The Fundamentals
VOCAL NERDS: WARMING UP
Chris & Steve explain the virtues of warming up & why tension is a dirty word.
e would describe
it as not only
hugely beneficial
but also an
essential part of a singer’s
daily ritual.!
W
!
In truth most people see it as
a mundane pain in the ass.
Hence this essential practice
is overlooked, sacrificed,
under-appreciated or brushed
under the carpet by so many
singers. We would like to
restore importance to this
singing staple.!
home that a warm up for
anything physical is a must.
Otherwise you’ll be in danger
of having to drag your jelly
legs out of the gym after five
star jumps. The reason is
when muscle is ‘cold’, as a
result of being unused, it has
less blood flow. Good blood
flow helps a muscle to be
pliable, coordinated, impact
resistant and reactive; all of
which ultimately prevent you
from getting injured.
!
Anyone who has ever been to
the gym will have heard their
friendly trainer hammering
iSing | issue 1
!
You may think that a full body
warm up is only necessary for
those people hanging out in
gyms wearing Lycra pants,!
but you’d be wrong. The
human body is a complex little
fellow/gal. Connected from
head to toe with complex
systems, it is impossible to
isolate one part, including the
voice! That’s right, a shoulder
roll or side bend really will
have a positive impact on the
performance of the vocal
muscles, not to mention what
a state of relaxation will do for
a singer’s mindset!!
!
Back to school!
Let’s start at the anatomical
level (stay with us… we’ll try
and make it fun). The vocal
mechanism which includes
the vocal cords (also known
as vocal folds), structures of
the throat and mouth,
respiration and supporting
body parts all coordinate and
move together to ensure good
vocal function; muscle itself is
responsible for those
movements. Many singers do
not realise that the vocal
cords themselves consist of
muscle. Just like the
antagonistic relationship
between the biceps and
triceps, the vocal cord muscle
adjustments allow your voice
to create pitch and coordinate
smoothly throughout your
range.!
So, why is a physical warm
up essential?!
We are sure you will agree
that, in most circumstances,
tension is bad and restrictive.
It limits our body’s potential
and in turn dampens our
creativity.
As singers, we
want to create an environment
where our body can maximise
its strengths and allow us to
be as creative as possible.
Cue the warm up regimen. !
!
It’s the classic analogy of
sleeping like a log the night
through and waking up
feeling about as flexible as a
railway sleeper. You can
totally apply this rationale to
your voice. Vocal cords also
need to warm up their
muscle fibres before they can
think about getting to work.!
!
Now to vocal warm ups!
The warm up is fundamental
t o p r o d u c i n g a h e a l t h y,
creative environment and
prepare the voice ready to
tackle those high C’s with
power and intensity. !
‘Vocalising’ or ‘using sounds’
are the most common choice
of exercises for vocal
warm ups.
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