John McAllister
Composer, Educator
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Warm-Ups

Exploring the Fundamentals of Playing

*New* Winter Warm-Ups

For this series, I took a deep-dive into the cinematic sounds that give a winter/ice feeling. You will definitely hear some influences from Danny Elfman's Edward Scissorhands score, Harry Gregson-Williams' Narnia music, maybe a little Harry Potter-ish sounds, and Yasunori Nishiki's soundtrack to the video game Octopath Traveler (specifically the Frost world). Interestingly, these composers use many instruments you can find in any percussion room (triangles, cymbals, glockenspiel, chimes, etc). However, I doubt anybody has a celesta lying around. This series includes two exercises only using the first 6 notes, then one octave chromatically, and closes off with an airflow study.
click here for seasonal warm ups
(score and parts on page)

PART ONE
First Fundamentals & Foundation Warm-Ups

First Fundamentals and the Foundation Warm-Ups Series are designed for the youngest players. I've been careful to scaffold these exercises flow well with beginning band methods. My main goal is to give you OPTIONS: Options to vary instruction...options to create engagement...options for students to enjoy practicing beyond the classroom. Hopefully you can find some materials that will help you build strong fundamentals and a foundation for much music making.
First Fundamentals
The Very Beginning
These warm-ups/fundamentals are designed to accompany the very first days of playing. These come with drone and metronome exercises, cinematic accompaniments, and more to help facilitate great habits from the very beginning. 
click here for first fundamentals
Foundation Warm-Ups
Very, Very Easy
The Foundation Warm-Ups Series is a supplemental set of warm-ups that takes young musicians from the first five notes through their first years of playing. Each set is scaffolded to match the general progression of most beginning band methods. Complete with drone + metronome tracks and cinematic accompaniments, these progressive fundamentals are a great addition to the young band curriculum.
click here for foundation warm-ups

PART TWO
​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)
Young Ensemble Warm-Ups
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!
Young Ensemble Warm-ups

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!! 
Young Ensemble 2020
xml for your own edits / smartmusic / etc

**Note: the original version has the horn offset a fifth during long tones and flexibility to put it in a more comfortable range. I had doubled those pitches with the alto sax and tenor sax parts to give horn players reference pitches for helping find partials. If you would prefer to have all the parts in unison, use the adjusted set below **
young ensemble - alto/tenor sax horn unison - score & parts
Symphonic Warm-Ups
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!
Symphonic Warm-upS
Comprehensive Ensemble Warm-Ups
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!
Comprehensive ensemble warm-ups
Comprehensive Warm-ups - Slight Revision 2019
** Note: the long tones sequence works with the Cinematic Long Tones**

*New!*
Build-A-Warm-Up

Build-A-Warm-Up is currently under construction and will allow you to have an à la carte approach to using the resources. It will have tons of exercises for you to pick and choose from, allowing you to vary it up from day to day. Each exercise will have it's own accompaniment video. This way, you'll be able to build your own accompaniment order by making a custom Youtube playlist. (I.E. - "today we're playing Long Tones #1 A, B, Flexibility #1 C, D, E"....etc)
Build-a-warm-up
​(more videos and such)
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.
score & parts
pdf wtih
​melody
NEW VERSIOn with music on screen!
score & parts
OR.. one octave descending chromatically from F to Bb, then ascending F to Bb.
Score & Parts

PART THREE
​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.**
Long Tones
flexibility
Flow Studies
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 FOUR
​​Band Basics

Band Basics has moved to the "Fundamentals" page in order to help improve load times.
Fundamentals page

PART FIVE
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
Alternate Warm-Ups
HORNLINE WARM-UPS 2020!!
Drum Part (Video) for 2020 Warm-ups

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.

Ensemble Warm-Ups - Varying Levels

PART SIX - 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.
Free chorales now have their own page!
click here
four chorales for band

Just Intonation Practice

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 :)
Circle of fourths pdf

What's Next?

fundamentals
scales & Technique
Rhythm studies
chorales
sight-reading

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  • Start Here
    • Search Site
    • Blog
  • Music
    • Concert Band - Marches
    • Concert Band - B
    • Concert Band - VE
    • Concert Band - E
    • Concert Band - ME
    • Concert Band - M
    • Adaptable Duets
    • Adaptable Trios >
      • Adaptable Trios SAB
      • Adaptable Trios Mix Match
    • Adaptable Quartets
    • Adaptable Quintets >
      • Adaptable Quintets - Classical
      • Adaptable Quintets - Pops
      • Adaptable Quintets - Folk & Traditional
      • Adaptable Quintets - Patriotic
      • Adaptable Quintets - Originals
    • Etudes and Exercises
    • Marching Band >
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      • Marching Band - Community
    • Jazz
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    • Flute >
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      • Euphonium Scales & Technique
      • Euphonium Music
    • Tuba >
      • Tuba Warm-Ups
      • Tuba Scales & Technique
      • Tuba Music
    • Percussion
  • Free Resources
    • Let's Read Music
    • Ensemble Theory
    • Warm-ups >
      • First Fundamentals
      • Foundation Warm-Ups
      • Young Ensemble
      • Symphonic Warm-Ups
      • Comprehensive Warm-Ups
      • Advanced Warm-Ups
      • Build A Warm-Up
      • Chorales
      • Seasonal
    • Warm-Ups Symphony
    • Fundamentals
    • Scales and Technique
    • Rhythm
    • Arrangements
    • Sight-Reading
    • Breathing
    • Jazz Center
    • Games
    • Strings!
    • Recruitment Materials
    • Posters
    • Free Christmas
  • Cinematic Series
    • Complete Warm-Ups Sets
    • Long Tones
    • Flexibility
    • Articulation
    • Scales
    • Page of Patterns
    • Counting
    • Play Alongs
    • Arbans
    • Pop Rhythms
    • Classical Improv
    • LoFi
    • Music Humor
  • Contact