Update - Directors and Students
Directors and Students,
I'm working my fastest to get you as many engaging videos and resources to keep up the practicing while we're all socially distanced. I sincerely appreciate all of the support thus far. Keep checking back as I will continue to upload throughout the month of April and onward. I'd also like to apologize if I'm not able to answer emails right away. I promise I'll try to get to everyone. YOU are my editors and I've been able to correct a lot of mistakes from the feedback. Keep up the practicing; we'll all make music together again at some point.
All the best,
John McAllister
I'm working my fastest to get you as many engaging videos and resources to keep up the practicing while we're all socially distanced. I sincerely appreciate all of the support thus far. Keep checking back as I will continue to upload throughout the month of April and onward. I'd also like to apologize if I'm not able to answer emails right away. I promise I'll try to get to everyone. YOU are my editors and I've been able to correct a lot of mistakes from the feedback. Keep up the practicing; we'll all make music together again at some point.
All the best,
John McAllister
Newest Uploads
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(Young Ensemble Complete Warm-Up Accompaniment)
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(Cinematic Scales with Scales on the Video)
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(Lip Slurs Warm-Up)
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(Articulation Exercise)
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(Easier version of the Cinematic Scales)
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Part I
Complete Warm-Up Sets
Below you'll find several different full band warm-up sets. There is a varying degree of difficulty and exercises, though all focus on the essentials. As we all know, fundamentals make a huge difference. These following sets will hopefully give you some resources to help the rehearsal flow and student achievement. As always, if you catch a mistake (I'm my own editor) or have a suggestion/request, send me a note and I'll see what I can do! (Contact click HERE)
Foundation Warm-Ups
Very, Very Easy
Very, Very Easy
This first set of warm ups can be used once students have learned the first five notes. They're basically daily drills to reinforce good habits and build basic (proper) technique. As these warm-ups/fundamental sets progress, they generally line up with what most beginning band books are asking of players. You can decide when it's time to switch to the next set. Foundation Warm-Ups Set #4 begins to direct you towards a traditional warm up style: Long Tones, Flexibility, Technical Studies, and even has a Chorale.
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Side note: I love using band books (I'll not advocate for a particular one here), but always felt the need to have a separate set of daily fundamentals to reinforce the basics. Band books tend to progress quickly... these are designed to slow things down and allow you to just reinforce specific aspects of playing.
Young Ensemble Warm-Ups
Easy - Medium Easy
Easy - Medium Easy
The Young Ensemble Warm-ups are a great resource to have in the band folder. These are designed to take the full band through the warm-up process. Exercises include Long Tones, Flexibility Exercises (lip slurs, register slurs), Articulation Exercises, and Chorales. There are plenty of idiomatic percussion parts to accompany the wind parts. Check em' out!
Below is the 2020 Edition to the Young Ensemble Warm-Ups. I've made extensive revisions... They are a little more difficult in places, so this may be a good "next step" from the first edition. If you find any mistakes, please let me know! I'm my own editor and am definitely not perfect!!
Symphonic Warm-Ups
Medium Easy
Medium Easy
These warm-ups are very similar to the Young Ensemble Warm-Ups, but have some slight differences. I wrote these when I was a good bit younger, so they're not as polished as some of the newer resources. All that being said, these warm-ups got me to my first superior at festival! Have fun!
Comprehensive Ensemble Warm-Ups
Medium Easy - Medium
Medium Easy - Medium
This warm-up set is geared more towards the developing high school ensemble, though advance middle school ensembles may find use as well. This warm-up takes the band through much of the fundamental process during every day rehearsal. It contains long tones, flexibility/lip slur exercises, articulation practice, range development, multiple full ensemble chorales, and dynamics practice. There are plenty of engaging and technical percussion parts as well. Good luck!
** Note: the long tones sequence works with the Cinematic Long Tones**
Just a quick warm-up in Bb or C. I used video that "flows" to give a type of visual representation/sensation of a good, steady airstream.
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OR.. one octave descending chromatically from F to Bb, then ascending F to Bb.
