5-Step Checklist (per your request)

Well, if you've been wondering where I wandered off to - I was on the Amazon!  We did some music word there and it was a long, exhausting, but WONDERFUL trip!

In the last poll, I asked which 5-step checklist you might like to have and the winner was:

How to better your breathing technique.  So, here we go:

1. Make sure that you do deep breathing exercises before you start your vocal warm-up

2. Although many professionals may advise you to breathe through your nose when singing, as long as you are well-hydrated, taking deep breaths through your mouth as you sing can be very beneficial to sing longer and stronger

3. When inhaling, your breaths should fill your lungs - as a "byproduct," you should see your stomach expand during your inhalations - use rests and commas as your cues to when you can inhale (do NOT inhale in the middle of words or in melodic runs)

4. When exhaling, especially on high or long notes, your abdomen muscles should slowly contract forcing your stomach to return to its relaxed position - make sure to use the strength in your abs to push your air all the way through long notes and melodic runs.

5. Listen carefully to your singing voice for "wasted" air, airy sounds, obvious breaths, hoarse or cracking notes and piercing notes.  TOO MUCH AIR ("wasted'): If you can hear air in your sound, and especially if you can feel it (put your palm about 4-6 inches in front of your mouth), you are not controlling your airflow with your abs and therefore, are probably exhausting yourself with excessive breathing.  TOO LITTLE AIR: If you have trouble finishing phrases, long notes or melodic runs, you are either not inhaling enough, or you are allowing the air to leave almost completely at the beginning of your phrase.  If you often hear hoarse, cracking or piercing notes, and especially if you feel pain after singing, you are probably not inhaling and maintaining with your abs correctly.

Vocal Warm-ups

Many people have misconceptions about warm-ups. Some think they only consist of a couple of "mi-mi-mis" or running through a song or two. First of all, it is most important to know that there are various kinds of warm-ups. Here are the 5 I personally use:

1. Stretches - these are physical warm-ups that relieve tension to prepare your body to be relaxed enough to allow your voice it's best opportunity of having a good quality of sound. They may include head rolls, shoulder rolls, stretching out the intercostal muscles as well as other stretches for any muscles that might be distracting from paying 100% attention to vocal technique.

2. Rhythmic - these are warm-ups that can help particularly when the singer is practicing difficult rhythms in any specific piece. Rhythmic warm-ups can be vocal, but they can also be done with hands, feet or any rhythmic instrument.

3. Melodic - these are vocal warm-ups with different pitches and syllables to warm up your vocal chords and surrounding tissues as well as your oral cavity. Melodic warm-ups also help your hearing to "warm up." They can also be used as rhythmic warm-ups if different rhythms are used in addition to the different pitches and syllables. Because these warm-ups can include so much and do so much at the same time, they are the most popular and many time the ONLY warm-up used by many teachers.

4. Harmonic - these warm-ups are generally used for vocal groups who need to warm-up their hearing in order to have tight harmonies as they sing. They are also useful for solo singers in order to sing more confidently against background harmonies. Basically, they are very similar in style to the melodic warm-ups except that each person sings a different pitch, rhythm, and sometimes syllable.

5. Breathing - these are exercises specifically designed to allow the singer to intake more air as well as use their breath more efficiently. Breathing warm-ups can be combined with some melodic and rhythmic warm-ups as well. In my experience, this is one of the least used warm-ups, but one of the most helpful to a variety of students.

Students who are serious about singing and really want to better certain aspects of their voice, must use warm-ups before any practice or performance session. Also, remember your WATER - keep yourself well hydrated while practicing or performing. Warm-ups might not show any difference after a few uses, but over time, the more you warm-up, the more you will be able to do vocally. I have had students who over a 6-month period, increased their range by up to 5 whole steps just by focusing on their warm-ups. I have also had students who complained of pain after singing a few songs, but once they put their warm-ups in place, they cured their pains and were able to sing hours without any injury. Most of my students really noticed the difference that breathing warm-ups especially make a difference to them. And in many cases, the breathing warm-ups can help immediately.

If you have any questions or comments, click on the comment link immediately below this post and I will get back to you. I answer questions right here on my blog. No need to specify your whole name, just male or female, your age and single name or initial. Be sure to check back here for your answers.