Vocal Health / Warming-Up

[jczelyph]

Posted: 12/6/04 at 3:58pm

What do you guys do to maximiase your vocal health before the start of a performance/performances? And what do you do to warm-up? I'm curious and would appreciate any advice from the seasoned performers on the board...

[My Fair Lady]

Posted: 12/6/04 at 4:02pm

I just got a book about it, but it's a present so I don't get it until friday. Sorry! I usually do scales and jump warmups, with a siren at the end. I also do hissing and stretching.

[ponine24601]

Posted: 12/6/04 at 4:30pm

i do all kinds of weird warm up. i do slides, sirens, jumps, staccatto going up and down the scale. stuff like that.

[LoringsGuy]

Posted: 12/6/04 at 4:48pm

I start out by stretching and focusing on my breathing before I even sing a note. I think the value of stretching and breathing before singing is really underrated. Then I do slides, octave jumps, an exercise to get the voice "forward" (such as "nyah, nyah, nyah" or "ma ma ma"), and velocity exercises to get the vocal chords limbered up. That's my "bare bones" warm-up, and depending on how much time I have, I may work through parts of the score that are giving me trouble. And I drink tons of water throughout the day leading up to, and during, the performance (if feasible). If it's cold backstage, I will keep a scarf wrapped around my neck to keep my vocal chords warm (yeah, it probably sounds a little diva-ish, but it works). Always have some non-menthol lozenges to suck on backstage (menthol tends to dry you out). I've found that Aqua Drops or Hall's Vitamin C drops are effective. There's also a spray you can buy at a lot of natural food stores called Singer's Saving Grace that helps to keep your throat lubricated. It tastes horrible, but really works!

[hush_ethel]

Posted: 12/6/04 at 5:08pm

i play jigallo and little sally walker :) i drink tons of water and tea and do scales and breath teqniques and like Lorings said, nyahs and mas and stuff like that, i used a spray, and i dont remember what its called, but it sucks, it comes in a brown bottle and its flavored honey and tea, it doesnt really work for me, so if you use a spray, i would go with the one lorings suggested.. lots of stacattos, sirens, pretty much everything everyone has already mentioned. i also do riffs, they're really fun too! also, before a show, talk in your head voice, dont hum, and talk only when nessesary... hope that helps

[Unknown User]

Posted: 12/6/04 at 5:12pm

I do my scales just like everyone else. I love to drink tea with lots of honey too.

I like to use Zicam as well. It's an over-the-counter "swab" and i use it the night before i have a show, and if i was developing a cold, i feel much better the day after.

I know a few people who like to eat french fries before they sing because the grease coats the throat. I don't do that cuz i think it's kinda odd, but there are people who do it!

Hope that helps!

[xluckystar2107x]

Posted: 12/6/04 at 5:15pm

use a little throat coat the day before a performance. drink plenty of water. i tend to like to do lip trills in addition to everything else that has been mentioned.

[hush_ethel]

Posted: 12/6/04 at 5:20pm

i forgot, green grapes too! the stuff in them are good for the voice, its like the acid or something, i might be worng, but i know for a fact green grapes are good for you! and anything with lemon

[LoringsGuy]

Posted: 12/6/04 at 5:36pm

Someone was telling me they worked with some opera company, and a lot of the singers would swear by a swig of Coca-Cola before a performance. Apparently, the acidic quality helped clear away any phlegm that might be hanging out in the throat. Of course, they were all belching on stage....

[Broadway_Bound_Star]

Posted: 12/6/04 at 6:16pm

"I love to drink tea with lots of honey too."


Does that actually work?

[jczelyph]

Posted: 12/6/04 at 6:33pm

If I'm suffering a little bit of a strained throat, there is nothing more soothing than a bit of honey and lemon in hot water. As for the science behind it, I've no idea (and I guess I should know 'cos I'm studying Medicine). I avoid dairy one or two days before the performance too. I have a spray called 'Entertainer's Secret' which tastes like ass and I don't think it works really either so it's not something I use often. I warm up similar to everyone else has mentioned. I siren quite a lot and try to take a steamy shower just to inhale the steam and warm everything up.

