Diploma in Nursing Admission Test Question Solution 2023.pdf
Pdst warm ups for young singers composition
1. PDST – Warm ups for adults and young singers.
Explain these exercises are to warm up our bodies and voices and,
progressing from the ‘Creative use of Singing in the Classroom’, to help
us think a little about using our singing for composition, either for
ourselves or for our students.
1. . Physical warm up:
a). “8 – 1 Countdown”
This is a fast and physical way to limber up and loosen out.
Shake out your right leg, left leg, right arm (high in the air) and then left arm (also
high in the air). First count 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 on each limb, then 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,
then 1 – 6, 1 – 5, 1 – 4 etc, all the way down to 1, 1, 1, 1. It’s just a quick and fun way
to loosen out for kids and adults.
2. Phonation:
a). Unvoiced Sounds: (You are not actually singing yet!)
Ask your singers to imitate the sounds you make
1) Whissssssssh
2) Whooooooooo
3) Wheeeeeeeee
4) Ssssssssssss
5) Sshhhooooo
6) Chooooooooo
7) Tfffffffffffffff
8) Tsshhhhhhh
9) Cheeeeeeeeeee
10) Hhaaaaaaaa
b) Sound effects by lip trilling
1) Lip trills. Firstly on air like an old chugging lawnmower.
2) Lip trills. Now introduce sound. Short engine revving-like sounds. Let these get
longer and higher. Draw a pattern in the air and let the group trill while following the
pattern of your ‘air picture’. The position of the finger relates to the pitch.
3) Now ask for a volunteer to draw a map / pattern either on a board if available or
just in the air with their finger as you demonstrated.
c) Further sound effects using words.
Here I have chosen Motorbike and Car brands. You could use anything e.g student
2. names, place names, band names etc
They are voiced but not specifically pitched. You can use them to begin in a high
range and then take some into the low range.
1) Kaw-aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-sa-ki
2) Suuuuuuuuuuuu-zu-kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
3) Yaaaaaaaaa-maaaaaaaaaaa-haaaaaaaaaaa
4) Hon-daaaaaaa, hon-daaaaaaaam hon-daaaaaa
5) Mit-su-bi-shi, mit-su-bi-shi, (This is good to start introducing rhythm)
6) Har-ley Dav-id- son (Good for duplet – triplet combinations)
(Explain that the ‘theme’ does not matter, it is the sounds the words make. Any other
sounds you or your students can create will work just as well.)
3. Sizzling Echoes
These exercises work the breathing a little more but also train the children in listening
and rhythm skills. Explain that the exercises will get progressively busier
You sing a), the students echo. You sing b) etc…
NB: Repeat any that are not echoed accurately.
4. Vowels
3. The following kinesthetic gestures help singers to shape vowels.
eh – finger to chin (pronounced ‘ay’ as in ‘day’)
ee – index fingers softly placed by the corners of the mouth
ah – open hand in ‘L’ shape at the side of the mouth
oh – make an ‘O’ shape either with two hand together in front of your mouth or with
the thumb and index finger meeting in an ‘O’ shape in front of your mouth.
oo – open hand in front of face, palm faced in. Now close the fingers together as you
draw your hand towards your lips (not too close) and draw the hand away again (as if
pulling a string).
Begin descending exercises with young voices on C an 8ve above middle C. F major
is always a good starting point with a descending 5th pattern. Work up in semitones
to A major (starting note E).
a). This exercise uses the all of the vowels: eh, ee, ah, oh, oo.
Then in G, A flat and A.
b). This exercise uses the ‘ah’ vowel when sung.
Use the kinesthetic aid for ‘ah’ while singing this exercise.
Then in G, A flat and A.
c). This exercise uses the ‘ee’ vowel when sung.
Use the kinesthetic aid for ‘ee’ while singing this exercise.
Then in G, A flat and A.
Now ask the teachers to suggest other sentences using just one of the vowels and
a pattern it could be sung to, just like the two samples above. Range of a 5th is
good to start.
4. 5. Diction
a) Whisper – T, T, T – class echoes
b) Whisper – K, K, K, – class echoes
c) Whisper – Tee__ti-ka, Tee__ti-ka, Tee__ti-ka, Tee__ti-ka in this rhythm:
- class echoes
d) Now sing and ask the class to echo:
e) And now for some syncopation:
6. Body Percussion:
a) The following is a simple rhythm for a body percussion pattern in duple meter:
The way I have designed for it to be played on the body may make if feel a little ‘off-
beat’ but it just makes it more interesting!
ST = Slap thigh
CL = Clap
SN = Snap (or click) your fingers
SL = Slide. This is where you clap to one side with your bottom hand palm up and the
top hand covering it on the clap (as opposed to clapping by the two hands meeting in
front). Then the top hand slides up to the upper arm for the two beats of the minim.
Demonstrate first – don’t tell them the rhythm. Ask the group to join in when they are
comfortable to do so. Repeat as necessary until all have joined in.
Now explain that this is an ‘A’ phrase.
5. Divide them into groups – pairs or threes are usually good for this. Ask them to come
up with a ‘B’ phrase. It may be in the same meter but it need not be!
Give them 3 mins max.
When they are ready ask who would like to share theirs. Take one and then get
everyone to do it.
Now perform a Binary form version of the percussion composition. Then a Ternary
form version.
Now invite others to share theirs and end with a Rondo form version using all the
offerings in between your opening ‘A’ section.
7. Pentatonic Scale:
The pentatonic scale consists of d, r, m, s and l.
Some of the exercises above are based on the pentatonic elements.
This exercise uses the complete range. (It is also an excellent exercise to extend range
in young voices without over-extending.)
Repeat in E, F and F sharp for young voices.
You may wish to start on C or even B for the adult group.
8. Chocolate Ostinato!:
Let’s compose a piece made up of ostinati. Two other requirements:
1. The music should be made up of elements of the pentatonic scale.
2. The text is all about CHOCOLATE!!
Here are three ideas to start you off:
‘Rolo’ might act as a bass part. A variant for girls voices could be:
6. Divide into pairs or threes and develop these ideas further using any text to do with
chocolate!
9. Beat Boxing:
Three basic sounds:
1. Bass 2. Hi-hats 3. Snare
1. Bass: This is a really quick expulsion of air through a ‘B’ shape.
Fill your lips with air and push out he air as fast as you can.
It may help to begin with a small lip trill.
A Techno Bass sound is done by keeping the mouth closed and
pushing air down on the larynx. It has a covered sound in the throat.
2. Hi-hats: These can be a) closed or b) open:
a) Closed: Simply sound a short, sharp ‘t’ sound – just phonetically i.e
not ‘tee’, just ‘t’.
b) Open: This is a slightly looser sound using the syllables ‘ts’.
3. Snare: Three different snare sounds:
a) ‘psh’
b) ‘pff’
c) ‘pss’
7. Divide into pairs or threes and develop these ideas further using any text to do with
chocolate!
9. Beat Boxing:
Three basic sounds:
1. Bass 2. Hi-hats 3. Snare
1. Bass: This is a really quick expulsion of air through a ‘B’ shape.
Fill your lips with air and push out he air as fast as you can.
It may help to begin with a small lip trill.
A Techno Bass sound is done by keeping the mouth closed and
pushing air down on the larynx. It has a covered sound in the throat.
2. Hi-hats: These can be a) closed or b) open:
a) Closed: Simply sound a short, sharp ‘t’ sound – just phonetically i.e
not ‘tee’, just ‘t’.
b) Open: This is a slightly looser sound using the syllables ‘ts’.
3. Snare: Three different snare sounds:
a) ‘psh’
b) ‘pff’
c) ‘pss’