Quick Singers' Warm-up

adapted from "Tuning In," Electronic Musician April 1998

Warming up the voice is a different experience than the instrumentalist's typical routine of opening the case, setting up the axe, plugging it in, and limbering up your fingers. Because singing seems so instinctive, even experienced performers may skip the care and discipline they routinely devote to other instruments. But warming up your voice is just as important to your performance and to your longevity as a working musician.

The singing voice is located entirely within the body, and its muscles are under far less conscious control than, say, the hands and fingers. So the warm-up sequence I recommend for singers includes four basic steps: (1) focusing the mind; (2) warming and loosening the body; (3) strengthening the breath; and (4) developing the tone and pitch range. This might sound like a lot to handle, but it’s simple and efficient once you learn how.

Focus
The first step corresponds to the moment you lift the lid of the guitar case or first unpack your keyboard. To “open” your voice, you must turn your mind away from external demands and pressures, inward toward your body and the feeling of emotions.

Find a place where you can concentrate. A low-traffic restroom, hallway, or spare office will do if you don’t have an actual dressing room. Bring some water, juice, or tea with you. Do an internal check-in. Have you had a good day or a stressful one? Is your body dry or congested, energetic or sluggish? Just notice.

If mental distractions persist, name them and deliberately set them aside so you can concentrate on the task at hand. Last-minute things you might need to take care of before the show can be jotted down to-do later. Turn back to yourself and how you're feeling NOW in this moment.

Actors call this “returning to neutral,” and meditators call it Mindfulness. It sounds simple, sometimes isn't, and it's an important piece of your stage presence as well as your vocal awareness.
 
Get Physical
Next, do a few minutes of light aerobics to increase blood circulation and energy. This can be as easy as marching in place, or waving your arms overhead, then down, like the top half of a “jumping jack.” You can also use warm-up exercises you might have learned in sports, dance, or martial arts.

After three to five minutes, stop and do some stretching. Circle your head, shoulders, and hips for flexibility. Yawn deeply a few times, and shake out your arms and legs to help get rid of tension.

Breathe
Now that you’re mentally tuned in and physically warm, begin to pay attention to your breathing. After all, this is the power supply for your voice.

Keep your neck long, as if being pulled up by your ears, your ribcage expanded, and shoulders low, as you inhale silently into the area around your waist. Exhale slowly, with control. Repeat up to ten deep breaths, letting your mid-back and belly expand as the air comes in.  Make the exhalation long and complete so that you don’t get dizzy.

Next, fill your body with one big breath and pant like a dog—small breaths in and out—as silently as possible. Don’t try to go fast; concentrate instead on keeping a steady rhythm, working muscles around and below your ribcage. After twenty or so quick panting breaths, exhale completely, rest a bit, and then start again. Four or five sets will bring strength and vitality to the breathing muscles. Finally, engage your voice by quietly saying “huh, huh, huh” as you pant.

Everything up to this point can be done in less than ten minutes. Sip water or tea whenever you feel dry.

Sing Out
Now you’re ready to work the vocal muscles themselves. If you’ve learned short scales or arpeggios from a voice coach or choir director, use these. If not, choose any simple melody that you can transpose throughout your range. One common pattern is the first five notes up and down a major scale. Use neutral syllables such as “mah”  or “la.”

Start your scale or arpeggio in the middle of your range. Then change the starting pitch, one step at a time, to work into your low range, then your upper range.. Always warm up to a note or two higher than you’ll have to sing during the gig, but stretch up there gradually and sing your way back down to your mid- range at the end.

If your voice tends toward a dull, throaty or muffled quality, singing nasal syllables like “mi” and “ni” during the warm-up can brighten the tone. On the other hand, if you tend to sound thin or shrill, boost your mouth and throat resonance by singing on “lo,” “go,” or “golly.” Different vowels and consonants provide a natural EQ, so your warm-up can help strengthen the weak areas to balance your resonance.

If at any time your throat starts to hurt or feel tight, stop! Back off the loudness or high pitches, yawn a couple of times, and sip some water before continuing. (If your voice feels tight or painful most of the time, consider taking some private lessons to identify and resolve problem areas.) Ideally, though, you’re now feeling relaxed, energized, and in touch with your own expressive sound.

Finish this part of the routine by singing a favorite song at normal pitch and moderately strong intensity. Check that your neck is long, chin slightly dropped, and breath focused in your belly.

If you sing with others, spend a little time tuning your group harmonies. Then blow out one last, deep breath,  refill your water or juice bottle, and you’re ready to rock!

Final Notes
This entire sequence can be done in about twenty minutes¬. It’s best to try the routine a few times at home before using it on gig night. And remember that when you’re ill, a careful warm-up is more important than ever.

Tune up your voice regularly, and you’ll feel it get stronger, freer, and more reliable. Then, when fans tell you how wonderfully “natural” you sound, just smile.

© Joanna Cazden 1998, 2008