Singing is undoubtedly a very demanding task for your body. To produce a clear and loud sound, you need to ensure that your diaphragm, airways, and vocal cords work efficiently and in a coordinated manner. However, if you enter a recording studio in St Louis Missouri without any prior warm-up, you may experience that you will not sound that great. Hence, vocal warm-ups are essential in producing good sound and also avoiding any kind of injury.
Vocal Warm-Ups: An Overview
Vocal warm-ups are a set of exercises that most singers do before their singing sessions. These exercises help warm up all the body parts that help in singing. It can last from around 10 minutes to half an hour, based on the requirements and preference of the singer. However, one should always dedicate 10 minutes for a vocal warm-up before singing to get the right effect.
Why Go For Vocal Warm-Ups?
As a singer, it is essential to understand that when your diaphragm and vocal cords are not in the position to produce a clear sound, your singing session at a recording studio in St Louis may go to waste. Also, if you avoid vocal warm-ups every time, you will be at risk of injuring your vocal cords. So, it is essential to develop a routine that includes some type of vocal warm-up before you start singing so that you do not affect your health or your sound quality at any time.
Few Vocal Warm-Ups You Can Go For:
Yawning
As a thumb rule, you should always remember to stretch your airways and muscles before you sing. For doing this, nothing can be better than a yawning exercise. It will help in stretching the muscles just the right way. It can also help in releasing any tension that you may have in your diaphragm. It is a great way to signal your body that it is now time to sing. It can stretch your throat better than most exercises.
Gentle Coughing
After you complete your first vocal warm-up, you can move to gently cough. It is also an excellent way to release tension and prep your airways. But remember to not be too harsh on yourself while coughing; it has to be super light and gentle. You should imitate a coughing action to push air through your throats. But do not try to clear your throat while doing this, as it can further stress your vocal cords.
Lip Rolls
One of the most popular vocal warm-ups is a lip roll. It is a great exercise that helps in teaching your body about regulating air pressure and movement. It is something that focuses on guiding your diaphragm and voice about how to work together in a coordinated fashion. The first thing that you can try is making a B sound. You should try to roll up and down the cliff. After doing this a few times, you should try doing the same while shaking your head or dropping your shoulders before you go up the cliff. You can also bend your knees when you go up or down the cliff. It is a great exercise for your body that helps you understand how your abdomen and diaphragm contract when you sing.
Scales on a Lip Roll
Now that you know how to climb the cliff, you can go for lip roll scales. You can try two patterns: the arpeggio pattern and the do-re-mi-fa-so-fi-mi-re-do major scale one. One thing that you should always control is that every note must evenly come out. You should remember this when moving towards the high note. When trying to explore your range, there can be no better exercise than lip rolls. You can go as high as you want during this warm-up exercise. But do not force your body. Everything should be effortless when you climb. If you feel any kind of pain or burning, it is your sign to stop immediately. But by doing this from time to time, you will surely experience a change in your range.
Now that you know so much about vocal warm-ups, you can easily go for your recording with great preparation. As one of the most reliable recording studios in St Louis, we at Kalinga Production Studios understand the ins and outs of recording a great song and can guide you with the same during your recording session.
Contact us today for more details!