Brain Gym - Games - Songs - Listening - Composing - Improvising
It is VERY important that you consistently and correctly warm up your body and your voice BEFORE you attempt any singing.
Siren sounds are a great place to start: Begin by placing your top teeth on your lower lip and making
a low-pitch " V v v v v v " sound. Slowly ascend to your highest, comfortable note. Focus on pushing the sound out.
Imagine you are making the sound of a revving engine on a motorbike. Continue with this warm up for 1-2 minutes.
Now, continue with the " V v v v v v v " sound, but try to create the melody of a simple song, such as a nursery rhyme or a Christmas Carol.
For variety, you could repeat the above warm ups by humming, or using the sound " B r r r r r r " (with floppy, relaxed lips and mouth).
Siren sounds are a great place to start: Begin by placing your top teeth on your lower lip and making
a low-pitch " V v v v v v " sound. Slowly ascend to your highest, comfortable note. Focus on pushing the sound out.
Imagine you are making the sound of a revving engine on a motorbike. Continue with this warm up for 1-2 minutes.
Now, continue with the " V v v v v v v " sound, but try to create the melody of a simple song, such as a nursery rhyme or a Christmas Carol.
For variety, you could repeat the above warm ups by humming, or using the sound " B r r r r r r " (with floppy, relaxed lips and mouth).
PHYSICAL WARM UP - NO VOICE
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Games and Activities for
Concentration and Listening: Opposite Game Rainstorm Circle Breathing Square Now Be A Statue (ta ti-ti ta ta - similar game to Don't Clap This One Back) Bopit 1, 2, 3, Look At Me Emotional Sitting Follow the Conductor Stage Directions Gimme One / Two / Three Clap Samba Rhythms |
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USING THE VOICE - SPEAKING, RAPPING & CHANTING
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VERBAL - non melodic
Pass the Beat Around the Room Grandma Sick in Bed I Am a Little Robot Wobbly Chicken Boom Chika Boom Joe and the Button Factory Pizza Pizza Bob the Builder / Teletubbies Music Rocks Boom Sits the Cat Hip-Hop / Snow-Man Chew / Spit / Throw Can you use your ___?___ voice? Cross the Circle Appreciative Claps Remote Control |
SYLLABIC SAMBA RHYTHM PATTERNS
Hello, how are you? (Very well thank you) Who wants a cup of tea (I do / me) Do you want any fish or chips? (Yes, I do) (Beat Goes On / Ollie Tunmer's Ideas) 1, 2, 3, Cla-ves Rio Carnival, fast and funky Samba rhythm beat, on the street (Mambo) Work your way up the bo-dy groove (7/8) Tongue Twisters Musical Theatre Charades 1-2-3-1-2-3 & 8-7-6-7-8 (spoken, in pairs) 1-clap-3-1-clap-3 (in pairs) 1-clap-stamp-1-clap-stamp (in pairs) |
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Boom sits the cat and the cat sits down - Boom-Boom, shhh cat, don't be so loud (Now try to beat-box the lyrics)
MEE-yow, mee to the yow to the mee to the yow to the MEE-yow, mee to the yow to the mee to the yow
MEE-yow, mee to the yow to the mee to the yow to the MEE-yow, mee to the yow to the mee to the yow
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1-8, 1-4, 1-2, 1-1, w o b b l y c h i c k e n !
Chick, chick, chick, chick, chicken, lay a little egg for me
Chick, chick, chick, chick, chicken, lay a little egg for me
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Pizza, Pizza Daddy-oh
_________ has a new friend (pizza-pizza daddy-o), how do you know it? '(Pizza-pizza daddy-o) Cause he/she told me (Pizza-pizza daddy-o)
(Leader) - Let's _______________ it (________ it, _______ it daddy-o)
_________ has a new friend (pizza-pizza daddy-o), how do you know it? '(Pizza-pizza daddy-o) Cause he/she told me (Pizza-pizza daddy-o)
(Leader) - Let's _______________ it (________ it, _______ it daddy-o)
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USING THE VOICE - SINGING, PITCH-MATCHING
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VERBAL - melodic
Banana Song Boa Constrictor Double This Double That Dr Knickerbocker Penguin Song 1-2-3-2-1 A-B-C-B-A 1-8, 1-7, 1-6, 1-5, 1-4 etc. Honk Honk / Shadow A Sailor Went to Sea |
VERBAL - melodic - rounds
Hey, Hello, Bonjour Harry Potter: Freres Jacques Gospel Medley (Sing/Saints/Swing) I Like the Flowers Hum-a-Tune
Knees Up Mother Brown (5-syllable cannon) |
VERBAL - African Songs
Abeeyo Jambo Bwana Si Si Si Allunde South Africa Anthem Nanuma Senwa Dedende 
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Honk, honk, round and round and round and crash, beep-beep
1. Jaws was swimming in the sea, ate a diver for his tea, chopped him up into little chunks, then spat out his swimming trunks
