If you are familiar with how your voice works, then you should know that prior to singing, you should always perform exercises that warm up your vocal apparatus. Exercises that help loosen your throat muscles, and larynx will greatly improve your performance. Whether you are in a daily practice session or right before a big performance, a good set of vocal exercise warm ups are essential.
They not only prevent injury and damage to your vocal chords, they also greatly improve the result of your performance. It does so by increasing blood flow to the muscles in your throat as well as the air flow through your lungs. Some people might feel that more vocal exercises may seem counterproductive in preventing overuse, but when the muscles that control the voice box are warmed-up, they become more flexible and easier to use. Therefore decreasing the chances of injury.
Some common exercises include
– Making a humming sound going up and down the scales
– A yawning slide where you keep your jaw relaxed and open while exhaling sound. Try to hit the highest note you comfortably can, then go down to the lowest note.
– Sing vowels for vocal exercises. This involves making vowel sounds ( A E I O U), singing from the bottom of the scales to the top. Then all the way back down again.
– Breathe in slowly and deep. Contract your abdominal muscles to expel the air out while making the sound ‘ha’.
Vocal warm ups should be a regular routine in your daily practice. In order to improve your singing voice, such exercises need to be integrated early on in your singing career. Consistent vocal exercises for warm ups can help increase stamina, improve your physical and mental condition.