orchestra warm-ups

August 31, 2005 at 06:18 AM · well there's always the standard "Let's play a major scale carefully listening to our intonation" and "Let's play a major scale to this rhythm" but really they're a bit boring.

Why not ask them to pull out a certain piece and get them to play that through (to a certain point) before tuning. The warm up is simply that - to warm them up, and really they should be warming up before the rehearsal anyway so that there is no need for an orchestral warm up and you can go straight into rehearsing.

August 31, 2005 at 07:40 AM · Is this for a teaching class or a University orchestra?

It is good for you to invent things on your own, but I could suggest....play around with layering the scales by playing it as a round with different rhythms to make subdivisions or bowings or articulations the focus of the warm-up. Warm-ups should have a dual prupose. Warm up the hands and mind, and prepare you for the day's activities. If you are going to be playing something with complex rhythms or a balance issue, work on those specific items in your warm-up.

And you can play around with chords too.....have people play a chord sequence assigning the brass to play the bass, the winds the 3rd, strings the 5th, and have certain groups highlight other tones if you need the 7th for example. This will test your music theory and put an emphasis on listening to pitch.

September 2, 2005 at 12:40 AM · This year, we started doing 'pitch bending' to help with intonation.

Everyone starts on a note (for example the F# on the D) and the conductor holds his hands together. As he moves his hands apart, everyone slides up the string (as far as they want, to no particular note). Then he slowly brings his hands back together, and everyone slides back to the starting note. And, in theory, when everyone gets back to the note the intonation will be better. Its kinda neat.

Jessica

September 3, 2005 at 10:02 PM · Jessica's description of the warm up sounds really original and fun.

We normally play a really easy piece.

September 4, 2005 at 01:06 AM · A good one for any group is to divide them into several sections. Have one group start a 2-octave D major scale (or any scale for that matter). Have the next group start on the first group's third note (when the first group gets to the F#). The third group starts when two notes after that. I usually do it with three or four groups, although two is good at the beginning. It creates some very cool consecutive (and VERY parallel) triads. It's a good warmup and it sounds better than just a regular old scale. Then, you can have them do it using different articulations/bow strokes.

If all else fails, you can always do something around a familiar tune, like "Happy Birthday". Have them play it once, then ask them to go up a step or a half-step. Before the play it the second time, ask them to quickly name the key and how many sharps/flats will be in it, as well as what the starting pitch will be. It gets critical thinking going and will certainly wake them up for the rest of the period.

September 19, 2005 at 12:23 AM · Warm up with a piece that is easy, that they know, and that has a lot of emotional appeal -- the Star Spangled Banner? Bach Air? whatever.

The idea is to get them emotionally involved. Then they're more likely to listen to the technical stuff.

September 20, 2005 at 03:59 AM · An orchestral warm up is much like what athletes need to do before competing. For an orchestra, it is a matter of tuning first (no use in a warm up exercise that is out of tune, else you pleay out of tune for hte rest of practice); then loosening up the bow arm, then the fingers. And finally putting it all together.

Do open string tuning with long bow strokes by section (long notes for winds to open up lungs). This gets the arms going. Then a boring scale using the scale the main piece is in, still using long bow strokes (exercise the ears & fingers). Then pick, like other suggested, an easier piece or the one to be practiced; not all of it but just a few measures; and start slow, then at tempo. Hopefully, everything is working together at that point.

Warm up is done!

September 20, 2005 at 12:02 PM · I like to warm up with son filè¨ but then I have only strings.We start at 15 seconds per bow and work up to 25 or 30.Then we add a loud group of 4 sixteenth notes played very quickly (and together) at each change of bow.This can lead onto various dynamics bowed with or without a scale.For intonation warm up use a changing chord.Assign each section a note then change the chord by intructing a section to change a note.Notes should be played with long sustained bows and piano.Any out of tune notes should be corrected immediatly.This is a good warm up for opening up the ears.Also go for good tone quality.-If one note can sound good they can all sound good

September 20, 2005 at 12:56 PM · Bach Chorales