How important are vocal warm ups to you?

[SVCA]

The question in the title pretty much sums it.

 

Do you have a routine for vocal warm ups that you follow everyday? Or is it just before gigs?

 

How long do you warm up for?

 

Are there any particular exercises you tend to use that works more effectively for you?

 

Join in on the discussion.

[lemonstar]

I think I've found it's important to do some singing every day and not to push your vocals too hard with your daily singing. If I am planning on doing an open mic I will practice a lot in the week leading up to it and will practice pushing my vocals a little bit more as often I'll want to give more colour and dynamics in a live performance but I've found I have to be really careful not to overdo the rehearsing - so not too many hours and not too much time singing hard - I've found I can easily strain my voice just before I really need it to be in the best of shape. I used to sing once a month at an acoustic club I jointly setup and I used to go for a run (I'm a runner anyway) a few hours before singing - I think it helps to be in good shape generally and not be too overweight and/or breathless so your lungs need to be in good shape so keep fit! In terms of a specific warm up either on a daily basis or in preparation for an open mic for instance  I don't do anything other than some light singing - maybe 30mins in the last couple of hours before having to perform. I skip alcohol beforehand and stick to tea, lemon and ginger tea with honey or plain warm water. If you're singing through a mic - if you know how to use it correctly you shouldn't have to sing too hard anyway so get someone else to sound-check your vocals - even if they just give you a thumbs up or down when you start singing to let you know everything sounds good or something needs to change.

[SVCA]

2 hours ago, lemonstar said:

If I am planning on doing an open mic I will practice a lot in the week leading up to it and will practice pushing my vocals a little bit more as often I'll want to give more colour and dynamics in a live performance but I've found I have to be really careful not to overdo the rehearsing - so not too many hours and not too much time singing hard - I've found I can easily strain my voice just before I really need it to be in the best of shape.

 

That's a great point!

 

Pavarotti once said that his warm up routine would last minutes on the day of his show. He would warm up a bit in the morning to open up his voice and then would check if it's doing fine in the afternoon and would leave it at that. I think the deeper point that he was trying to make here is exactly what you suggest. It's wise not to over power the voice (as well as your body in general) and wear it out before the gig.

 

I like that you also mentioned about practicing more during the week leading up to it. It's important to familiarize one's own awareness to the physical sensations that the body feels when proper and efficient vocal techniques are used. These sensations serve as anchor points for repeating the same technique and building muscle memory that could be recalled on the day of the gig.

 

 

2 hours ago, lemonstar said:

If you're singing through a mic - if you know how to use it correctly you shouldn't have to sing too hard anyway so get someone else to sound-check your vocals - even if they just give you a thumbs up or down when you start singing to let you know everything sounds good or something needs to change.

 

That's another great point! Monitoring one's self on stage while singing is a skill on its own. I know that some people tend to sing louder into the mic as if it would help project the voice better on the PA systems / main speakers. That would simply wear out the voice much quicker and change the dynamics of the performance too. Being able to comfortably use the same technique with which the voice warmed up totally depends on how they can adapt to the monitoring of their voice on stage.

 

Thank you for your time and for these great insights @lemonstar

[Pahchisme Plaid]

I've just within the past two years found some vocal warm-ups on Youtube that I like to use.  Before that, I really hadn't been introduced to the idea.  Presently, I don't use them daily, but tend to warm up prior to singing on the team at my church----sometimes.
There are times I choose not to.  Sometimes it's a time issue.  Sometimes, it's a matter of not wanting to overstrain my voice (1/2 hr. warm up, 1/2 hour practice, and then the actual reason for the warm up and practice--to actually lead in song) and sometimes it's to conserve energy.

There is one that I particularly like for when sound just doesn't want to flow through my vocals.  It's sort of a He, he, he or Khee, khee, khee, exercise that clears up whatever it is that blocks the flow.  Others are scales.  Occasionally, I follow this guy that does stretches of the neck shoulders and facial muscles because that tends to be where I carry tension.

I would love to have a quick version (5-10 minutes of warm-ups) for those flying around days or even something so easy to remember that I wouldn't have to sit and watch a video to do them.  I'd love to have some detailed "how to breathe" tips to prepare and would also go for a longer warm up for those rare days I have more than 5-10 minutes. (Every thing seems to require just 15-20 minutes a day--exercise, day planning, guitar practice, warm-ups, etc.)  It adds up!

 

I would love to daily condition my voice (if it's doable), particularly now because I participate in a ministry where I sing every week and once a month in a public venue doing a family worship night with another vocalist.  Sometimes I have to hit a higher range than I am comfortable with because it's what sounds best with the other vocalist for a particular song or five.