Get Your Band Back in Shape! Monday, August 16, 2021
Get your band back in shape with these recommended, popular warm-up series!
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by Ken T., Band Education Specialist
First Chorales for Band by James Swearingen
This is a terrific collection of 16 well-known chorales (eight major and eight relative minor keys) in one book, each skillfully arranged by James Swearingen. Ideally suited for rehearsal warm-up, these chorales will help your students improve their aural skills, tone production, legato phrasing and intonation. Written in four-part harmony (SATB), these books are scored to accommodate a variety of large and small ensemble settings. Each book includes 16 chorales, 16 major and minor scales and a glossary of musical terms.
Foundations for Superior Performance by Richard Williams & Jeff King
This series is designed to help organize the daily rehearsal and to improve the overall performance level of the ensemble. From as little as five minutes a day, to forty-five minutes a day, this series offers the flexibility and options to fit any particular band situation. It also provides the director with the resources to meet each student on his or her own level while challenging them to reach the next level.
Scale & Rhythm Chunks by Richard Canter
Richard Canter’s “Scale and Rhythm Chunks” books are “exactly what is wanted and needed” according to Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser. The books are designed so that students will be motivated to take home their books and learn new notes, rhythms, dynamics and articulations on their own in a simple and straight-forward way. Each “Chunk” exercise is short enough that directors can easily access each student quickly and effectively. This affords students the opportunity to have frequent assessments to help them develop good habits for performance during earlier stages of development. These books can be used from the first year of instruction through junior high. “Scale and Rhythm Chunks” can provide remedial help for learners who need more time to develop and provide extremely high goals for your advanced learners in need of a challenge. “Chunks” will make a huge impact on your program.
Sound Innovations Ensemble Development for Intermediate Concert Band by Peter Boonshaft & Chris Bernotas
“Sound Innovations: Ensemble Development for Intermediate Concert Band” is a valuable and comprehensive resource for developing your students’ understanding and abilities as ensemble musicians. It covers numerous aspects of individual and ensemble playing – tone quality & breath support, scales & technique, balance & intonation, rhythm reading & meter studies, and ensemble musicianship, and includes more than 70 chorales by some of today’s most renowned concert band composers including Roland Barrett, Andrew Boysen, Ralph Ford, Rossano Galante, Robert Sheldon, Todd Stalter, Randall Standridge, and Michael Story. An assortment of exercises is grouped by key and presented in a variety of intermediate difficulty levels. Where possible, several exercises in the same category are provided to allow variety, while still accomplishing the goals of that specific type of exercise. Many of the exercises and chorales are clearly marked with dynamics, articulations, style, and tempo for students to practice those aspects of performance, while others are intentionally left flexible for the teacher to determine how best to use them in facilitating and addressing the needs and goals of their ensemble. Whether your students are progressing through exercises to better their technical facility, or challenging their musicianship with beautiful chorales, this book can be used after any band method or as a supplement to performance music.
Symphonic Warm-Ups for Band by Claude T. Smith
Claude Smith’s contemporary approach to teaching technique, tone, and style is written in a variety of keys and meters and is divided into three sections: I. Scale Studies II. Etudes III. Chorale Studies. The etudes and chorales are in progressive order of difficulty so bands of all levels can find appropriate starting places and progress from there. It’s the perfect way to begin every rehearsal.
Technique & Musicianship by Bruce Pearson & Ryan Nowlin
An excellent source for developing well-rounded musicians, “Technique & Musicianship” is designed as a follow-up to any second level band method. Comprehensive in scope, it features scales, thirds, and arpeggios; technique and articulation exercises; melodious etudes; excerpts from the classical repertoire; and full-band chorales in 16 major and minor keys. Emphasis is placed on specific musicianship skills with options for students at various levels of ability allowing for differentiated instruction.
Warm-Ups & Beyond by Timothy Loest
Veteran middle school band director Timothy Loest has drawn from 18 years of experience to create an all-encompassing warm-up book appropriate for elementary, middle, and smaller high school programs. Its logical sequence addresses technical issues at a variety of levels. In addition to a wealth of chorales and scales, the book incorporates articulation and flexibility studies, and an in-depth glossary of musical terms, providing answers to questions posed by younger musicians. Percussion educator Kevin Lepper has added a wealth of percussion exercises that will enhance the technique of individual percussionists while developing the overall sound of your ensemble. “Warm-ups and Beyond” is an ideal resource for every developing library.
And develop good habits and fundamentals, too, with the “Habits…” series from GIA:
Habits of a Successful Beginner Band Musician
“Habits of a Successful Beginner Band Musician” is a field-tested, vital, and – most important – musical collection of 225 sequenced exercises for the beginning band student. The book’s cutting-edge online component, Habits Universal, features a backend gradebook that allows students to submit video recordings of their performances as a primary source of assessment. This gradebook is compatible with PowerSchool, Canvas, Google Classroom, Brightspace, Edmodo, Schoology, and many other platforms! In addition, Habits Universal features supplemental rhythm vocabulary sheets, accompaniment tracks, video start-up clinics, as well as a professional video coach for each exercise in the book.
Habits of a Successful Middle School Musician
“Habits of a Successful Middle School Musician” is a field-tested, vital, and – most important – musical collection of more than 300 sequenced exercises for building fundamentals. Perfect for use by an entire band or solo player for years two, three, and beyond, this series contains carefully sequenced warm-ups, chorales, sight-reading etudes, rhythm vocabulary exercises, and much more. In one place, this series presents everything an aspiring player needs to build fundamental musicianship skills and then be able to transfer those skills directly into the performance of great literature.
Habits of a Successful Musician
“Habits of a Successful Musician” is a vital, field-tested series for building fundamentals and – most important – a musical collection of more than 200 sequential sight-reading exercises. Perfect for use by an entire band or solo player at virtually any skill level, this series contains carefully sequenced warm-ups, sight-reading etudes, rhythm vocabulary builders, and much more. In one place, this series collects everything an aspiring player needs to build fundamental musicianship skills and then be able to transfer those skills directly into the performance of great literature.
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About the Author:
A former band director, Ken taught grades 5-12 band and music appreciation in both public and parochial schools in Central Ohio, and has been at Stanton’s since 2004. His iPod ranges from jazz and funk to classic and alternative rock, and symphonies. His interests include reading, history, traditional amusement parks, outdoor activities (especially hiking), and watching hockey.