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The “Tonic” (Note:  When the director says take a ‘tonic’ the following always happens):
  • Lead – sings doh (pitch note blown) (doh is also known as tonal center and is usually the key of the song)
  • Bari – sings soh (a 3rd below pitch)
  • Tenor – sings mi (a 3rd above pitch)
  • Bass – sings doh (octave down from pitch)
“Sylvia’s Exercise” (matching vowels, tuning, sync) – can start in key of A-flat

Part 1 – (4 parts) Unison

  • sing word 3 times on doh
    (ie. love)

Part 2 – (4 parts) Unison

  • sing word (doh) & drop octave down to doh (stay on vowel don’t close word) and back up to doh to finish word

 

Part 3 – Peel Off

  • doh (all parts sing, lead/tenor remain)

  • te

  • lah

  • soh (baris peel off and hold here)

  • fah

  • mi

  • ra

  • doh (basses remain here, tenors start to peel off from upper doh to mi when basses hit doh (leads remain on doh)

 

Part 4 – (mi, may, my, mō, moo)

Part 5 – (mi, may, my, mō, moo)
  • as above, but with a 5-word sentence containing the chosen word; ie. “my brown eyes are blue; home in old athlone, etc.

 
Doobie-Do Wah! (scales – unison) – key of A-flat

Part 1 - sing each step up the scale

  • do-wha (doh-ra) do-wha (mi-fah) do-wha (soh-la) do-wha (ti doh)

Part 2 - sing back down scale skipping steps

  • doobie doobie (doh-lah) doobie doobie (te-soh) doobie doobie (la-fah) doobie doobie (soh-mi) doobie doobie (fah-ra) doobie doobie (mi-doh) doobie (ra) doo wha (te-doh)
4-part Hum (tuning – 4-part tonic) “May, Mi, My, Mo, Moo” – can start in key of A-flat

  • leads – doh, doh, doh, te, doh

  • bari – soh, doh, te, soh, soh

  • bass – doh, soh, fa, ra, doh

  • tenor – mi, mi, fa, fa, mi
Sing We Together - 4-part Tuning/Rounds – key of C

Sing we together all day long (doh, doh, ra, mi, doh, ra, te, doh)

Now sing we all this joyful song (mi, mi, fah, soh, mi, fah, ra, mi)

Now descending, never ending (soh, fah, mi, ra, doh, te, lah, soh)

All day long (lah, te, doh)

ZAMBA CHILL!!!! (interval, scale warm-up)

key of C (sing in groups of 3 – in a round, 2nd voice starts after 1st verse finishes)

1st voice

  • zamba chill                                                        1, 1, 5

  • zamba brazil                                                      2, 2, 2, 5

  • zamba chill                                                         2, 2, 5

  • zamba brazil                                                      5, 5, 5, 1

2nd voice – sings starts on scale step 3

  • Rio dejanario                                                      3, 5, 3, 5, 3, 5

  • dancing all the night                                       4, 5, 4, 3, 2

  • Rio dejanario                                                     2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4

  • black as well as white                                      3, 4, 5, 6, 5

  • Zam bra do bra zil (count 4)                          8, 7, 6, 8, 7

  • Zam bra do bra zil                                             7, 6, 5, 7, 6

3rd voice (starts on high scale step 3)

  • Zam bra do bra zil zam ba                           10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4

  • Zam bra do bra zil zam ba                             9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3

  • Zam bra do bra zil zam ba                             8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2

  • Zam bra do bra zil zam ba                             7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
MINNIE, MING, ZOOM (for sound placement – done in unison, can use F)

(1)        Minnie, Minnie, Minnie, Minnie, Ming, Ming, Ming, Ming

(2)        What a Pity, What a Pity, What, What, What, What

(3)        Zoom, Zoom, Zoom, Zoom, Zaw
PLAY A SIMPLE MELODY (sung as a round), KEY OF A-flat

(Bari start)   Won’t you play a simple melody, like my mother sang to me-e
     One, with good old fashioned har-mony, play a simple melody

(Bass)         Bm, Bm, Bm, Won’t you play a simple melody, play a simple melody, Bm, Bm, Bm
  One with a good old fashioned har-mony, play a good old rag

(Tenor)        Keep it simple, clean and simple, play a simple mel-o-dy
   Keep it simple, clean and simple, play a good old rag

(Lead)         Musical demon, set your honey a dreamin, won’t you play me some rag
   Just change that classical nag, to some sweet beautiful drag
   And if you play from a copy of a tune that is choppy, you’ll get all my applause
   And that is simply because, I wanna listen to rag!
SCALES, start in key of A-flat (unison)

Part (1)    1,
1-2-1
1-2-3-2-1
1-2-3-4-3-2-1
1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1
1-2-3-4-5-6-5-4-3-2-1
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

Part (2)    8
8-7-8
8-7-6-7-8
8-7-6-5-6-7-8
8-7-6-5-4-5-6-7-8
8-7-6-5-4-3-4-5-6-7-8
8-7-6-5-4-3-2-3-4-5-6-7-8
8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1-3-4-5-6-7-8
1-2-3-4-5 (sung in rounds)

1-2-3-4-5,  5-4-3-2-1

1-5-4-5-3-5-2-5, 1-5-4-5-3-5-2-1

1-5-4-5-3-5-2-5, 1-5-4-5-6-7-8
Mickey Mouse Tag – key of G

  • Lead: M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E (doh, doh, doh, doh, doh, doh, mi, doh, ra, te, do-o-o-oh)

  • Bass: M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E (octave down from pitch), doh, doh, soh, fa, fa, fa-flat, doh, doh, soh, ra, doh)

  • Bari: M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E (soh soh ray-flat, lah lah lah-flat, doh soh ray soh lah soh fah soh)

  • Tenor: M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E (mi, mi, mi, fa, fa, fa-sharp, soh, mi, fa, fa, fa, mi, ra, mi)
Vocal Exercises (to do on your own)
Most vocal exercises are to help the vocal folds (strengthening, flexibility, etc.)  These exercises are to strengthen the 15 muscles around the vocal mechanism.  These exercises help to make all the muscles equally strong, therefore, allowing the vocal folds the freedom to vibrate with much less tension.  The following were developed by Dr. Stemple, vocal pathologist, St. Elizabeth Hospital, Dayton Ohio for female voices.

Part I – WARM UP

Sustain the sound “Eeeeeeee” for as long and as softly as possible on the musical note “F”.  Goal: 45 seconds with an uninterrupted tone flow.

Part II – STRETCHING

  1.       Slowly glide from your highest note to your lowest note on the sound “Oh”, as softly as possible.  Goal: no voice breaks.

  2.       Slowly glide from your lowest to your highest note on the sound “Oh”, as softly as possible.
    Goal: no voice breaks

Part III – POWER

Sustain the notes middle C-D-E-F-G for as long as possible on the sound “Oh” as softly as possible.  Goal: 45 seconds with uninterrupted tone flow.
Each exercise should be done two times each; two times per day, and as softly (like a whisper) as they can be done.  The softer the better. 
For the best effect, these exercises need to be done every day, but good habits begin at rehearsal.  Take time to do them completely each rehearsal and before any performance.  These exercises may also be used as a cool-down after a rehearsal or performance where much is demanded of the voice.  ~taken from the Borderlites, Winter 1996 (submitted by Jean Barford)

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