Vocal warm up exercises follow the same principles as warm up exercises for any other strenuous physical activity that will require the intensive use of your muscles. Before we go running or lifting weights at the gym, for example, experts advise us to do some stretching to limber up the joints and muscle groups that we will use during the activity. It's also recommended to do light resistance exercises that focus on the muscles and muscle group you will be using. This gets the blood circulating in these muscles and brings in the oxygen your muscles will need to perform.
When we sing we subject our vocal chords, diaphragm, and even our tongue and facial muscles, quite a bit of strain and tension. That is why doing some warm up exercises for the voice is a good idea; they ease the body into the act of singing and prepare the vocal chords for the upcoming demands of rendering a vocal performance. Believe it or not, plunging directly into singing from a "cold" start could cause significant injury to the vocal chords and the relevant muscles. But regularly warming up before you sing can help increase stamina, expand your vocal range, prepare you for the task, give you control of your voice and body and develop good vocal technique.
Following are some common vocal warm up exercises.
1. Breathing exercises helps balance and synchronize your voice and your breath, essential for you to produce a good, strong tone when you sing. A quick and easy breathing exercise is to inhale in as much air as you can, then let it out slowly through quick, tiny exhalations. This helps you gain control of your breathing and helps improve phrasing.
2. Another easy breathing exercise is to say "shhhh!" (like
When we sing we subject our vocal chords, diaphragm, and even our tongue and facial muscles, quite a bit of strain and tension. That is why doing some warm up exercises for the voice is a good idea; they ease the body into the act of singing and prepare the vocal chords for the upcoming demands of rendering a vocal performance. Believe it or not, plunging directly into singing from a "cold" start could cause significant injury to the vocal chords and the relevant muscles. But regularly warming up before you sing can help increase stamina, expand your vocal range, prepare you for the task, give you control of your voice and body and develop good vocal technique.
Following are some common vocal warm up exercises.
1. Breathing exercises helps balance and synchronize your voice and your breath, essential for you to produce a good, strong tone when you sing. A quick and easy breathing exercise is to inhale in as much air as you can, then let it out slowly through quick, tiny exhalations. This helps you gain control of your breathing and helps improve phrasing.
2. Another easy breathing exercise is to say "shhhh!" (like
you're shushing your kid brother) as loud as you can, for as long as your breath holds. This helps you become aware of your diaphragm, and can teach you how to control it. When you've expended all your breath, simply let yourself inhale in a natural and relaxed manner to fill back the breath you've exhaled.
3. A relaxed throat is crucial for getting full sound without straining. You can use any number of two-syllable combinations sung to a scale. This helps relax the larynx, voice box and tongue and helps raise up the soft palate to give more room in the back of the throat for the voice to resonate. Try singing "la-ga", "zee-wee", "rah-ngah" or any other syllable combination. Make sure that your jaw is not moving. Put a finger or two on your chin to keep your jaw in place as you sing the scale.
4. Lip trills are like blowing bubbles underwater (although you don't need to be anywhere near water to do this!). This helps the muscles on the face and particularly around the mouth relax, and lets you articulate your sound more clearly.
5. This vocal warm up exercise will make you look and feel weird, but it's great for relaxing the tongue and the muscles in the throat area. This is similar to singing a two-syllable phrase to a scale. Sing the syllables "yah-yah," but the twist is that you need to pull your tongue out as far out of your mouth as you can. Try to touch the lowest point of your chin with the tip of your tongue.
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3. A relaxed throat is crucial for getting full sound without straining. You can use any number of two-syllable combinations sung to a scale. This helps relax the larynx, voice box and tongue and helps raise up the soft palate to give more room in the back of the throat for the voice to resonate. Try singing "la-ga", "zee-wee", "rah-ngah" or any other syllable combination. Make sure that your jaw is not moving. Put a finger or two on your chin to keep your jaw in place as you sing the scale.
4. Lip trills are like blowing bubbles underwater (although you don't need to be anywhere near water to do this!). This helps the muscles on the face and particularly around the mouth relax, and lets you articulate your sound more clearly.
5. This vocal warm up exercise will make you look and feel weird, but it's great for relaxing the tongue and the muscles in the throat area. This is similar to singing a two-syllable phrase to a scale. Sing the syllables "yah-yah," but the twist is that you need to pull your tongue out as far out of your mouth as you can. Try to touch the lowest point of your chin with the tip of your tongue.
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