LO3

3 Know the processes required in preparation for the performance of an extended programme of music.

Technical preparations: ‘warm-up’ techniques, scales, arpeggios, other technical exercises to improve tone and technique relevant to the instrument or voice; formulate effective practise routines; pieces for performance thoroughly rehearsed and learnt

Physical preparation: eg relaxation and/or breathing exercises as appropriate, concentration techniques, exercises to control nerves, preparatory performances at the venue and in front of an audience

Other preparations: instrument (where applicable) is in working order and in-tune eg new strings, serviceable reeds/mouth pieces, correct beaters, voice is warmed up; rehearsal with accompanist if one is being used.

Know the processes required in preparation for the performance of an extended programme of music.

Technical preparations

Vocal warm ups

Vocal warm ups are exercises that you do when you are wanting to warm up your vocals before you sing, not just for singing but also for acting, or other different uses. It helps stretch the muscles and enables the singer to feel more prepared when about to sing. 

Physical body warm ups are also very good when singing. Muscles all around the body are used when you sing, diaphragm being the most obvious muscle. It's good to stretch your neck, back, abdomen and shoulders; this avoids stress which could affect the sound of the voice. 

Some vocal exercises which are used involve training. These are often called vocalises, these activities teach diction, breath control, blending and also teaches balance. Short sessions of vocal warm ups should occur if you're new to it or just starting again after a long break as damage could be caused to your vocal chords.

Warm up techniques
When I was doing my music performance techniques blog I was able to already research about vocal warm ups so I have gained a lot of knowledge about these already. 
It's always good to warm up your voice for about 10-20 minutes before singing. 
Good vocal warm ups:

• To sing DO RE MI FA SO LA TI DO from low to high, high to low. This gets your vocals comfortable and used to singing
• Make different sounds- Opening your mouth wide and standing still whilst you do this. Your voice should sound even and firm
• Practice high and low notes, even if they sound weird. This is good for increasing your range. If you put too much pressure on the high notes you could lose your voice.
• Good posture
• Open your mouth wide when singing, this is something that people often forget to do 

Tips:

• Always keep warming up until you feel you're ready to sing, you can never warm up enough
• Always do proper breathing exercises
• Singing everyday, even to the radio or the television can help your voice
• Drinking room temperature water is good for your voice
• Tightening your abdominal muscles can help you when you're trying to reach the high and low notes 
• Stay healthy
• Do not strain 
• Make sure your jaw is nice and loose

Humming 

1. Place your tongue at the back of your bottom teeth
2. Relax jaw and mouth 
3. Make the sound 'NNNNNNNNNnnnnn' or 'MMMMMmmmmm' which ever feels most comfortable and achieves a fuller, deep warm tone to your voice
4. You should then feel a tingling feeling or vibration through your tongue, teeth and nose
5. If you can't feel this, keep trying 

The lip roll/trill

Below is a video of a lady explaining the lip roll/trill.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=RTtMOiSeAGQ

Tongue trills

If you struggle with doing the lip trill, some people do, then the tongue trill is just as good.

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&ved=0CDgQtwIwAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DyiGiuRG-xVo&ei=OG_UUYSfKtSS0AXW0ICgCA&usg=AFQjCNG1dms5Ynh5Pojaoe6-oELYZmralg&sig2=fMwbV12kKj3l0Lt3Cwz35g

Breathing exercises

Tongue trills warm up the tongue and they also warm up the vocal chords. When you're doing the tongue trill it's very important that you don't blow out. The trill should always be behind your teeth, the tip of your tongue or along the roof of your mouth. 

Scales
Doing singing scale enables you to become naturally familiar with your vocal chords with the various pitches that you can do, and you can then sing them with less difficulty and it becomes completely natural to you and leaves you with not having to think about it. If you are a beginner they say it's a good idea to just start with major scales and major arpeggios, then when you feel much more confident you will be ready to move onto minor scales and minor arpeggios.  

