by The Hidaway (Simon)

Singing warm ups are essential for anyone whose profession involves the use of their vocal cords, including singers, dubbing artists, voice-over artists, lecturers, motivational speakers, radio jockeys, and newsreaders. These exercises help to condition and warm up the vocal cords, preparing them for optimal performance. In this article, we will explore some simple vocal warm up exercises and techniques.

Humming is the easiest vocal and singing warm up exercise. With your mouth shut, begin humming a unique musical note while placing your thumb, index, and middle fingers on the bridge of your nose. The goal is to feel the vibrations that arise in your nose with your fingers. Starting with your base note, scale down one note at a time and analyze the amount of vibration at each note. Stop at the note where you feel the maximum amount of nasal vibration, and hum softly at that note for a few minutes.

Breathing exercises are also important in warming up the voice. They help to clear the air passage between your nose and lungs, which is beneficial for good voice production. Deep breathing exercises and singing exercises are recommended for those new to the concept of breathing exercises for singing.

Practicing scales using vowel sounds is another effective singing warm up exercise. Practice different vowel sounds, such as oohs, aahs, eees, and ays, in an octave. Choose the center octave, relative to your singing range, and avoid the lower and higher octaves. Practicing vowel sounds is not only a fun vocal warm up exercise but also a highly efficient one.

In addition to the above exercises, here are some additional tips for warming up the voice:

• Loosen up your body with some simple stretches and deep breathing exercises. Relaxation is key, as it helps to eliminate any nervousness or jitters that may affect voice production during your next performance.
• Sing a few medium-range tunes to “awaken” your vocal cords and get them ready for a full-fledged vocal rendition or performance.
• Keep your throat hydrated by drinking warm water or water at room temperature. Avoid chilled liquids, and consider drinking warm water with honey to soothe a sore throat.
• Lastly, avoid stressing your vocal cords during any of the vocal exercises or singing warm ups. This will defeat the purpose of the exercise, and you may not be able to perform to the best of your ability.

Manuel Marino

Manuel Marino is a seasoned Senior Producer, Music Composer, and Artist with over a decade of experience. He specializes in branded entertainment across various mediums, including video games, films, and advertising campaigns. With 20+ years as a game music composer, Manuel has worked on numerous platforms, creating diverse orchestral soundtracks. HIRE ME