VOCALS
5 GREAT VOCAL EXERCISES | Sheri Gould
1 . WARM UP EVERY DAY There is no doubt about it , this should be every singer ’ s mantra-even if it ’ s only for 10- 15 minutes a day . Your vocal folds ( cords ) are muscles and the more you work them out the better they will function for you . The benefits are overwhelming . You can strengthen , condition , stretch , increase flexibility , etc and perhaps most importantly you can remind yourself each and every day that you are a singer . If you are mindful of that as you start each day , you are more likely to take steps to help preserve and keep your voice healthy .
2 . HUM Your warm up routine should start off gently . I always recommend starting your warm up with a hum . I especially like a more nasal hum as it will help to focus your voice and keep it far away from your throat as you get warmed up . Start with a simple five note descending scale and move up a half step after each scale . As with any exercise , be mindful of using proper breath support . This exercise is valuable in and of itself but can also help get your voice ready for other exercises in your routine . Additionally , humming throughout the day can help to keep your vocal cords warmed up and flexible !
( Breathing exercises fall into primarily two different categories : support and control . Here are 2 different exercises - one for each )
3 . BREATH SUPPORT EXERCISE Understanding , practicing and APPLYING proper breath support to ALL of your singing should be at the top of your “ to do ” list as a singer . If you don ’ t truly understand how to properly support your tone then ** STOP EVERYTHING ** and get some training . Without proper breath support you are at risk for creating vocal damage . Once you are certain that you do understand how to properly support your tone then make sure you practice beefing those skills up every day . Don ’ t forget that even your SPEAKING voice should always be properly supported to avoid too much stress on the vocal mechanism .
A simple exercise to reinforce your knowledge and your muscles is this . With proper posture , sing a five note scale up and back down with a good strong “ diaphragm kick ”. Try starting with one vowel at a time , for example “ Ah ”. As you give a good strong kick from the diaphragm it will come out more like a “ Ha ”. The point of the exercise is to manipulate the breathing muscles each and every time you sing “ Ah ” so you feel a “ kick ” just under the center of where your rib cage meets . Go through each of the five vowels - up and then back down the scale , taking a breath between vowel changes . Gradually work up to all five vowels - up and back down - in one breath . Eventually it would look something like this : Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha C D E F G F E D