If you’re a new singer you either dread or love performing live. Sometimes it’s stage-fright and self-consciousness that takes over, and other times it’s exhilaration and excitement. Either way, when you’re about to hit the stage (and even the night before) your blood is coursing through your veins and your mind is on overdrive.
All you can think about is the performance. And sometimes in that excitement or fear, you forget to do the most important thing – warm up.
Why You Should Warm Up Whenever You’re About to Sing
The biggest mistake some singers make is failing to properly warm up their bodies and voices before having to sing.
It’s not even just performances, if you’re rehearsing or practicing it’s also important to warm up.
Your voice is a precious asset, so you need to treat it right and take care of it. You never just want to start singing loud and proud without properly warming up your vocal cords.
What you’re looking to do is cause vocal cord closure, which helps keep your voice uniform when you’re singing. It stops your voice from cracking or breaking when you’re hitting those tough runs/riffs.
What to Do to Warm Up Properly
You’re probably thinking all you need to do is run through a scale or two, do some do-re-me’s and you’ll be alright. But that’s not exactly true.
Proper warm-up for vocalists starts at the beginning of the day.
Get Physical
It’s always a good idea to do something physical first thing in the morning to help get the blood flowing through your body. It’s important even for your vocal cords.
Exercising is great. But it’s not something you can do right before a performance. You can, however, go for a quick walk to help get the blood circulating.
The point is to get the blood flowing.
Tea Time
Warm tea is a great way to sooth the throat and prepare it for extended use. Before your performance or rehearsal, try drinking some tea. Don’t use sugar, as sugar consumption can cause inflammation.
Also, stay away from coffee. Caffeine isn’t the best thing for your voice (even though it can temporarily help, it’s worse after the caffeine wears off).
Do a Light Vocal Exercise
The last thing you want to do before you start singing for real is a vocal exercise. Don’t start by doing pitch exercises or running up and down scales, though.
Instead, keep your lips closed and start making some noises. Saying “hmmm” or “mmmm” is a great way to gently warm up the voice for more rigorous use.
With your lips still closed make the drawn out “hmmm” sound – it should be light, and almost groggy sounding. Start high and end low. Start low and end high.
Do this a few times to get your voice nice and ready to sing proper sounds and notes.
Why Do It
Doing this simple vocal exercise can work wonders for warming up your voice. It helps to get your voice ready so it won’t crack or break up during your performance. It’s also a great way to warm up before a rehearsal too!
If you’d like to learn more about making your best music possible visit Deviant Noise today and check out our guide on how to improve your singing voice.
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