger?

Subject: E MacColl/P Seeger warm up vocal exercises
From: Genie
Date: 22 Oct 10 - 02:41 PM

Suggestion:
If the point is to find the MacColl/P Seeger exercises, why not make the thread title more specific?

Subject: RE: warm up vocal exercises
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 22 Oct 10 - 07:12 PM

Hi Cap'n
Yes, I have examples of MacColl's exercise programme.
They fell into several parts.
1.   Four basic vowel-type sounds
The objective was to produce them in a pure, open, relaxed and unrestricted tone in order to work out where your 'natural' voice was being produced in order to have control over it.
2. A number of singing exercises to handle different aspects of the voice. They consisted of:
Two short pieces of Wagner ('Tis Ended' and 'By Evil Craft') to help with the handling unfamiliar (small and large) intervals and unusual tunes accurately.
One short piece of Gilbert and Sullivan (Rising Early in the Morning; from The Gondoliers; but similar G&S will do) for precise articulation while singing at speed.
One piece of Mouth Music (Tail Toddle - 2 choruses and one verse sung in one breath) for speed and articulation also breath control (sometimes Rocky Road To Dublin was substituted - one chorus and one refrain sung in one breath).
These can be memorised in a week, once learned, never forgotten, still can do most of them after forty years, though breath control is not as good as it was (takes at least 2 breaths for Tail Toddle and Rocky Road nowadays)
3. Series of relaxation excercises (neck, shoulders arms, back, legs) to help control tension (starts off as full exercise, but once mastered, full exercise is seldom needed and tension can be contolled wherever it appears) Probably the most useful work I was ever given; can help with activities other than singing.
All the exercises came with full explanation of their purpose and uses, along with a breakdown of the theory of their necessity.
They might sound complicated, but they come automatically once learned.
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: warm up vocal exercises
From: The Sandman
Date: 23 Oct 10 - 08:23 AM

thanks, Jim.

Subject: RE: warm up vocal exercises
From: Crowhugger
Date: 23 Oct 10 - 02:40 PM

The chorus in which I sing sounds best when we consistently use Elaine Overholt's CD of warm-ups. Her DVD shows & explains the exercises, and the CD is just the exercises which don't give best results without the explanations. I feel it's worth the price for those who want to put in a little time each day toward becoming more comfortable inside their voice. Don't be put off by the decidedly un-folky web site--I give her credit for finding a way to earn a reasonable living in music without the lousy hours that come with gigging.

No I don't get a percentage on sales! Her exercises and attitude are among the most helpful I've come across, ideal for both men's and women's voices, and great for developing a full sound over one's full range. In my modest opinion,
:-)

Subject: RE: warm up vocal exercises
From: GUEST,Doxy
Date: 24 Oct 10 - 05:34 AM

Hi Everyone,
I have a fond memory of Johnny Collins that seems to fit here. We (Trim and I) were with him in Workum having breakfast at the hotel and were talking about warming up and also maintaining voice. Johnny was talking about doing arpegios(is that how you spell it?) and demonstratingme 'me me me me me me............' Joyce said they drive her up the wall. Johnny said he could see her point, it was very selfish and in future he would sing 'you you you you you you you'!
Cheers
Doxy

Subject: RE: warm up vocal exercises
From: My guru always said
Date: 24 Oct 10 - 05:46 AM

LOL, Doxy & Trim Rig!!!

Subject: RE: warm up vocal exercises
From: GUEST,Desi C
Date: 25 Oct 10 - 06:34 AM

I think most singers have their own ways of warming up. Mine are bobbled together from various exercises I've found and use which parts suit me best. Many singers are hard to hear in Folk clubs especially without P.A and when I came back to singing after 25 years away from it I was barely audible. So I devised me own vocal evercises, the basic scales plus breathing and throat exercises to develp the volume. Within 2 weeks I was showing good signs of improvement,now 3 years on I can be heard very well at the back of the room without a P.A

I can highly reccomend a workshop I attended recently by Bella Hardry, she uses a mix of physical and vocal exercises, and I was pleased to see some were similar to the ones I'd developed on my own. Basically if you evercise the voice regularly you'll be a much better singer
Desi C
The Circle Folk Club
Every Wed Night Open Mic
Coseley West Mids UK
WV14 9JH

Subject: RE: warm up vocal exercises
From: The Sandman
Date: 25 Oct 10 - 06:40 AM

I use the arpeggio system[ johnny collins mentioned], plus i find playing harmonica helps my breathing.
i think relaxing[or dropping] the lower jaw is supposed to help, certain vowel sounds are supposed to be easier eg ah, whereas ee, can be nasal sounding, is it because we should breathe through the mouth rather than the nose?

Subject: RE: warm up vocal exercises
From: Crowhugger
Date: 25 Oct 10 - 09:55 AM

It's because most people say 'ee' with the space inside their mouth flattened to nearly nothing. Try 'ee' this way:
-inside your mouth, open tall all the way back into your throat. Make it into the greatest possible space without lowering your jaw (for me it's on the way to yawning but stopped just before the point of no return).
-your lips, jaw & cheeks do nothing at all, don't go wide like a toaster; they should flop if you say a breathy 'p' sound.
-while gently holding open that space with 'inside muscles' in your mouth/throat, use minimal muscles (no jaw, no cheeks, no lips) to shape the ee sound.

Very different from the way we usually learn to speak, but go ahead, try it! You won't look funny at all with the visible muscles relaxed. Yes, it does take getting used-to. And once you do (it took me 6 months of messing about every day to become fairly automatic) it's fully resonant; you can add as little or as much nasal quality as you like. It makes ee nearly as rich as ah, oh, oo etc.

Well, a picture would be worth a thousand words, wouldn't it?!