The Choral Warm-Ups of Robert Shaw

by Pam Elrod Huffman with edits by John Cooledge

Noted choral conductor Robert Shaw regarded the often-slighted chorus warm-up as an absolutely
essential part of every rehearsal. His use of it, focusing on unification of tuning, tone color, ensemble
blend, and development of dynamic range clearly demonstrated Shaws extraordinary creativity. For
many conductors, the warm-up periodwhen used at allis simply a time for vocalizing the
singers. With Shaw, the warm-up was something else entirely. He did not consider his role to be that
of a studio voice instructor leading his forces through an array of vocal exercises. Each singer was
expected to vocalize independently prior to rehearsal, so that the warm-up time could be used to
"tune" the ears and the brain. It was during this brief portion of his rehearsals that he began to instill
in his singers the art of being an ensemble. For Shaw, this was a time to establish disciplines crucial
to the ensemble's maturing into a truly expressive musical instrument.

Making Warm-Ups Relevant

Shaw's warm-ups were effective because of their pedagogical soundness and relevance to the
rehearsal process. They are an integral part of all of this writers rehearsals, regardless of age level of
the singers, though with student singers warm-ups sometimes do need to cover basic matters such as
breathing and vocalization in addition to exercises such as Shaw utilized. From beginning to end, the
warm-up process can take roughly ten minutesbut those are often the most important ten minutes
of the rehearsal.

The following are exercises Shaw used, notated and with audio examples. They are listed roughly in
the order in which he would use themalthough he would never have employed all of them in a
single warm-up. Instead, Shaw would choose among them for relevance to the rehearsal (or
performance) at hand, taking into consideration repertoire, acoustical issues, and the ensemble itself.
He constantly "tweaked" the exercises, altering them to fit the needs of the occasion, with a side
benefit of keeping the singers from settling too much into routine.

The Warm-Up Exercises

In order to produce the purest possible sound, Shaw asked the chorus to sing all of these exercises
substantially without vibrato. On open vowels this practice will generate clearly audible overtones
when singers achieve finely tuned intonation: in a mixed chorus the most evident overtone will lie a
perfect fifth above the treble voices. Shaw maintained that immaculate vibrato-free tuning and its
resulting overtones can lead to a more sonorous and vital sound. In theory, a smaller chorus can
generate a bigger sound than a larger ensemble which doesnt use these principles of unification. .

For each of the following exercises a beginning pitch is suggested, but you may start with a higher or
lower pitch depending on the needs of your group. (Exercise 7 is the only possible exceptionthe
pitches indicated seem to be the most suitable, given the extremes of vocal range that are required).
Vowel Unification

1. Use a single pitch, in unison (or octaves) on the nonsense syllable, "noo." Begin on a moderately
low pitch, such as E, and move down by semitones. This exercise allows the singers to concentrate
on basic vowel unification and tuning.

1. Vowel unification
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2. A variation of Exercise 1 is to sing through a series of vowels (generally moving from closed to
open vowels). The singers should be asked to concentrate on maintaining their unison while
progressing through successive vowel shapes. As they sing the more open vowels, they should be
cautioned to avoid a) allowing the dynamic to suddenly become louder or b) allowing the pitch to
drop.

2. Vowel unification variation

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Divisi Textures

3. Beginning with a unison, two then three then four pitches are sung on "loo" or "noo," creating a
whole tone cluster. Singers may also sing "nee" or "naw," or move from "nee" to "aw." This exercise
is also useful for revealing balance issues in two-, three-, and four-part divisi textures: the dissonance
created by the cluster pitches shows, more readily than consonant intervals, whether one voice part is
overbalancing the others.

3. Divisi Textures

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Intonation

Exercises 4 through 7 are especially useful in establishing disciplines in the area of intonation.
Though Robert Shaw would jokingly admit that altering a pitch one-sixteenth of a semitone at a time
was likely not possible, hissingers would eventually learn to move gradually up (or down) by
extremely small degreesand maintain a unison throughout. (Note: with a mixed chorus, octave
unisons should be maintained between the sopranos/tenors and altos/basses even as they negotiate the
series of subtly-changing pitches).

4. Beginning on a moderately low pitch such as E, move up one semitone in 16 pulsed unison pitches
(effectively dividing the semitone into 16 separate notes, with each sung almost imperceptibly higher than
the last). More intensive ear training can also be accomplished by separating the upper and lower voices
by a minor third while they simultaneously perform this exercise.

4. 16 pulse semitone

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5. A variation of Exercise 4: starting on a unison, sopranos and tenors ascend one semitone while
altos and basses descend one semitone, ending a whole tone apart.

5. Semitone two-part variation

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6. Another variation: sing Exercises 4 or 5 as a 16-beat sustained, unpulsed glissando.