• Major scales- Major scales are the most basic scales and they help us sing in tune and also help us practice our pitching. Vocal teachers usually use this as a vocal warm up. It tests their pitching and also rhythm sense. The major scale is made up of 8 notes, there are 7 basic notes and the 8th note is a copy of whatever the first note was that you did but in a higher octave. This is what the major scale looks like: 1 (Doh) 2 (Re) 3 (Mi) 4 (Fa) 5 (Sol) 6 (La) 7 (Ti) 1 (High Doh).  If you were going to do this on the piano then it is important then you know the key that you want to begin the scale on. For example a scale in C major, it would consist of the following notes: Middle C, D, E, F, G, A, B, High C. 

• Minor scales- Minor scales are a bit more difficult than major scales. Minor scales require much more concentration and there are 3 types of minor scales so you need to know each one so you know which notes you're meant to be singing. Minor scales are made up of 8 notes, this is the same as major scales. It's a good idea to sing along to the scales when you are practicing. 

• Major and minor arpeggios- These are fantastic vocal exercises for singers, they help train the ability for pitching, as well as this it trains the ability to sing musical intervals, and helps with making pitch jumps when you are singing. If you are a beginner for singing then it's a great scale to sing ad also good for those who want to train their pitch and also improve their listening ability.

• Major intervals- Majors are only used for 2nds, 3rds, 6ths and 7ths. If there is a major interval it will be labeled with a large ''M''.

  Major Intervals
  Type of Interval	Number of Half-steps
  Major 2nd	2
  Major 3rd	4
  Major 6th	9
  Major 7th	11

• Minor intervals- Minor intervals happen when there is a major interval which is made one half step smaller. This happens when the bottom note is raised or by lowering the top note. Minor intervals will be labeled with a small ''m''.

Minor Interval
Type of Interval	Number of Half-steps
Minor 2nd	1
Minor 3rd	3
Minor 6th	8
Minor 7th	10

• Pentatonic scales- This is a musical scale/mode which has five notes peroctave which is in contrast to a heptatonic (seven note) scale such as the major and the minor scale. Pentatonic scales are very common and they are used and found all around the world. They are actually divided into those with semi tones and also those without. The pentatonic scales are what we call and are known as the basic building blocks to soloing. There is then 5 scales which are considered the basic pentatonic scales, there are more than just one set of pentatonic scales. Here is an example, in tab:

F minor Pentatonic: I (1st scale)

e|---------------------1-4-------------|
B|-----------------1-4-----------------|
G|-------------1-3---------------------|
D|---------1-3-------------------------|
A|-----1-3-----------------------------|
E|-1-4---------------------------------|

• Chromatic scale- The chromatic scale is a musical scale which has twelve pitches and they're all each a semitone above or below each other. It looks like this. 

Arpeggios
An arpeggio is  a musical technique, it's when the notes in a chord are played/sung in a sequence, and this happens one after the other, rather than simultaneously. 

An arpeggio is when there is a group of notes which are always played one after the other, and it goes either up or down. To get an arpeggio perfect then the player needs to play the sounds of the chord separately making it individual and this will then differentiate the notes. The notes in the chord all belong to just the one chord. For example, it could be a simple chord with the 1st (major or minor) 3rd, and 5th notes of the scale in it, this would then be called a tonic-triad  If you were to look at the key of C major, then an arpeggio going up two octaves would look like this C, E, G, C, E, G, C. 
An arpeggio is actually a type of broken chord. There are different types of broken chords, other types play chord notes out of sequence or  more than one note but less than the whole of the chord simultaneously. Arpeggios are able to rise or fall for more than one octave.

'Arpeggio' comes from an Italian word 'Arpeggiare', this word means 'to play on a harp'. A translation of this term would is 'broken chord'. 

 This is what an arpeggio looks like. 

Technical exercises
Doing technical exercises will help improve your tone and technical ability. Not just for singing, but for whatever instrument it is that you might be playing. They help you work on skills with detail and the more you do technical exercises the more technically better you will get at playing an instrument, or in this case, singing.
For example, if you are a guitarist then technical exercises may include things like hand exercises to strengthen your hands which will improve your playing skills. If you are a pianist then also hand exercises would be great technical exercises because it warms your hands up, stretches them and gets the used to playing. So you could do scales on these instruments, which you can also do with singing, For example if you were doing the C major scale on the piano then it would be C E F G A B C, doing these kinds of exercises are good for your hands and memory.