2. Superman flies through the air, in his funny underwear. Looking for his Lois Lane. Is it a bird, or is it a plane?
3. Romeo and Juliet, on a balcony they met. Romeo said to Juliet - you're the cutest girl I ever met.
1. Jaws was swimming in the sea, ate a diver for his tea, chopped him up into little chunks, then spat out his swimming trunks
2. Superman flies through the air, in his funny underwear. Looking for his Lois Lane. Is it a bird, or is it a plane?
3. Romeo and Juliet, on a balcony they met. Romeo said to Juliet - you're the cutest girl I ever met.
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SONGS WITH SIMPLE CHORD PATTERNS
(can you work out the chord progressions for these songs?)
Somebody to Love, Ode to Joy, Stay With Me, Wake Me Up, Counting Stars, Riptide,
Amazing Grace, Three Little Birds, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Fight Song, Hound Dog, Skin,
A Thousand Years, Stand By Me, This Is Me, Just the Way You Are, Count On Me, One Call Away
Here's our Ukulele page.
(can you work out the chord progressions for these songs?)
Somebody to Love, Ode to Joy, Stay With Me, Wake Me Up, Counting Stars, Riptide,
Amazing Grace, Three Little Birds, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Fight Song, Hound Dog, Skin,
A Thousand Years, Stand By Me, This Is Me, Just the Way You Are, Count On Me, One Call Away
Here's our Ukulele page.
STORYTELLING - NARRATIVE SONGS - MUSICALS BY MISS RUSBATCH
Kesho Amahoro - Peace Tomorrow
Albatross - Wings of Freedom
Kesho Amahoro - Peace Tomorrow
Albatross - Wings of Freedom
CHOREOGRAPHY FOR DJS SPORTS DAY
Waka Waka / Hall of Fame / The Haka (Kamute)
Waka Waka / Hall of Fame / The Haka (Kamute)
YOUR IDEAS
EDIT/CHANGE AN EXISTING WARM UP GAME/SONG - or - DESIGN A NEW MUSIC WARM UP GAME/SONG
EDIT/CHANGE AN EXISTING WARM UP GAME/SONG - or - DESIGN A NEW MUSIC WARM UP GAME/SONG
- Physically warm up the body (shake, stretch mouth, tongue and face)
- Warm up the mind (listening, concentration and focus)
- Warm up the speaking voice (chanting, rapping)
- Warm up the singing voice (pitch matching a simple pattern of notes)
- Create sound with the body (hand clap games, body percussion)
- Create visual actions (Makaton, signs, choreography and movement)
- Performed as a round/cannon (use pentatonic notes)
- Difficulty levels or layers? Elimination to find one winner?
- It should be easy to teach to others / young children
- BEHAVIOUR e.g. Abeeyo, Bob the Builder, Teletubbies
- LISTENING GAMES e.g. Opposite Game, Rainstorm Circle, Don’t Clap This One Back, Follow the Conductor, Breathing Square, Emotional Sitting
- SPEAKING/RAPPING SONGS e.g. Pizza Pizza, Grandma Grandma, I Am a Little Robot, Button Factory, Boom Chika Boom, Wobbly Chicken, Music Rocks, Boom Sits the Cat, Pass the Beat, Tongue Twisters, 1-Clap-3, Musical Theatre Charades,
- SINGING GAMES e.g. Banana Song, Dr. Knickerbocker, Penguin Song, Harry Potter (Freres Jacques), Knees Up Mother Brown, A Sailor Went to Sea, Honk Honk, Gospel Medley (Sing-Saints-Swing), I Like the Flowers, 1-2-3-2-1, Allunde, A-B-C-B-A, Si Si Si, 8-7-6-7-8, Double-This Double-That, Boa Constrictor, Hum-a-Tune, Hey-Hello-Bonjour-Guten Tag