[gravity87]

Posted: 12/6/04 at 6:35pm

Umm use my warm up tape with like 10 different warmup excercises made by my voice teacher

[Adoannie925]

Posted: 12/6/04 at 8:35pm

It depends on the day, and what my voice feels like, but I find that...
Liptrills are great to get me going if I'm having an off day, or just in general, they never hurt.
Arpegios (Spelling?) seem to work well with my voice. I like to do them "Nyah"," "Ming," "Tay", but "Ming" works great to get my voice forward. I work with a ton of other scales too (scales are the foundation of the voice), but I like using arpegios to get me going. Another one that is great to get me going, too, is literally just going up the scales "A B C D," and sometimes "A B C D E."
Before anything, RELAXATION, relaxing my tongue and keeping it forward for vowels, relaxing the jaw, etc.

Also, for vocal placement, when I was beginning, I was having trouble with vocal placement and my voice would kind of get stuck in back, so for placement, I like to think of my voice resonating around my nose (but NOT singing through the nose, that's a nasal sound, which isn't always very pleasing to the ears), and like the voice is almost behind my nose and just very forward. It might sound complicated or bizzarre, but it works for me!

(Oh yeah, and I ALWAYS start in my head voice, and always sing in my head voice, unless I'm singing a mix. I ran into some major vocal problems when I had a teacher that tried to teach me to "belt" (his definition of it) by just using ALL chest voice, to the point where I was literally screaming because he told me "that's belting, and that's how I train my singers." FWIW, I've got a great teacher now and don't do that anymore 'cause it nearly destroyed my voice. So, if anyone else runs into that problem, BEWARE. I wouldn't wish what happened to my voice by doing that on anyone.)

Oh yeah, and I try to remember to drink a good and healthy amount of water when I know I'll be performing. If I don't drink enough water, I just generally feel kind of yucky and my mouth and throat start to feel dry which is never comfortable. Updated On: 12/6/04 at 08:35 PM

[LilMiZBroADwaY23]

Posted: 12/6/04 at 9:20pm

About the week before a major performance, I reduce the milk, and sugary things from my diet. Anything that could coat the throat.

Then I start drinking Hot Herbal Tea with lemon and honey like crazy. Then the day of I just hum all teh time, then an hour before I star singing, sirens, 'Many Mumbling Mice' for the vowels and constanants(sp?)) and many others.

[Merrydothe]

Posted: 12/7/04 at 12:36am

A trick we all use at my college, is we cut up an apple on the night of a performance--then when you go off between sets (if youre giving a recital) you eat a piece of the apple. Keeps your throat lubricated, and helps to cut down on some phlegm. :)

I avoided dairy for a week before my Senior recital a few weeks ago, and also cut out all caffiene months in advance.

Some people find food effects them more than it might effect other people. For me, almost any food will cause mucus-so I didn't eat more than a slice of bread with some lunch meat on it, and an apple the day of the recital--I pigged out afterwards at the reception!

Water Water Water, and Throat Coat is excellent too. I've also used Slippery Elm losenges before. A little weird, it actually seemed to be bark, with flavor and lubricant stuff. Not sure how I feel about those though. Didnt like the woody flavor-haha. Just some thoughts :) Updated On: 12/7/04 at 12:36 AM

[JBSinger]

Posted: 12/7/04 at 8:22am

I would avoid using any of that Singer's Friend stuff or menthol related cough drops. this may sound a little gross but I've found it helpful to clear out the nasal passages by using a saline nasal douche. Make a glass of warm salt water and snort it up your nose till it comes down your throat. After you get past the initial discomfort, when it goes down your throat it feels really good and reaches where gargling doesn't. After you've hit each side a couple times, blow your nose. It really helps clear the junk out of the sinuses. Again, use lots of water, de-caf teas, honey lemon. etc...

