Warming up your voice is extremely important prior to singing.
Would you go into a gym or go for a long run without gentle stretching? Even if you only have five minutes to spare, this is better than nothing.
Breathing Exercises It is beneficial to precede the actual warm-up exercises with a few, specific breathing exercise.
The breathing for singing should be a quick deep inhale and a long steady exhale, as the exhale is what we sing on, and the inhale if to long would interrupt the song phrase.
So what is Diaphragmatic breathing? This refers to the breathing muscle, which is the diaphragm.
The diaphragm sits just inside the ribs on top of the abdomen and below the lungs, this muscle as it contracts straightens and as a result of this moves down, in doing so it creates more space for the lungs, which in turn expand to fill this area, and the air rushes in to fill this space (due to the pressure drop in the lungs).
This is inhalation.
As the diaphragm relaxes it moves back up to its resting place, this is due to the elasticity of the lungs, which when there is nothing holding them open (the diaphragm) expel the air in them.
This is exhaling.
Remember that for singing we need a quick inhale and a long controlled exhale, so this means that when the diaphragm relaxes we need to stop all the air from just shouting out, we do this by holding back the diaphragm with our abdominal muscles, (it is also very important that the rib cage is kept open all the time so as not to obstruct the path of the diaphragm to its resting place, otherwise you will get inconsistent tone).
Here are a couple of breathing exercises to help you: Exercise 1 Take three discontinuous breaths, as if you were smelling a flower, Simultaneously expand the pharynx.
Then exhale three times.
This effectively expands the nostrils, the back of the pharynx, the chest and the lower back, as they try to pass on the aroma to the body.
Exercise 2 Intense breathing: hold one nostril closed, inhale slowly and deeply through the other one and then exhale completely through the mouth.
Alternate between the left and right nostril.
During the exercise, feel the intake motion of the diaphragm, which is stronger now because it has to work harder to take in the same amount of air under these conditions.
Vocal Warm Ups Once this has been worked on, you can try an 'open mouth' exercise which encourages the singer to keep their mouth at a north/south angle and not east/west.
The 'm' must be exaggerated and the jaw should drop down suddenly for 'yah.
' Exercise 1 Yum yum yum yum yah, yum yum yum yum yah etc This exercise can start on any high note that you feel comfortable with and slowly come down to the lowest note that you feel at ease with.
Exercise 2 Starting on the same note and softly (piano) take a deep breath and sing evenly and slowly.
1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 and 6 and 7 and 8.
Once this has been mastered, you can increase to 10 or even 12! If you want to be really clever, try to have a 'crescendo' (gradually get louder) on the number 5.
I hope that these start-up exercises have been useful.
Just remember to have fun with them.
You can always make up your own!
Would you go into a gym or go for a long run without gentle stretching? Even if you only have five minutes to spare, this is better than nothing.
Breathing Exercises It is beneficial to precede the actual warm-up exercises with a few, specific breathing exercise.
- Please note that inhalation should never be audible or visible (do not raise the shoulders or rib cage during inhalation).
- Do not let the chest collapse during exhalation.
- Stand up straight, but generally keep the body relaxed.
The breathing for singing should be a quick deep inhale and a long steady exhale, as the exhale is what we sing on, and the inhale if to long would interrupt the song phrase.
So what is Diaphragmatic breathing? This refers to the breathing muscle, which is the diaphragm.
The diaphragm sits just inside the ribs on top of the abdomen and below the lungs, this muscle as it contracts straightens and as a result of this moves down, in doing so it creates more space for the lungs, which in turn expand to fill this area, and the air rushes in to fill this space (due to the pressure drop in the lungs).
This is inhalation.
As the diaphragm relaxes it moves back up to its resting place, this is due to the elasticity of the lungs, which when there is nothing holding them open (the diaphragm) expel the air in them.
This is exhaling.
Remember that for singing we need a quick inhale and a long controlled exhale, so this means that when the diaphragm relaxes we need to stop all the air from just shouting out, we do this by holding back the diaphragm with our abdominal muscles, (it is also very important that the rib cage is kept open all the time so as not to obstruct the path of the diaphragm to its resting place, otherwise you will get inconsistent tone).
Here are a couple of breathing exercises to help you: Exercise 1 Take three discontinuous breaths, as if you were smelling a flower, Simultaneously expand the pharynx.
Then exhale three times.
This effectively expands the nostrils, the back of the pharynx, the chest and the lower back, as they try to pass on the aroma to the body.
Exercise 2 Intense breathing: hold one nostril closed, inhale slowly and deeply through the other one and then exhale completely through the mouth.
Alternate between the left and right nostril.
During the exercise, feel the intake motion of the diaphragm, which is stronger now because it has to work harder to take in the same amount of air under these conditions.
Vocal Warm Ups Once this has been worked on, you can try an 'open mouth' exercise which encourages the singer to keep their mouth at a north/south angle and not east/west.
The 'm' must be exaggerated and the jaw should drop down suddenly for 'yah.
' Exercise 1 Yum yum yum yum yah, yum yum yum yum yah etc This exercise can start on any high note that you feel comfortable with and slowly come down to the lowest note that you feel at ease with.
Exercise 2 Starting on the same note and softly (piano) take a deep breath and sing evenly and slowly.
1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 and 6 and 7 and 8.
Once this has been mastered, you can increase to 10 or even 12! If you want to be really clever, try to have a 'crescendo' (gradually get louder) on the number 5.
I hope that these start-up exercises have been useful.
Just remember to have fun with them.
You can always make up your own!
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