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Do Vocal Warm Up Exercises really help?

Sep 17, 2009 Blue Grass Music, Cajun Music, Clasical Music, Country Music, Easy Listining, Jazz Music, Modern Music, Music, New Age Music, Oldies, Pop Music, R&B Music, Rap Music, Rock Music
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Seasoned singers and beginners alike realize the importance of including vocal warm up exercises in their daily singing sessions. There are numerous benefits associated with warm up exercises and most singers and instructors will vouch by the efficacy of a warm up session to alleviate muscle tension and improve voice strength and quality. You should set aside at least 20 minutes for the warm up session. It should be started after drinking lots of fluids to lubricate and moisturize the vocal chords. 

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Vocal warm up exercises help to condition the voice producing organs by augmenting the blood flow to them. A good start to a warm up session would be relaxation exercises that prepare you mentally and physically. This should be followed by breathing exercises, vocal strength improvement exercises and pitch exercises. It is not unusual to start enjoying certain warm up exercises and form a routine incorporating them. 

But if you are just starting out your instructor may be able to advise you on warm up exercises specific to your level of expertise. It’s normal to enjoy and benefit from certain exercises more than the others and you should incorporate these in your daily regimen instead of following set guidelines. You have to make sure that you start the warm up exercises at the mid-range which is usually the comfort zone for most singers and then proceed to the higher and lower ranges. There are many books and online programs that provide a wealth of information on the topic. However, if you can, seek help from a voice professional to develop your own personalized set of vocal warm up exercises. 

Listed here are the most commonly used exercises: 

Sighing Yawning: Inhale slowly on a yawn keeping your jaw, tongue and shoulders relaxed and exhale out vocally. 

The Hmmm Exercise: This exercise involves starting the hmmm sound at a comfortable pitch but changing it to aahhh as you proceed. 

The Straw Technique: The exercise involves deep inhalation as you yawn while the air is expelled through a straw. 

Sharp Exhalation: Start by inhaling deeply once your lungs are full expel the air with a sudden sharp contraction of the abdominal muscles, the result will be exhalation with a distinct ‘huh’ sound. 

{Vowel Sounds}: Use different vowel sounds alone or coupled with consonant sounds and sing them across the scale starting low and ending high. 

{Tongue Twisters}: You can also use common tongue twisters like ‘ She sells sea shells on the sea shore. This exercise is very helpful in relieving tension from articulators like the palate, throat, tongue and lips. Once you are comfortable with the tongue twister you can sing it at different pitch levels. 

The benefits of a warm up routine are: 

• Increase in Stamina
• Improves the vocal range
• Is important for mental and physical well being
• Better voice control
• Helps to develop correct breathing habits
• Avoid damage to the articulators
• Vocal Strength is augmented 

There is no disputing the fact that vocal warm up exercises are necessary to keep your voice and speech organs in the best condition. 

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