Free Warm-Up Exercises for Band & Orchestra - Download Now
Countdown Timers
These 2-minute timers (one of them is 3 minutes) use fun, motivating music for purposes such as:
1) Start playing a countdown as soon as the bell rings, giving your students 2 minutes to be in their seats and ready to PLAY
2) When filling out worksheets, use a 2-minute countdown to increase their focus, intensity, and motivation
3) Give your students a 2 or 3-minute break during the middle of class, and use a countdown to make sure they are back in the seats in time
4) Choose any task that needs to be done, such as racking the music stands or cleaning up the floor, and play a countdown to encourage speed
I also use these timers at HOME when we are loading the dishwasher or tidying the family room. They work wonders! Kids love them, and teachers do too. Simply right-click the link below, download the ZIP file, then open it on your own computer and put the files wherever you want them.
These countdown timers are FREE, but I have one request: for each countdown you use, if you don't already own a paid copy of the song it features (such as John William's Duel of the Fates), please purchase it from an official source, such as the Apple Music store, so that we are supporting the composers and musicians who made or recorded these songs in the first place. Enjoy!!!
1) Start playing a countdown as soon as the bell rings, giving your students 2 minutes to be in their seats and ready to PLAY
2) When filling out worksheets, use a 2-minute countdown to increase their focus, intensity, and motivation
3) Give your students a 2 or 3-minute break during the middle of class, and use a countdown to make sure they are back in the seats in time
4) Choose any task that needs to be done, such as racking the music stands or cleaning up the floor, and play a countdown to encourage speed
I also use these timers at HOME when we are loading the dishwasher or tidying the family room. They work wonders! Kids love them, and teachers do too. Simply right-click the link below, download the ZIP file, then open it on your own computer and put the files wherever you want them.
These countdown timers are FREE, but I have one request: for each countdown you use, if you don't already own a paid copy of the song it features (such as John William's Duel of the Fates), please purchase it from an official source, such as the Apple Music store, so that we are supporting the composers and musicians who made or recorded these songs in the first place. Enjoy!!!
| StepWise Countdown Timers.zip |
Body Beats: FUN Rhythm and Counting Exercises
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I’ve always wanted to teach rhythm in a way that is fun and motivating. After years of experimentation and development I’m finally satisfied with my rhythm teaching approach! I’ve created a progressive series of 8 “Body Beat” exercises which can be used to teach and assess counting, along with accurate rhythm performance minus the added pressures of pitch reading.
Each 4-measure exercise has 3 parts (chest thump, lap slap, and clap), and progresses developmentally from only quarter notes and rests to all possible combinations of 8th notes and rests. I haven’t gotten to dotted notes and sixteenths yet, but these first eight exercises should give your beginning and intermediate students plenty to work on! The PDF is FREE to download below! Since I’m a big fan of automated warm-ups and fundamentals, I’m also creating a YouTube video to guide students through each of the 8 “beats”. Here is the 2nd one: “Blue Steel”. |
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Automated Scale Mastery Exercises - 4 Minute Drill
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Your middle and high school musicians will enjoy the challenge of these 4-1/2 minute Scale Mastery drills. With play-along recordings in a call & response format, each student can fix their own fingering and intonation problems. Plus the bottom of each page has space to write in the note names and fingerings over each note of the scale, which are marked with courtesy accidentals to ensure students don't miss the effects of the key signature.
When teachers use them in class they are free to move around the room and help individuals while everyone stays focused and engaged developing speed and accuracy with each scale. All 12 major scales are included with a recording for each! Try this sample for free or purchase the whole set from the Store HERE. |
Download a FREE Scale ExerciseScale Mastery PDF Files - FREE Download
Scale Mastery Audio File - FREE Download
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Get the Complete SetEven advanced high school players will improve their scale skills by practicing these Scale Mastery exercises along with the play-along track. Meanwhile, your beginners will learn to actually play every note of each scale correctly! Click HERE to purchase the entire set of reproducible PDF & MP3 files.
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Automated Daily Warm-Ups - 10 Minute Drill
These daily warm-up exercises ("Start-Ups") will get your band & orchestra rehearsals off to a great start! Plus, if you use the automated play-along tracks, you will be able to get all your busy work done while the students are engaging in meaningful musical exercises, such as taking roll, fixing minor instrument problems, checking posture, and more!
Band Warm-Up #1
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Printable PDF Flashcard Sets
Orchestra Warm-Up #1
For Beginning Orchestra
This StepWise Orchestra "Start-Up" gives your beginning string students a fantastic start each day which reviews essential skills, develops new skills, and encourages a mature bow hold with FUN bow exercises.
This warm up routine comes with a fun play-along track to allow your students to go through all the exercises without any help from their director. Lasting just under 7 minutes, your student will stay busily engaged in quality exercises while you handle attendance and/or tuning. You may also have time to walk around the room and help individuals with the finer points of string technique. Download now for FREE by right-clicking the files below.
This warm up routine comes with a fun play-along track to allow your students to go through all the exercises without any help from their director. Lasting just under 7 minutes, your student will stay busily engaged in quality exercises while you handle attendance and/or tuning. You may also have time to walk around the room and help individuals with the finer points of string technique. Download now for FREE by right-clicking the files below.
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String Orchestra TUNING Track
This 3-1/2 minute tuning track make it easy for your students to tune their own strings each class. Download the MP3 file and the PDF Instructions for FREE, compliments of StepWise Publications.
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Cinematic Scale Exercises
The "Cinematic Series" composed by John McAllister features a stunning orchestral accompaniment that travels through all 12 keys with 4 measures of each. You can download the accompaniment and his original scale exercise by clicking this link: www.johnmcallistermusic.com/cinematic-series.html
Here I have an easier version of the scale exercise using only the first 3 notes of each scale, intended for use in the 2nd or 3rd year of band. I call it "Exercise 2" because eventually I will create and Exercise 1 that only uses the first note of each scale. Exercise 3 will use the first 5 notes, and Exercise 4 will go: "1---5---6-7-8-". After going through these 4 beginning exercises students will be better prepared to tackle the full-octave scales that are available on John McAllister's website.
If anyone would like to finish creating Exercises 1, 3, and 4 for me, please use the Finale file below to do so. I would also welcome having someone create progressive Timpani and/or Snare Drum parts for these exercises.
Here I have an easier version of the scale exercise using only the first 3 notes of each scale, intended for use in the 2nd or 3rd year of band. I call it "Exercise 2" because eventually I will create and Exercise 1 that only uses the first note of each scale. Exercise 3 will use the first 5 notes, and Exercise 4 will go: "1---5---6-7-8-". After going through these 4 beginning exercises students will be better prepared to tackle the full-octave scales that are available on John McAllister's website.
If anyone would like to finish creating Exercises 1, 3, and 4 for me, please use the Finale file below to do so. I would also welcome having someone create progressive Timpani and/or Snare Drum parts for these exercises.
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