Build Your Warm-Up, Build Your Band, Part 1

Creating connections between all layers of musical performance

This article is the first in a series discussing the process of building a warm-up that will grow your group’s abilities.  In this post, we will look at the purpose,  group, and setting a process for your warm-up.

What is the purpose of my warm-up?:

On the one hand, a good warm-up does prepare us to play the repertoire that follows.  But, are we not playing while we warm-up?  We need to improve during this time, not just get ready.  Our warm-up should be the catalyst that moves the needle a little more each rehearsal toward our students highest attainment of skill, knowledge, musicality and enjoyment.  It should create connections with all the layers of musical performance.  Warm-ups are the perfect place to build the ability to play their best.  You can undue a pinched embouchure, build flexibility, endurance, etc.  Anything and everything should be attended to during this portion of your rehearsal.  The warm-up is where excellence is born.  Or, where proper habits are reborn every day.  I think of it as the latter.

We need a warm-up that is both effective (encompasses all areas) and efficient (least amount of time).  Both of these take planning and preparation.  Are we sure that every area of development is covered in our warm-up?  Are we prepared to present warm-ups that incorporate multiple levels of fundamentals simultaneously?  Do we connect breathing to tone, tuning, dynamics, technique, vibrato, musicality etc.?  Do we connect tone to posture, blend, balance, breathing, tuning, facial muscles etc.?  You get the picture.  When we rehearse our warm-up, the more layers we can connect, the more layers students will transfer to their performances.  How can we connect more layers at one time?  We need to make ourselves aware of all the possible overlaps occurring at one time.

Now it’s true.  A new beginning class has no layers yet to speak of, but as they learn each new skill, we should develop a warm-up routine that also has more layers as well.  Does the warm-up require them to perform all their current fundamentals with an expectation of more refinement each day as it continues to expand with their growth?  Create categories, areas that will help you organize the way you see relationships between fundamentals..  Under each heading, list specific items to focus on.  The end goal is not to work on each item separately, but to realize that you really work on rhythm when you work on ensemble.  You work on audition when you are doing tone as well.  Notice that you can work everything when you are in ensemble.  The main point of this is to see what exercises in your warm-up touch on specific fundamentals, which ones allow you to build everything together and are you keeping a balance of both.

This chart is not a complete breakdown, but an example for demonstration purposes.

Hopefully, when you look at this list you are thinking, “I can put that both here or there”.  All fundamentals are really encompassed within each other, and that’s truly the most important point.

Make the warm-up fit your group:

All of these areas can be practiced at any level.  You just need to fit it to your ensemble.  If you have a beginning group, your exercises can be as short as one measure.  A whole note can be a workout for all the RATMET areas.  Start with the fingering, sing it, match air speed, articulation, sustain, length, etc.  If your group knows 5 notes, you could accomplish a lot playing all 5 notes for 10 seconds focusing on everything you’ve established in your fundamentals up to that point.

Advanced groups can work much longer examples, but with the same goal, connecting all their layers.  Just holding a chord allows students to compare their playing with the established levels of performance you have taught.  Building a sense of responsibility for these items during warm-up is one of the great benefits of serious warm-up period. When students know they can handle these things, they start to appear in other pieces. Then the magic starts.

Establish a thought process for warm-ups:

Have principals for how students should approach the warm-up. Make it a special part of the rehearsal, not just something to get through. These are task specific to condition their approach to performing. Here are some examples.

Examples of Wind Instrument Principals for Warm-ups

1. Play all notes as relaxed as possible while maintaining the fastest air possible.  Be aware if you start to sacrifice one for the other.
2. Keep a smooth, relaxed aperture.  A relaxed aperture will: keep lips closer together naturally, buzz a lot faster or a lot slower, allow reeds to vibrate freely, adjust easier, not get fatigued quickly.
3. Range success is not the goal.  How we train for range is the goal.  Consistent tone, air etc. in all ranges is all that matters.  Using our muscle structures and air in a relaxed productive manner is priority.  Cracked notes played correctly are better than notes produced by tight, pinched muscles.
4. High notes are less air moving faster.
5. Stable corners.  While the amount of firmness of the corners varies by instrument, we want to use our air and tongue position as the primary source of control.
6. Sing often.
7. Have a simultaneous awareness and execution of R.A.T.M.E.T. Rhythms, Audiation, Tone, Musicality, Ensemble, Technique.

Examples of Percussion Principals for Warm-ups

1. Stretch all joints and muscles.
2. Focus on grip.  Check 2nd and 3rd fingers in fulcrum.
3. Be aware on hand positions.
4. Use limited body motion.  Less is more.
5. 4 fulcrums.  Fingers, wrists, elbows and shoulders.
6. Tap not hit.
7. Focus on having air on rebound between stick and palm.
8. Have a simultaneous awareness and execution of R.A.T.M.E.T. Rhythms, Audiation, Tone, Musicality, Ensemble, Technique.

Armed with a clear purpose, your group’s level and process for each area of development, you can start building the structure of your warm-up.    The next article of this series will look at exercises that will create connections for the growth you desire in your students.

Steve Giovanoni is in his 23rd year of teaching.  He is currently in his 12th year at Randolph Field ISD in Universal City, TX.  While at RFISD he has taught Band, Dual Credit Music Appreciation and Music Theory courses.

Related Reading:
Why Doesn’t My Band Sound Good?
Does Your Band Sound Better From the Back?
Conduct Backwards – Quick Tip

If you would like to receive our weekly newsletter, sign up here. 
Don’t forget to like us on Facebook too!

Learn. Share. Inspire.
BandDirectorsTalkShop.com