Tone and technique relevant to the instrument or voice
Depending on what style you are playing, what kind of voice you have , what instrument is being played and how it is getting played will then decide how you need to go about 'tone and technique', and at first trying to make it relevant to your instrument can be quite difficult. For example, an opera singer wouldn't need to practice the same way as an acoustic singer, what they're aiming for is completely different and the exercises wouldn't really do much help for either of them. 

Effective practice routines
From experience, having a practice routine really helps and is something that is very useful and I would most definitely suggest it to others. 
Having a practice routine can encourage you to practice and rehearse. I believe that about 15-20 minutes for each session of practice you have, and do this a few times throughout the day as often as possible. Practicing for too much at once can cause you mind to get confused and it can be too much to take in and you'll end up not really learning anything. It's good to focus on one thing at a time, practicing loads of things at once won't enable you to get as much as you should out of it, because you'll end up being 'good' at loads of things, when it's better to be really  good at a couple of things and then focus on specific things that need improvement and more time on. 

Rehearsals
Without rehearsals it would be virtually impossible to do a performance, solo or with a band. 
Why are rehearsals so important?

• Enable you to notice parts which need improvement and more practice 
• Also a good way to find parts which are good 
• Makes you feel prepared and ready to perform, can help with nerves 
• You will look more confident if you know what you're doing, leading to a better performance

Rehearsing everyday is important because it keeps your mind fresh and you then won't slack and you will become more familiar with what it is that you're performing, leaving it more natural when you perform. 
If you don't know the pieces well enough this will show on your performance.

Physical preparation

Relaxation and breathing exercises
A good way to relax and calm yourself down is by using breathing exercises. The reason breathing exercises are so good to enable yourself to relax is because you get control of your breathing and this then causes yourself to relax. To do this you need to practice deep breathing at a regular time. It's good to be in a quiet and peaceful place when you do this. Loosening all tight clothing and shoes can help you to feel more comfortable. 
Breathing:

• Fill up the lungs with air, without any force
• Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth 
• Breathe in slowly and regularly counting from one to five
• Then allow the breath to escape slowly, also counting from one to five
• Repeat this until you feel relaxed. Breathe without having pauses or holding your breath

Yoga and tai chi are good forms of exercise which help improve breathing and relaxation. 

Deep muscle relaxation:

• Face- push the eyebrows together as if you are frowning and then slowly release
• Neck- gently tilt the head forwards and push the chin towards your chest and then slowly lift again
• Shoulders- pull them towards your ears as if you are shrugging and then relax them down towards the feet
• Chest- breathe slowly and deeply into the diaphragm, this is below your bottom rib, so that you are using the whole of your lungs. Then slowly breathe out, allowing the body to deflate as all the air is exhaled 
• Arms- stretch the arms away from the body, reach out and then relax
• Legs- push your toes away from the body, then pull them towards the body, relax after you've done this
• Wrists and hands- stretch the wrist by pulling the hand up towards you, and then stretch out the fingers and thumbs, then relax 

Concentration exercises
Below are a few examples of good concentration exercises and techniques. When you are doing them it's best to try and keep as still as you possibly can to get the best result out of them.

• Sitting still on a chair- the more you practice this you will eventually be able to sit there without your muscles moving involuntary. This is quite difficult and takes a lot of practice but the more you do it the longer you'll be able to sit still with no movement at all. 
• Fix gaze of fingers- if you sit with your head up and your chin out and have your shoulders back, you should then raise your right arm until it is on the same level as your shoulder, pointing to your right. Then look down with just your head and then stare at your fingers and keep your arm as still as you can for one minute. Repeat this with the other arm. When you become more confident and you can keep your arm really still, increase the time until you're able to do this for about 5 minutes. Turn the palm of your hand facing down when it is outstretched, this is the easiest position. If you keep your eyes fixed still on the ends of your fingers then you will then be able to see if you are keeping your arm perfectly still without moving it. 
• Fix eyes on outstretched glass- get a small glass and then fill it up with water, hold it with your fingers then put your arm directly out in-front of you. Put your eyes upon the glass and try to keep your arm as still as you can so that no movement is noticeable. Do this first for about on minute then increase it to five. Do this exercise with both arms. The reason this exercise is good is because it helps you be able to get more control over your involuntary muscles.

