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Absolute Best Vocal Warm-Up & Exercise


A good vocal warmup that works for everyone is very hard to find. And I've heard, tried and taught them all. Why are there such inconsistent results? I believe it's because the singer doesn't quite know what he's doing to warm the vocal cords up for singing. And of course, with no two people having the same combination of length and thickness of the vocal folds, each singer will respond differently to any exercise. That's why I believe that this warmup is the best vocal warmup for everybody.


Whenever possible you should start with light weights or exercise bands to be sure the diaphragm is engaged. Also be sure that when you doing this or any scale that you are doing any of the three big "no-no"s. Don't sing softly, breathily or hold back. These three will guarantee you are warming up incorrectly. Tricky? You bet. Inasmuch as this is not a loud or even medium volume sound, it is still very much supported by the diaphragm. A future video will show how the weights work, and also when and why they don't work. I can tell when technique doesn't work by the blank look on the students' faces or the lack of change in sound.

The reason I am absolutely in love with this type of warm up is that it not only warms up the voice but also practices good low volume singing. Many singers don't understand the difference between a soft weak sound and a high quality soft sound. This warm-up when done correctly teaches the right way to sing softly.

I have hence named this "Phase 1" singing, where the student learns how to make a sound that's free of any tension. I use a simpler exercise that teaches and warms-up the voice.



You simply start on a comfortable low note (maybe "C" for men and "A" for women) and sing the next tone up then back down to the starting note. "men: C > D < C, women A > B < A". If this is accomplished without tension you start on the same note but sing a third up. "men: C > E < C, women A > C < A". IF this is still free of tension, you move to fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and octave intervals. If you can accomplish this, you've done the warm-up correctly and should be ready to sing a quiet song comfortably and beautifully. The shocker of this technique is that even at low volumes, there can be a tremendous amount of emotion conveyed in the voice. Hence, this is not just a warm-up, it's practicing correct low level singing.

If you're interested in learning more please "heart" this blog and become a member. Or go ahead and try a lesson!

Thanks for your time and have a greaaaaaat day!



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