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Warm-ups for Ensembles (and solo harp!)
For the past year I've been writing a series of multi-level warm up exercises for my harp ensemble, Cheshire Harps. At the beginning of each session we start with a quick warm up which we all play together at the same time before starting work on our ensemble pieces.
There are two versions of each exercise, a more gentle version and then a more advanced version. They are based on block placing and encourage good articulation to warm up. Because the patterns are repetitive, it enforces that 'cookie cutter' approach, where you close the fingers and make a loose fist after playing each 'block' and then open your hand to the same shape on the next 'block' of notes.
What's different about these warm ups?
Good question!
I wrote these warm-ups so that they would be musically interesting and (hopefully) not get boring to play, no matter how many times you play them.
Just choose any 3 exercises and after you finish it, go straight to the next one without a break. By the end of playing 3 of them all the way through your fingers should be nicely warmed up. You can mix and match any of them, in any order to keep it all fresh, so you are never playing exactly the same warm-up each time.
However, the magic happens when you play them as an ensemble. They all fit together harmonically, so every exercise can be played together at the same time. Every person within your ensemble chooses their own 3 exercises to play, and then everyone plays their chosen exercises at the same time.
You have a group warm up which does the job of warming up the fingers, and will sound different every time it's played!
There are two versions of each exercise, a more gentle version and then a more advanced version. They are based on block placing and encourage good articulation to warm up. Because the patterns are repetitive, it enforces that 'cookie cutter' approach, where you close the fingers and make a loose fist after playing each 'block' and then open your hand to the same shape on the next 'block' of notes.
What's different about these warm ups?
Good question!
I wrote these warm-ups so that they would be musically interesting and (hopefully) not get boring to play, no matter how many times you play them.
Just choose any 3 exercises and after you finish it, go straight to the next one without a break. By the end of playing 3 of them all the way through your fingers should be nicely warmed up. You can mix and match any of them, in any order to keep it all fresh, so you are never playing exactly the same warm-up each time.
However, the magic happens when you play them as an ensemble. They all fit together harmonically, so every exercise can be played together at the same time. Every person within your ensemble chooses their own 3 exercises to play, and then everyone plays their chosen exercises at the same time.
You have a group warm up which does the job of warming up the fingers, and will sound different every time it's played!
I'd love you to try these out, either on your own, with your students and ensembles, or grab a friend and play these together! Please feel free to download the PDF below and do let me know how you get on with them.
I will also make these available to purchase at my online shop on my website, so I'd really appreciate that if you want to recommend these to colleagues & students (and I really hope you will!!) please point them in the direction of my online shop HERE where they will be able to purchase the PDF.
I will also make these available to purchase at my online shop on my website, so I'd really appreciate that if you want to recommend these to colleagues & students (and I really hope you will!!) please point them in the direction of my online shop HERE where they will be able to purchase the PDF.
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