• Concentrate on opening and closing fists- sit at a table and put your hands on it, clenching your fists. Do this whilst keeping the back of your hands on the table and your thumb doubled over the fingers. Now you should fix your gaze upon your fist for a while, then extend the thumb very gradually, whilst doing this keep your whole attention fixed upon the act. After you have done this extend your first finger out, then your second and keep doing this until you've done all fingers. After you've done this, do it backwards, and then with both hands. Keep doing this exercise with one hand and then with the other until you have done it 4 times with each of your hands. Eventually you can make it to 10 times.
• Concentration increases your sense of smell- when you're just walking about or driving around concentrate on all the smells that you can see. See what different smells you can detect. Choose one particular smell and try and sense only this. 

• Watch a clock- follow the second hand of a clock with your eyes as it goes around. Try and keep this up for about five minutes, just concentrating on this. This is a good exercise when you have a few minutes to kill. Also try and keep as still as possible. 

Exercises to control nerves

• Inhale and exhale- This is a great way to calm yourself down. When you do this a vagus nerve, which runs from the neck right down to your spine through the diaphragm, this sends signals to your brain which turns up your parasympathetic nervous system and it then turns down your sympathetic nervous system. 
• A positive attitude can help control your nerves 
• Having a pep talk is a good way to make you feel less nervous as it gives you confidence and can make you feel better about it

Preparatory performances at the venue in front of an audience

Other preparations

Preparations

• What to wear- before bands or solo artists go on stage they'll need to plan what they're going to wear. Usually in a band, they'll have the same clothing on, or similar, which creates a theme, and this will usually give the band a specific look which will get them recognised and fans will know them for that particular style. For example, a band called Daughter, they always wear black/dark clothing, it also relates to their music, being quite dark and meaningful so it wouldn't really work if they were to come out on stage wearing bright colours but their music be the total opposite. However, some bands don't feel it's necessary to have a specific way of dressing.
• Formation whilst on stage- It's important that bands know where they're standing, it would be no good if the band looked completely clueless when going on stage because they didn't know where they were supposed to be. Also, instruments will be laid out before hand so they're ready. If it's just a solo act then they'll always be at the front. Very often they have a band which tours/gigs with them also so they'll be behind them and they'll also need to be aware of what's going on and where they're supposed to be. 
• Who's going to do the talking when on stage-It's good to know who's going to do the talking to save everyone talking at once and it looking very unorganised. 
• Song list and order- Knowing the songs being played and the order is one of the main things, especially if there is a band involved because they'll all need to know what song is next.

Instrument
Instrument preparation:

• Clean instruments 
• Tuning 
• Making sure everything is in good condition 
• Instrument accessories, for example, guitar tuner, guitar strap, plectrum 

• New strings 
• All equipment is ready and working, for example, amps and leads
• Mouth pieces

Tuning
Before you do a performance it's very important that all instruments that are being used are tuned otherwise it won't sound right and will ruin the songs. This includes the voice, hence vocal warm ups. Most musicians are able to tell by ear when an instrument is out of tune, but if not you can purchase tuners. A guitar tuner would look something like this:
They will tell you whether your instrument is in tune. A lot of them nowadays you can use for several instruments, my guitar tuner can also be used for a violin if you change the settings. 
You may need to put on new strings on your instrument to get the best sound out of your instrument.

Rehearsals
Rehearsing is an extremely big part of performances. I have created a practice routine (SEE MUSIC PERFORMANCE TECHNIQUES LO1) and this shows rehearsals in preparation for performances. Without rehearsing it could cause the performance to not go as well as it could have gone. Doing this practice routine enabled me to plan rehearsals and it was a very good way to encourage me to practice and keep trying. You need rehearsals for anything, this could be a dance show, a play, live performance etc. 
If you are doing a performance with other people then it's even more vital to make sure that you are fully rehearsed, this is because you are relying on each other and you all need to be aware of when you come in, arrangements of the songs you are performing, and it's also good to have a close relationship with the members in the group so you all feel comfortable and confident.