If you go backstage before a concert, there is every chance you will hear some vocal warmups. There are many ways for vocalists to improve their voice and performance. Just like an athlete who is getting ready to perform at the best of their abilities, all types of singers need to warm up their vocals if they are going to perform at a top level.
Of course, the process may be different for a singer in a rock band who tends to stick to the less ambitious vocal styles compared to an opera singer or choral singer. However, warm-ups are always recommended.
Why Are Vocal Warm Ups a Good Idea?
Some people believe that a good singer is a good singer, no matter what. The truth is that every singer is likely to perform better if they are adequately warmed up. A warmup is effectively just preparing the body for what is coming. There are several benefits to this kind of exercise.
Vocal health is the number one reason for performing your warmups before singing. Engaging in warmup exercises helps protect and maintain your vocal cords' health. Like any other muscle, your vocal lines must be warmed up before performing at their best. Warmups increase blood flow to the vocal cords, making them more flexible and less prone to strain. Yes, you can injure yourself without vocal warmups, just like you could if you didn't stretch before a run.
Warmups also help to improve your vocal range, especially if you are working on hitting a specific high or low note. Many exercises prepare your voice for a broader range of pitches and tones, allowing you to sing or speak with more control and precision. Regular warmups can help extend your content over time and prevent your voice from feeling strained or restricted.
They're also an opportunity to work on your technique, such as breath control, articulation, and more. Some argue that vocal warm-ups are also a great way to boost your confidence. There is no denying that confidence is a massive part of learning how to be a good singer, and you're bound to feel better knowing that your voice is in the best condition possible.
So, it's all very well knowing that you should be doing vocal exercises, but what are some of the best vocal exercises out there that can help you improve your voice or prevent vocal fatigue after singing for some time?
Vocal Warm Ups
Let's look at some vocal exercises and techniques to improve your vocal range and singing ability. But knowing the right ways to prepare for a show can also help them to become a better singer overall.
Solfege
“Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Ti, Do”
Sound familiar? This is solfege, a system of giving each note its syllable to help you to remember them and work through the scales. Musicians can better recognise pitch by moving up and down through singing the syllables. As well as being suitable for singing, it is good for listening. It trains the ears and helps with the understanding of pitch.
The sounds "Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Ti, Do" can be assigned to various scales. If you are looking for piano warm-ups that can also help you with your singing, work your way through the solfege while singing the notes simultaneously. This warm-up is an excellent solution for those looking to work on their pitch.
Humming
Yes, humming can be a great way to help to boost your vocal performance. It gets the vocal cords ready by preparing them for the vibrations that will come from the vocal tone you are creating.
- Close your mouth and hum, first with a gentle sound, gradually becoming slightly louder.
- Gradually move up and down your vocal range.
- Focus on feeling the vibrations in your facial bones, resonance in your head and nasal area, and any feeling in your vocal cords.
This can help to stop voice cracks and is generally a method for warming up your vocal cords.
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Tongue Twisters
Vocal warm-up tongue twisters can get the vocal cords going and are a great way to help with articulating. This isn't a technique for being better at singing in terms of tone or power, but it is an effective technique for getting your brain and voice working as desired.
Tongue twisters such as "How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?" and "She sells seashells by the seashore." may not seem like they're going to teach you how to be a better singer, but they do help with expression, articulation, and even focus. Singers who use a lot of words or have confusing lyrics and complex raps may need this more than others.
We don't recommend any of Ron Burgundy's vocal warmups, but the same principle applies!
Breathing Exercises
Learning how to sing from the diaphragm is a crucial skill for singers and aspiring singers, and breathing exercises for singing can serve as some of the best warm-ups.
One great example is called diaphragmatic breathing:
- Place one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen.
- Inhale deeply through your nose, feeling your belly expand as you fill your lungs with air.
- Try to keep your chest relatively still, allowing your diaphragm to expand your lower lungs.
Remember not to force it, breathing still needs to be natural, but these breathing exercises can help with your ability to sing from the diaphragm.
Another vocal warm-up regarding your breath control involves singing a phrase as you exhale. Inhale deeply first, sing a syllable (any from the do-re-mi solfege work fine), and focus on your breath, helping sustain and hold the phrase in pitch evenly.
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The Siren Technique
It may seem strange to think you can improve your vocal performance by imitating a siren, but it is true. This is a technique many singers swear by, whether you are looking for a choral warmup or getting ready to sing a pop or rock song.
- Make a simple noise, hummed or with a more pronounced sound. Start at the bottom of your vocal range in a comfortable chest voice.
- Gradually and smoothly slide up to the top of your range and back down again.
The idea is that you imitate the sound of a siren or an ambulance going up and down in pitch but slowly. This helps to loosen and prepare the vocal cords.
Trills
This is another warm-up exercise for vocalists that might sound rather silly.
Trills can be performed by making rolling R sounds with your tongue or by creating buzzing "brr" sounds with your mouth. Both are extremely useful. As the Aussie Vocal Coach explains, this can help with "efficient breath control, maintaining a relaxed throat and developing vocal cord connection which is required to sing into your head voice."
Trills should be performed while going up and down your vocal range or through scales if you want to work on the pitch simultaneously. This kind of warm-up exercise where you can't be shy about it!
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When to Perform Vocal Warm-Ups?
The idea is that these should be performed before a show and when you must get your voice into top condition before a performance.
Different singers find that other methods work for them. We recommend allowing enough time for vocal warmup exercises to prepare the voice adequately. The ideal warmup timeframe can vary depending on the individual and their needs.
Generally, it is recommended to begin warmups at least 30 to 60 minutes before the performance. This gives the vocal cords ample time to relax, increase blood flow, and attain good flexibility. Starting with gentle exercises like lip trills and humming, gradually progressing to more advanced techniques like scale and arpeggio exercises allows the voice to find its balance and resonance. Singers usually like to experiment with different warmups to see what works.
On top of warming up before a show, these exercises are simply an excellent way to keep your voice healthy and in good condition and your vocal cords working at their best level time after time.
Always Warming Up Means Consistently Performing
There is no doubt about it. Vocal exercises help singers to be better at their craft. All the best vocalists dedicate time to warming up before they take to the stage and as part of their daily routine.
You spend time selecting the best microphone and understanding how to record vocals, but if the voice itself is not up to scratch the recording won't be high-quality.
Different techniques work for other people, and it is down to you to practice and work out what your body finds most useful.
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