6. Sustained tone semi-tone movement

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7. "Noo-ah" exercise. This is effective not only for developing the ears and brains in matters
of intonation, but also for achieving unanimity of line through and between vocal registers.
Singers should be asked to control the vowel shape and dynamic when moving from the "oo" to
the "ah" vowel, so that the ah vowel doesnt "pop out suddenly. Singers who tend to carry
too much weight from lower to upper registers will eventually learn to maintain a more consistent
tone color as they sing larger intervals in higher registers. According to Norman Mackenzie,
Shaw's long-time associate, the exercise ascends by semitones and descends by whole tones
(concluding with the major 3rd relationship) for several reasons:
 To reinforce ear-training and attentiveness by using different intervals for ascending and
descending; .
To find more easily the next starting pitch/interval (because of the harmonic relationship);
And as Shaw said with tongue in cheek, "to make the exercise somewhat shorter."

Note: Version 4 (in common, or 4/4 time) should be sung with tenors doubling sopranos an octave
lower and basses similarly doubling altos .
7. Noo-ah, four versions

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Changes in Acoustics

Exercises 8, 9, 10 and 11 challenge singers to maintain correct intonation while constantly changing
their immediate acoustic surrounding. For instance, when a singer turns in a circle while standing, he
or she will be singing into ever-changing reflective or absorptive surfaces, forcing him or her to listen
acutely in order to maintain a consistent pitch. A similar result may be achieved by asking singers to
face the nearest wall of the shell (or room). In both instances, ears and minds are forced to make
minute, instantaneous adjustments in order to maintain accurate pitch, tone color, and balance. Shaw
maintained that this was the fastest way for singers to become accustomed to new acoustical
environments.

8. Beginning with a unison pitch on "noo" or "nee," change vowels rapidly ad lib while each singer
slowly turns 360 degrees.

8. Ad lib vowels

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9. Move from "noo" to "ah" while simultaneously making a crescendo from a soft to a full dynamic.
Then repeat the same with each singer facing the nearest wall. A variation is for each singer to turn
360 degrees while making the crescendo.

9. Noo-ah crescendo

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10. Another variation of Exercises 8 and 9 is to use whole tone clusters or minor thirds (with
basses doubling altos and tenors doubling sopranos.)

10. Two-part ad-lib vowels

11. Yet another variation of Exercise 9 is to add excessive vibrato once the dynamic level reaches
forte, thereby distorting the pitch. Then repeat the exercise and add just enough vibrato to warm the
pitch. Since this particular exercise is intended to develop an awareness of tonal consistency, singers
should not be asked to turn 360 degrees. Rather, they should face forward so that they can maintain
a consistent acoustical surrounding.
11. Experimenting with vibrato

Tone Color

Exercises 12 and 13 are useful in developing an awareness of the variety of tone colors available to
the choral ensemble. Note: a minor-third or whole-tone cluster may be used in place of a unison
pitch.

12. Begin with unison pitch on "nee" with an overly bright vowel. Crescendo and darken the vowel.
Repeat the exercise, beginning with a tone that is too dark, gradually brightening the vowel during
the crescendo.

12. Bright to dark - dark to bright

13. A variation of Exercise 12 is to begin dark and as the choir grows louder and brightens the
vowel, open to "ah" while continuing the crescendo.

13. Dark to bright

Dynamics

14. Measuring crescendos and diminuendos. This exercise is crucial to developing an ensemble's
awareness of its own dynamic palette. If a chorus can establish levels of dynamic intensity as an
isolated exercise, it will be more adept at achieving a wide spectrum of dynamic contrast when
singing actual music.

On a unison pitch, using the syllable, "nah," crescendo from piano to forte over a period of eight
beats. Then, begin forte and decrescendo to piano for eight beats.
14. Unison piano to forte, forte to piano

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15. Instead of a unison pitch as in 14, use a minor third (with basses doubling altos and tenors
doubling sopranos) or any combination of more than one pitch.

15. Two part piano to forte, forte to piano

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16. Using either a unison pitch, or more than one pitch, sopranos and altos begin forte, while tenors
and basses begin piano. The chorus then sings simultaneous alternating eight-beat crescendos and
decrescendos (depending upon the beginning dynamic), and repeats the process ad lib.

16. Four part - mixing dynamic changes

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Robert Shaw believed that the well-trained amateur or volunteer chorus could equal a professional
orchestra in quality of performance. But he maintained that attempting to master everything at
oncetext, rhythm, intonation, dynamics, unanimity of tone, etc.would lead to a confused and
imprecise result whereby the music could not be performed to its full potential. Skills were therefore
to be taught and mastered one element at a time while continually refreshing those
previously learned. Shaws warm-up techniques were a major element of his approach to choral
preparation, with an expectation that his singers would ultimately assume personal responsibility for
their own musical discipline. As choral directors, we should expect no less of ourselves and our
singers.

This article was adapted from a longer version which first appeared in 2003 on the website of the
Association of British Choral Directors (http://www.abcd.org.uk/). The author would like to thank
the following for their input into this project: Thomas Shaw, Robert Shaw's son; Nola Frink, former
administrative assistant to Robert Shaw; Norman Mackenzie, former musical assistant to Robert
Shaw and currently the director of choruses for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra; Ann Howard Jones
of Boston University; Susan Brumfield of Texas Tech University; Thomas Hughes of Texas Tech
University; John Dickson; and the 2003 Texas Tech University Choir.