Tips for Practicing Vocal Warmups at Home

Regardless of whether you’re new to singing or have been singing for years, you probably have a good understanding of why vocal warmups are so important (and if not, you can find out here). But, what we’d like to take a moment and remind you of today is that vocal warmups shouldn’t just be limited to right before you sing or before you begin a voice lesson – you should also make time to practice your vocal warmups at home. Below, take a look at some tips that can help you when you do.

Maintain good posture.
The best way to keep air flowing and thus, produce a strong sound, is to maintain good posture. If you’re standing, make sure that your body is in one straight line, with your feet flat on the floor and shoulder width apart. You’ll want to do the same if you’re sitting, but something else to keep in mind is that your back should not be touching the chair.

Focus on your breathing.
A common problem that singers have is that they forget to breathe, and instead they just use the top of their lungs. However, when you do this, you’re not singing with as much power as you can be, so take your vocal warmups as an opportunity to practice good breathing. A technique to help is to place a hand on your stomach – this way, you can be sure it’s your stomach that’s moving while you sing, rather than your chest and shoulders.

Relax your jaw.
When your body is feeling tense, and especially your jaw, it’s much harder to produce your best sound. And since your voice comes directly out of your jaw area, it’s important to make sure that this part of your body is completely relaxed. An easy way to do this is to massage your cheeks right below your cheekbone – rotate the heel of your hand in a clockwise motion, and notice as your jaw starts to instantly relax.

A final tip when it comes to warming up your voice and keeping your vocal cords healthy is to drink warm liquids, such as warm tea or water that is room temperature. Drinking liquids that are either super hot or super cold will make it much harder for your vocal cords to get to work, so if you’re feeling thirsty, sipping on something warm is your best bet!

Are you looking to improve your singing? Here at Grace Music School, we offer voice lessons for students of all ages, level and interests, and we offer instruction in various styles such as classical and pop. To learn more or to schedule a voice lesson, please give us a call at either of our music schools:

Melville – (631) 470-9705

Fort Salonga – (631) 239-6169