Part II
Another Approach to Ensemble Warm-Ups
Medium Easy
We all know the importance of warming up and developing warm-up routines. Some individuals need more routine than others; some ensembles need more routine than others. In some pedagogical discussions with colleagues we determined that the warm-ups above (Young Ensemble and Symphonic) may not be the best for some ensembles. Rather, we discussed having different sets of warm-ups that can be done on different days or only certain segments are played each day. The idea is to keep students engaged in the warm-up and not have them become complacent about playing the exact same thing every day. So... here are three different sets of warm-up types that can be mix-matched however you please.
**Also, there are plenty of percussion parts to keep your percussionists engaged as well.**
**Also, there are plenty of percussion parts to keep your percussionists engaged as well.**
Side note: I am also a huge proponent of students learning how to warm up properly on their own. Because of how these are constructed, students can easily see the different types of warm up exercises. Students can also see how their playing is affected after doing each of the types.
Part III
Band Basics
Developing Ensemble Sound and Technique
Medium Easy
Medium Easy
These ensemble warm-ups have several purposes. Each page is in a different key, helping students to solidify the notes and patterns. Included in each key is several different exercises: the scale proper, an easy etude to listen to the sections and then blend the sound together, an exercise that plays the scale from 1 to 5 DOWN to low 5 and back to 1 (this is to help students realize that the key is not just the scale), technical patterns for developing individual and ensemble articulation, an (most) importantly, a CHORALE!
My goal for these warm-ups is to have one page that addresses what you usually have to go to several different places (resources) to achieve. I use these for myself especially for festival preparation. Also, I wrote a TON of percussion parts. Students can play snare, bass, cymbals (suspended and crash), Timpani, Auxiliary instruments (it's a general rhythm so they can play on any single strike percussion instruments), bells, or xylophone/marimba.
My goal for these warm-ups is to have one page that addresses what you usually have to go to several different places (resources) to achieve. I use these for myself especially for festival preparation. Also, I wrote a TON of percussion parts. Students can play snare, bass, cymbals (suspended and crash), Timpani, Auxiliary instruments (it's a general rhythm so they can play on any single strike percussion instruments), bells, or xylophone/marimba.
Part IV
Marching Band - Hornline Warmups
Medium
Here's a great set of hornline warm-ups that will take you successfully through marching band season. Everything you need to get the ensemble ready to play is included: long tones exercises, flexibility and lip slurs, articulation exercises, technique exercises to help "play the horn," a solid tuning sequence, chord progressions (to help with sustain, blend, balance, intonation, loud playing, etc), and of course, a Bach chorale. There's enough material to keep you busy through band camp on into the school year. Take your favorite exercises to warm your group up before the football game or competition! The best part is that they're free!!
Hornline Warm-Ups - for Two Levels of Playing
These warm-ups came from having a wide level of skills in my marching band. Since we have seniors in the top band (of three) ranging to middle schoolers, it became apparent that the warm-ups tended to either be too easy or too difficult. To solve this, I wrote some warm-ups that had built-in multiple skill levels, mainly on the flexibility exercises. This system allowed each individual to better prepare themselves for rehearsal and performance.
Note: since these are primarily marching band hornline warm-ups, I did not spend a lot of time tailoring the percussion parts to be ideal for concert band. There is a snare/bass part and a mallet part. Percussionists can still develop necessary skills, but this is nothing like my Comprehensive Warm-Ups in regards to percussion.
Note: since these are primarily marching band hornline warm-ups, I did not spend a lot of time tailoring the percussion parts to be ideal for concert band. There is a snare/bass part and a mallet part. Percussionists can still develop necessary skills, but this is nothing like my Comprehensive Warm-Ups in regards to percussion.
Part V - Extras!
Chorales
Many visitors requested chorales, so I've cleaned up a set I wrote a while ago. As we all know, chorales are fundamental to getting a great sounding ensemble--balance, blend, intonation, phrasing, musicality, listening--the list goes on! These chorales should be ideal for late middle school and up.
Just Intonation Practice
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I decided to make an accompaniment track/video where individuals and ensembles could practice long tone chords that had been adjusted for just intonation. It's always a great moment when students first learn to "lock in" with an in tune chord. This also allows for a bit of theory development too, since the sequence goes through the circle of fourths. If you use this resource, let me know how it goes... especially since it's a little different than many of the other things I've created. My hope is to help everyone play better in tune :)
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