Warming up before you sing is essential to deliver a consistent sound every time you sing from the start of each session. Your voice’s sound becomes richer, fuller & stronger after only half an hour of singing when it is warm and working at peak performance. You avoid causing damage to your voice/body and ensure voice preservation that will allow you to continue to sing comfortably in the later years of your life – your 60’s, 70’s, 80’s & 90’s.
Physically – You use your stomach muscles, diaphragm/lungs & breathing, throat & vocal cords, mouth & tongue, hard & soft palette while you move air & sound through your nasal cavities to name the basics. A warm up extends your talking voice into a singing voice.
Mentally – You work through a mental check list while using your preferred warm up methods; you think about certain notes/songs that need extra focus and basically change into your singing mind zone which prepares your work session and boosts your confidence as you know you are ready to go from the start.
Each time you warm up you are reducing the risk of damage to your voice/body and you help maintain the quality of your voice. Unfortunately singers can suffer from inflamed vocal cords and nodules on the vocal cords which is painful and stressful. This is often due to; over use because of too much singing, demanding songs and not enough vocal rest (too much talking). Lack of sleep and lack of vocal rest negatively affect your performance which you immediately notice during a warm up. This gives you the opportunity to place extra focus on great technique during your singing session and no one else has to know that you may not be at your best for that session. It also shows you have a professional approach without excuses.
By focusing on having a solid warm up routine you make singing easier for yourself and you give yourself the best outcome for a fun session every time you sing.
Good luck and have fun!
