Home  Singing Warming Up Your Voice
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Warming Up Your Voice |
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Q: How do I get my voice to warm up quickly?
A: Warm-up time varies from singer to singer and depends on four factors:
The thickness and length of the vocal cords
The health of the singer, i.e. allergies, physical condition, dietary and exercise habits, sleep and stress levels
Veisel dilation - how fast the vasculature expands to receive blood flow.
Warm-up habits
If you have thick cords, you have a stronger, fuller sounding voice
(James Ingram/Elvis Presley). Thinner cords will producer a
lighter, thinner tone (Michael Jackson/Paul McCartney). Think of
the voice as a train. The bigger the train, the longer it takes
to get moving. Keep this in mind while warming up. Warming
up should be incremental and never forced. Find your vocal
co-ordinations through the right exercises and then slowly build
volume, speed and range. Too high, too loud, too soon is a recipe
for disaster. Unfortunately, most singers don't know the recipe
for vocal health and longevity. This is why so many singers lose
their voices. I work with hundreds of singers every year who have
never properly warmed up their voices.
Veisal dilation is another important factor in warming up.
Without adequate blood flow to the musculature, the cords have great
difficulty warming up. Things that affect veisal dilation are
fatigue, poor circulation and lack of exercise. Sometimes these
are simply genetic and you deal with it by being diligent and patient
with your vocal study and your warm-up time. Other times it's
just laziness, lack of discipline or a bad diet. Allergies can
also affect your warm-up time because circulation and health are
inhibited. Seek either a medical or natural (diet, herbs and
vitamins) route to dealing with your allergies. I have found
great relief taking 'Prime Again' and 'Conco' to nourish my body in a
way that deals with these weaknesses. Both are available in our vocal health store .
- by Brett Manning
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