For warm-ups, I agree with Lorings. Start by moving the breath and stretching. Free up all tension in your head, jaw, tongue, lips, back. do some panting and controlled breathing. When you start to vocalize, don't jump to full singing. Just start getting the voice on the breath and do some nasalish exercises to get it forward. Then scales, runs on different vowels and patterns. I always attack the parts of the score that the most challenging before I go on. Don't blow yourself out, but make sure everything's there. Keep the sound free and on the breath and relax your body when you can to "re-set" for further singing.
Enjoy. Don't push when you are sick.

[BlueEyedKate]

Posted: 12/7/04 at 10:28am

I do my scales, etc., etc. before hand...I also drink a ton of water. In fact, a few days before an audition/performance, the only thing I will drink is coffee (black, no cream, no sugar) and water.

[LoringsGuy]

Posted: 12/7/04 at 10:52am

BlueEyedKate, do you drink decaf coffee? Caffeine will actually cause your vocal chords to constrict, I'm told.

AdoAnnie, I know exactly what you mean about placing the sound around the nose area. It's more of a visualization for me, imagining the sound resonating around that part of my face. It sounds strange to describe it, but it really helps with keeping the voice forward and on the airstream. Otherwise,it has a tendecy to fall back into the throat and then I'm just shouting.

JBSinger, I agree with you completely about menthol cough drops because they really dry out your chords, but I love Singer's Saving Grace. It tastes heinous, but the stuff really works for me. Keeps my throat nice and slippery.

[JBSinger]

Posted: 12/7/04 at 3:14pm

With the menthol drops - its less about drying out than it is about the numbing quality. It fakes you out to believing your throat is fine and ok to wail away on. It leads to more damage and who needs that?!

[jarred03]

Posted: 12/10/04 at 3:43am

Caffeine is the worst thing for a singer. Caffeine not only constricts your airways but it dries your vocal chords, so make sure y'all are drinking caffeine free soda, coffee, or tea. The best thing is to stick to plain water even if you want something hot just heat up the water. That way you can clear out the flem with out constrict your airways or drying your vocal chords. A good breath control exerciseize is to inhale for 4 seconds and exhale for 8, then inhale 4 exhale 16, then inhale 4 exhale 24, then 4 and 32, then try inhale 2 sec and exhale 8, and continue with the 16, 24, 32 intervals. This helps you gain amazing breath control. It not only helps you belt out your notes for as long as you need to but it also helps you get more breath quickly between big long notes.

[teth]

Posted: 12/10/04 at 4:05am

On a similar note, does anyone know how of a good way to practice vocal placement??

I guess it's really hard to talk about this in words but I seem to have a problem with "trapping" my voice in the back of my throat or something...as if it sounds constrained and muffled (though I don't think I'm singing it through my nose though). Usually, I can somewhat correct it when I'm at my vocal coach. But when I'm not, I can't seem to fix it myself.

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 12/10/04 at 11:46am

Sing in the car on the way and drink lots of water. Hack up any phlegm.

Post show: get drunk. (I'm not sure it actually helps but I'm supersitious so I don't want to break the tradition )

I think sopranos made up the other stuff to talk about themselves more :)

[LoringsGuy]

Posted: 12/10/04 at 2:16pm

Teth, you're right, it is a hard thing to describe in words, but when it comes to placement, I just visualize the sound resonating through my eyes and nose (my "mask," as my voice teacher calls it). That's not to say you should actually sing through your nose as that will only sound narrow and thin. Keep the airways open and relaxed, and imagine the sound traveling through that area of your face. It helps to keep the voice forward and resonant instead of getting hung up in your throat. It truly is more of a visualization than a physical thing, at least for me, anyway. Hope this helps!