ma-me-mi-mo-mu : 4 part choral excersize
  • francis
    Posts: 10,848
    Here is a good excersize for your choir warm-up. It works for training good tonal and harmonic blending while working on correct pronunciation of latin syllables.
  • janetgorbitzjanetgorbitz
    Posts: 968
    We're still on unison (heh)... and I have been using ni ne na no nu... very nice -- thanks for sharing.
  • David AndrewDavid Andrew
    Posts: 1,206
    I've used a modified form of this, primarily for the purposes of teaching a choir how to keep repeated chords in tune when singing Anglican chant.

    Distribute the voices thus: basses on "do", tenors on "sol", altos on "mi", sopranos on "do"; they sing this chord through "mah meh mih moh moo, ah eh ee oh oo, mah meh mee moh moo." The syllables should be sustained, and the trick is to maintain the tuning, especially the altos singing the third of the chord.
    Thanked by 1CharlesW
  • paul
    Posts: 60
    You know, there aren't really any magic exercises--it's just as easy for a beginning singer to use poor technique to sing these exercises. You still have to stress freedom in the throat area (usually the vowel color is compromised if you have back of the tongue tension, so that's an easy one), a fully engaged breathing apparatus-- if the breath isn't working well, you're probably going to have tension in the throat to compensate and the vowels will suck) and the sensation of the sound hitting the upper front teeth on those "nn"s or "mm"s. Unison is an excellent place to start, Janet. Don't get seduced into singing the excellent parts that Francis has provided until you're sure your singers are singing unison well.
    Thanked by 1CharlesW
  • Capn_Trips
    Posts: 1
    Is the exercise referenced in the original post still available somewhere?
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,199
    Has the one-size fits all exer-size been exor-sized ... mayhaps in favour of a better exer-cise?
  • francis
    Posts: 10,848
    Hi Capn

    I would have to go digging by following the URL. Will locate file and post again. When I converted my websites to word press I lost all of these links on the forum which was very disappointing as I wanted them to be permanent. There is absolutely nothing permanent about the webworld.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,848
    Wow... that was in 2009 and I don't even know where to find what I had posted. Sorry.
  • jcr
    Posts: 141
    Unfortunately, many exercises will accomplish any given purpose, but the key to success is found in how the exercise is performed. A very successful voice teacher I knew many years ago applied a maxim to the problem. "Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect. Practice makes permanent." The weakness here is in the fact that the teacher/conductor has difficulty hearing what everyone is doing. This is part of the challenge of training singers in the choral rehearsal.

    The other confounding variable lies in the reality that many choristers have become jaded by the nutty things that half trained choral directors have said to them and the contradictory instructions they have received from other more competent ones that they just endure the instruction period and "just sing".

    This is not to suggest that such training is impossible; just that it is difficult and requires careful thought and planning.
    Thanked by 2CharlesW Carol
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