Daily Exercises to Keep Your Voice and Body Prepared


If you want to sing, then you need to begin to set aside time for DAILY exercises to help prepare your voice.  However, these are NOT really Vocal Exercises; these are PHYSICAL and ARTICULATORY exercises mainly that condition your body, your breathing, and your overall control.  They require very little time but you will see that this small investment yields great reward.

 - PHYSICAL WARM-UPS AND STRETCHING:
·      Bend over and hang from the waist for 2-3 deep breaths – slowly rise, swaying form side to side to avoid dizziness
·      Roll shoulders backwards two times; Roll them forward two times
·      Squeeze shoulders up to ears and hold for two breaths
·      Press shoulders down to floor and hold for two breaths
·      Squeeze shoulders forward to try to touch them together; hold for two breaths
·      Squeeze shoulder blades together in back and hold for two breaths
·      Stretch chin up as if trying to touch the top of your head – hold for two breaths; stretch chin over to right corner – hold for two breaths; stretch chin over to left corner – hold for two breaths
·      Stretch tongue down to touch chest – hold for two breaths; tongue to nose for two breaths; tongue straight out for two breaths
·      (Optional, if neck or back feel strained) Stand erect; drop head forward; lace hands together and place on back of head; do NOT pull; let the weight of hands stretch down back
·      Yawn three to six times

 -     Place pointer finger above upper lip and HUUUUUUUM!  Continue until your lips tickle.

-       Exercise on “Hum” – Mah, May, Mee, Moh, Mah, May, Mee, Mog, Mah, May, Mee, Moh,           Moo – repeat

-      TONGUE TWISTERS – Vary your choices – Perform three of these Daily  
       -    Success to the successful thistle-sifter
       -    Fred fed Ted bread, and Ted fed Fred bread
       -    Tragedy Strategy
       -    Selfish shellfish  
       -    Plague-bearing prairie dogs
       -    Freshly fried fresh flesh
       -    Preshrunk silk shirts
       -    Black bug’s blood
       -    Old oily Ollie oils old oily autos
       -    Many an anemone sees an enemy anemone

-       Perform the “Roller Coaster” three to four times from a comfortable starting note position

-       If you are able, LIP TRILL the Roller Coaster three to four times from a comfortable starting note position

Thanks so much for reading this blog post!  I hope it is helpful for you.  If you have ANY questions, comments, or blog post suggestions, please write them in the “Comments” below.  Check out my website at www.SingitForward.net.  Thanks!  Sing it Forward!

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