I call these vocalises “warm-ups”, but they are more than that. Or at least, they can be.
In a private voice lesson, vocalizing at the beginning of the lesson is not just a preparation for repertoire work, but also a time to adjust breathing, voice placement, and work on tension, range, and other vocal issues. This is where the major technical work is accomplished, and the results are then transferred into repertoire. For singers who are not studying privately, the lack of careful vocalizing is, I believe, the #1 reason why vocal technique never develops, or develops slowly.
The Weekly Warm-Up is for anyone interested in picking up some new ideas, but it’s especially dedicated to one of my favorite types of people, choir members. If you are a volunteer in a choir and you have found your way here, you probably love music, want to be a more productive part of your musical community, and are self-motivated enough to work on your singing technique on your own. Great!
Each week, I’ll share with you the exercises I most enjoy doing in my own practicing and in teaching my students. Done correctly and over time, these exercises can build vocal technique so that you are ready for the coming rehearsal and investing in a better sound for next season and ten seasons from now. These exercises can’t take the place of private voice instruction, but they can give you the tools to start working on your posture, breathing, support, placement, and air movement.
Try to follow the complete instructions as carefully as possible, and resist the temptation to mindlessly repeat the exercise up and down the scale until you’ve phonated all the pitches required for your upcoming rehearsal. Really focus on the exercise’s target. You’ll get more value from a short, mindful warm-up than from 20 minutes of unfocused (and tiring) singing.
So check out the full list of exercises or start with the first one, the Nobble Lift.
Happy singing, and thanks for practicing!
